The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-07-19
1872. The snowflake Of the coming

avalanche.
This second section further declares
"Amoug the powers so reserved by the
State is the exclusive regulation Of their
own internal government and police,
and it is the high and solemn duty OF
the several departments OF government
created by this Constitution to guard
and protect the people of this State
from all encroachments upon the
rights 80 reserved" Is this declara.
ton true or false2 Let the recreant,
who dares, stand up and say it is false.
If true, then amid the calamities OF
States, the overthrow Of these ancient
rights, the destruction OF these limita-
tions upon central despotism, their
affirmation sjust, proper and expedient,
even as the Magma Charta although
but the affirmation OF ancient rights
was wrested from the power which had
trsmpled on all law and right and
although struck down in many a field
since, was raised upin our own Declara-
tion Of Independence and in this Con-
sti,ution is re-atfirmed and enlarged.
In continuatio of the same idea
and that they are not merely abstract
and empty declarations of rights and
duties, the third section continues.
"The provisions Of the Constitution of
the United States and OF this State, are
operative alike in a period OF war as in
time of peace, and any departure there
from or violation thereof under the
plea Of necessity, or any other plea, is
subversive of good government and
tends to anarchy and confusion.
Again, it is but the repetition OF Magma
Charta wrenched from the iron hand
of the tyrant. may be permitted to
speak, | will speak upon this subject,
| who have been twice imprisoned con.
trary to all maxims and principles OF
law, shot at by the blind aud senseless
fanatic Of a madaened populace, the
musket Of the soldier levelled twice
upon me, q defenceless pris-
oner, and the trigger set,
clicking distinctly in my ear,
and Darr, the Provost Marshal of
West Virginia, who had twice ordered
my Imprisonment, on his oath com.
PEELED to answer the question, wv hat
charge of word or deed have you
against this man that is inimicaI to the
Administration mot to the laws, not
10 the Constitution, but to the Admin
istration, was compelled to answer, 81
have none" /, this victim OF the
violation o. all Constitutional right, all
law, all order Of society, and observing
with a watch'ul attention all the wild,
furious currents of "the times OF
trouble" do say, that the Government
would have been stronger in the afrc~
tons of the people, would have been
more efficient to reduce the secession
and would have been more conservative
of law and order, ami OF the moral pro.
gress Of society if it had kept within
the limits of constitutional law. 1t is
only in the anarchy and confusion
which has superveued on this total dis.
regard Of the restraints Of law that |
such abrure OF %A:-.s as 4rautfsm, with |
with all its conmiaDts oil official corrup-
ton, Of Legislative usurpation, of regis,
tration laws in West Virginia, Of
State oppression in the South, of incar-
ceration of thousands OF men without
due process Of law during the war, and OF
hundreds Of Southern men in the
Northern, prisons could have taken
place. The people understand their
rights and affirm them, West Nirgiuia
eads the van for the safety OF States and
rights Of the people.
The OLp Man.