The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-01-19

D
D butes of citizenship those who volunta'
3 rily participated in the rebellion Is
the Policy of restoration inaugurated by
, the General Government, and which Is
intended TO harmonize all interests
destroy caste and sectionalisn, and
make all men equal before the law, an
J irreversible fscti And is there evil
dence of an honest intention on the part
, of the disfranchised in our State to &C
cept it as irrevocable and finali If the
, temper of those who aided the rebellion
is such as to give an affirmative answer
to these inquiries, thsn the time has
come to adopt some plan for restoring
to this class the exercise of the priv
ileges from which they are now de-
barred.
There seems to be n very very general
| conviction in the minds of the people
that the acts imposing what are known
, as the attorneys and teachers test oaths
should be repealed. Numbers of per-
sons engaged in these professions have
! already been relieved from their opera.
tion. In view of this fact, and the re-
moteuess of the circumstances which at
, first required the passage of the laws,
their continuance in the case of remain
iur individuals seems to be lnexpedient.
\ I therefore recommend their repeal.
There are Numbers of citizens in whose
Judgment have great confidence, who
believe that the time has not yet come
for the repeal Of what is known as the
suitors' test oath; still think the wis
dom of its further continuance on the
statute book is questionable; it is COM
paratively imperative, and besides, 1t
would seem that the necessity for it has,
in great measure, passed away.
Upon the question of amending the
! Constitution so as to restore the privil-
eyes of citizenship to those now dis.
franchised, there is much difference of
opinion; the only differences, however,
as a general thing, are as to the mode
and time of restoration, as there are but
few who desire disfranchisement to be
perpetual. The question is not without
its embarrassments; yet feel confident
that if it is approached in q proper
spirit, and with a sincere desire to ad-
vance the true interests of the State
rather than to organize the success of
party, many of the difficulties which
surround it will disappear, and o result
will be reached that will be satisfactory
to large majority of the people.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Easy, cheap, and rapid transportation
| is an indispensable condition TO ehe sue
cess of any people nc all advanced In
loivilizatfon; without internal improve
ments, therefore, we cannot hope to
compete with the States around US.
Bounded as We are by great States
whose railroads poiut across our terri.
tory, we cannot long remain neutral
ground, if true to ourselves. Rival en-
terprises finding that the most direct
routes for travel and transportation be.
tween the East and the West as we'll as
the North and the South, are through
West Virginia, will soon pierce our
mountains with their improvements, If
not discouraged by our indifference or
repelled by unfrendly legislation.
Already we have the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad passing entirely across
the State, and, by its connections, Civ
| ing us easy access, in one direction, to
the vast producing regions of the Mis-
sissippi Valley, and in another to the
great markets on the Atlantic seaboard.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad is
already built, and its trains running TO
point within onr limits; and arrange
ments are now perfected which will Sc
cure beyond doubt its completion
through the great Kanawba Valley to
the Ohio river Mt "a early day. This
will give another through line from the
great west to the deep waters and
splendid haybors of the East, and must
add immensely to the wealth and pOpu-
lation of the State, more especially in
its southern and south western portions.
Among the projected improvements,
whose success is probable az no distant
day, is the West Virginia Central Rail
way. Capitalists and corporations in
other States propose TO give Substantial
aid to this enterprise, while the people
of some of the counties through which
the road is to pass, have voted to tax
themselves largely to aid in its con-
struction.
The plan of making a maCadamizcd
road through the centre Of the State,
| from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
on the north, TO some point on the
| Chesapeakc and Ohio Railroad on the
south, is warmly advocated by some.
Such an improvement is closely identi-
! fed with the interests of the people Of
| the interior: and in the event Of failure
| to connect the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad with the Baltimore and Ohio,
by the construction of the West Nir-
ginia Central road, first class macad-
auized turnpike would seem to be in
dispensable.
| .F Ln al
Railroad, crossing the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad at some point in the
county of Berkeley or Jefferson. and ex-
tending through the VALLEY of Virginia,
so as to connect with tho Virginia rail-
roads, is likely to be built without
much delay. Such an improvement
would contribute largely to the ad-
vancement of the already prosperous
part of the State through which the
road is to pass.
The project of constructing arailroad
through several counties Of Western
Pennsylvania and West Virginia, 80 as
to connect at some point in this State
with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad +,
and at the White Sulphur Springs with
the Chesapeake and Ohio road, is at the
present time attracting general atten-
tion in the counties through which the
road is expected to pass. Already a
number of enteTPrising men, some of
them large capitalists, have identified
themselves with the proposed improve
ment; and there is certainly q cheering
prospect that, with proper encourage
ment, work may be commenced upon this
road soon, and that portion connecting
with the Baltimore and Ohio read COM
pleted at an early day.
The improvements on the Great Kan
swha river and its tributaries are stead
lily going forward, while those on the
Little Kanawha are pushed with COM
mendable vigor, and will be so far COM
pleted the coming summer as to insure
the uninterrupted navigation Of con-
siderable portion of the river.
cheerfully recommend the most lib
ersl legislation in favor Of capitalists
who propose to make actual improve
ments within the State, and who give