South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1871-04-21


it.
As to the gentleman's expectations of
enforcing all the judgments he holds a.
right # purchase either,) despite all the
Expost Facto Legislation | can procure, I
would simply suggest that hope deferred
maketh the heart sick and ut the same
tune desire to congratulate the country
that other parties Quot Hon. Wm. G
Brown will probably be called upon to
decide whether the law passed by the Leg
islature of West Virginia for the relief of
persons engaged in the late war between
the Government ofthe United States and a
part of the people thereof, on either side, is
EzpOst Facto or not.
A any rate the sickness of this party of
which Mr.. Brown is St representative has
become chronic, and must necessarily 90
trough regular course of medicine, and
may be by the time this learned DR.
of the law is about to pronounce his patient
convalesceBt again, the disease may assume
form entirely different, attacking some
hitherto sound part of the system, requir-
ing new remedies and battle the skill of the
DIR. again for the space of six long years.
Mr.. Brown hasn't caught as many hess
as have or he would long since have lear.
ned that sometimes when you put your fin
ger on them they ant there.
do not propose to argue the question
here az to whether | am an unprincipled
scoundrel or not. That is n question upon
which all good men and even ex.msmbers
of Congress might differ, still / do not be-
lieve he can get any one, for whose opinion
have any respect TO think So But when
he states an infamous falsehood (aud one
which he (himself) proves in the first part
of hia communication to be such,) as evi.
dence of my being an uDprinciped seoun-
drel, | must beg to be excused for meet
ing him in my own unmeasured terms.
Now, if be sill undertake TO prove that
[ have ever permitted or am now permit
ting my securities to pay dollar Of mon-
ey for me, whilst am keeping nay property
out of the reach Of the officers, | will fur
nish him with every facility in my power
to do so, and endesvOr to get all my friends
and enemies too to do the same but until
he does il, shall claim the privilege and
exercise the right TO publish him to the
world an infamous and uDprincipled liar
Mr. Brown mentions but four cases IL my
Indebtedness in his com nuncaion, all Of
which he admits are still unpaid l. 1t
not fair 10 presume be would have meatioa.
ed a case in which had permitted ray Sc
cGrity to pay my debt had he known of
one ? lie proves himselfa lar
The difficulty between him aai myself
arises from the fact hat do not permit
my securities to pay him his pretended
claims. He Gin my opinion) does not care
from whom or in what manner he obtains
money
The man who takes advantage @! the
prejudices of mad mpassioped people 10
prolong and intensity a strife md bitterness
growing out Of such an unf,rtunate VIZ a.
ours, for the purpose Of filing his ovn pock-
cts with the filthy Iucre Of Garth, at the sac
ridco Of bis couniry's good, is not rs sood
as a tlief
But, sir, this is not simply = conl5si BE-
tween Mr.. Brown and myself, otherwise
should have regarded bin as ut;e,ly BE-
meath the notice Of gentleman. TIL, ia =
struggle between law and order on one side
and Anarchy, Djscord and Despotisra on
the other, in the result II which every law
abiding citizen be be Democrat or Repub-
lican Is as much interested as | am and it
is so recognized by every intelligent man in
this aud every other community Shcfc Tie
facts are known.
If the laws can be 90 perverttd and mis-
construed az to make me responsible for
acts done by the Confederate army whilst
Republicans are in power, Is ii not plain to
every rejecting mind that change of The
administration may lead only to chang Oh!
the parties to be prosecuted, when re-
membrane Of the past shall have infen,i-
fed our bitterness and turned Us into dew
lis rather than men.
He who would not favor the per-
mancnt establishment of law relieving
the soldiers of either army from liability
for the acts Of their respective armies for
the purpose Of averting such a calamity a.
this, is worse than q savage and unworthy
the name If man.
Mr.. Brown has greatly mistaken his
man. notwithstanding deeply regret
that he has given me an additional reason
why | shall continue 10 hold him up TO the
wi.hering scorn aud contempt Of all good
and law-abiaing citizens yet the combined
efforts of men and devils shall never deter
me from the performance Of my duty in
such a contest
JONI T. PIERCE.
ssg- We have another case of reported