The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-12-10
Che9ntelIigsneer.
,I,n,ecn Years Ago In Wheeling

:, We recognize them as old famil'
',.nv, only in appearance bu! in their
,,bsIo1 Democratic tone. The copy
l,,I Aprill7th, 1857, is especially inter
,.,isp to u. The people Of Wheeling are
,,J in that issue to take notice Of the
s.I,pcboly fact that the Wheeling In
,,ttIaEscER is gradually becoming a
mixer and blackCr Black Republican
,,,pal What to do about it the editor
ofAe .lrqll Is at a loss to know. He
b,,tIv feel, at liberty to advise a mob,
hattie considers it a burning shame that
BLACK Republican newspaper should be
,Dbwel to take root in the sacred soil
oiyirginia
/, .ecm. that at that early day We had
,,,.o lar along as to speak Of slavery in
Virginia as an "unmitigated CURSE" and
,h.eIpres.ion was considered outrageous
b,.phemy and treason by the Argus. The
.jtor was logical enough to perceive and
n ay that il in our estimation slavery
vp an "unmitigated curse" the next
.,ep would be to advocate the abolition
aitin Virginia. We were told that we
would ind that We had reckoned without
olf host in such an undertaking, and the
ryphecy was then and there made that
ve would share the same fate that 9TH
G, had experienced in the same cause"
Ne were warned that "the people OF Vir.
eiHa, and especially those Of Wheeling,
we're not quite prepared for such innova-
tons" The fate Of James Z. Wharton
su conjured up before our eyes to
irghten ua. lie, once upon u time, in still
earlier days, had been 30 rash AZ to
write something about "kindling n fire
On the Blue Ridge to light the Eastern
Iuantlo his grave" whatever such an
expression meant 1t seems that Mr..
Wharton had once said in the Times that
Dthc voice Of God was never heard in our
State CSccptindlreCtly through the NUT.
terings Of the thunder" and we we're
warned in 50 many words that "his noble
fate /, before the INrELLIGENCER." "
Wharlona expression perhaps re-
erpd to the fact that there
were in Virginia about that time
nearly half a million Of human beings
whom It was a crime to teach to read the
Word Of God. Mr.. Wharton was not q
very guarded man in his expressions and
occasionally dealt in strong figures. At
oil events the lrguI was trying to saddle
oil the olium Of his occasional outbreaks
on ui. The editor had an idea, and il
gave him much comfort, that the ground
upon which We were at that time gradu-
ally yarging would soon give from under
u' and engulf rs along with our illustri'
Gus predecessor Alas poor Russell we
knew him we'll, A fellow OF narrow and
bitter prClndiCes. lie lived long enough,
however, 10 see his own sheet dis.
appear beneath the waves and along
with it the institution he 80 Jealous.
y and intoIerantIy espoused. As
we re'read his maledictions and objur.
cations about "BlaCk Republicans, whom
NecIa'ed along with "iree lovers" anal.
ghmationists, Fourieriles, agrarians, and
everything that was vile, we recall the
memorable account recorded in Holy
Writ Of the attemptmade by Balaum, the
son Of l'cor, to pronounce n whitening
curse on the Black Republicans Of that
day, the people who were about to 'occu.
R the land, and how the attempt turned
out after all to be a blessing in disguise.
Aswe look over these old lles Of the
dyp We can not but think how strange.
ly altered for the better are these present
dhys as compared with those dark days
Of pro'slayery bigoLry--wlien men were
prosecuted for their politics IA they once
we're for their religion, and when every
relation Of life was squared by the test Of
leilty to that relic Of barbarism. Those
were the good old days when people were
Indicted in this state for subscribing to
The New York Tribune, and when the
mails were riAed by Democratic post
masters in search Of abolition literature.
Even yet our distinguished friend, Judge
camden, lives to tell the tale how he,
'hen Oh the bench Of the Harrison cir.
'ult, Issued warrant for the arrest OF
Horace Greeley, for whom afterwards he,
% the retributive providence Of dod,
'as called to vote rs the Democratic
Tor the Presidency. II We mis-.
axe not, however, the Judge had made
le peace with Horace two years before
0as vote, at the time the good old philoS.
,pAer came ont to tell the Changers Of
Harrison county what he knew about
'fning. 1t was at that time the two
walked together atm.in.arm, when, II
''atd, the Judge took occasion (under
ne ualbrella) to Qunsh the indictment Of
"5, and Horace, In his turn, impart-
~ TO the Judge the apostolic benedic-
ion.
We appeal to the Judge whether it Is
'oi better to have things IA they are now
'a'hef than as they used TO be. We have
10 donbtthnt II would be very distnSte.
a' duty for him to 20 back and resume
ne old business Of issuing warrants for
ne arrest of Republican editors. Like
he apostle Paul, the Judge pcrsecu.
ed the saints under n mistake, and
'e'o'c he had received the light that
'e nov enjoys. ltis not impossible that
elo'c he goes hence to enjoy his reward,
a'nyOfthc old time heretics will have the
ilaasn,n - ~. - IL. f. ..N 49,,