West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-07-17
EsTON COUNTY, w. VA, SATURDAY, JULY II, 1850,

tionHl, Oppressive or ineultiug 20 thcm Ia
of no cone, qucncc 10 the matter In hand.
The prCsidcrn OF the UuItoi States has
announced his opinion that these acts of
ConEuss aro unconstitutional. The su-
promo court, as you are aware, not long
ago decided unanimously that n certain
military commission wGs unconEtItu
ti0nal. Our people cvcrywharc, In every
State, without reference tO the eido they
to0, during the rebellion, differ aa to tho
'constitutionality ot these acts of congress.
dow the matter really ienGilrcr you nor
i may dramatically affirm.
IL you deem them constitutional lava,
and hcn,fioial to the country, YOU not
only hFvc the right to publish your opiu-
ions, hut II mEht 100 your boundel duty
as n citiEgn toe So Not fcsa Ia IL the
privilege and duty oi any and every Gill
E"n, wherever residing, To publish his
opinion freely and IcHlceely ON this and
every question which he thinks concerns
hls interest. This Se merely in accordance
with the principles of our FREQ govern
mont, usd neither you nor | would wIsh
to live under any other. Ii Ia timo now.
at the end OF almost two years from tho
close of the war, We should bcgiH te rec
ollcCt what manner of pcople wG arc; To
tolerate again free, popular discussion,
and extend some forhcaranCu and consid
Grafton To opposing views. Tho maxims
that in all intolloctual cOntCuta truth IN
mighty aud must prevail, and that error
IA harmless whun reason 10 left FREQ to
combat il, arc not only sound, but
ailutaTy. IL 10 a poor Compli-
mont To the mcrits of Nch causo, that
ite advOcatcs would silence opposition 10y
force aud generally those only wAo are
in tho wrong will resort to ;his ungencr
Gus means. l am confident you will not
commit your serious judgement 10 tho
proposition that any GmoGnt OJ discuc-
sion, or any eort of opinions, however
unwise in your judgment; or any asacr-
lion or feeling, however rescnLful or bit
ter, not rcaplljng in a breach of law, can
furnish Qualification for your denial that
might as well deny that profound peace
cXists in New York, Pennsylvania, Ma
ryland, California, Ohio and Kentucky,
where n majority of the people dinur
with "A minority on Acss question:, or
that profound peace exists in the Houae
Of Representatives,, or the Senate, at
Washington, or In tho Supreme Court.
whore all these questions have been n
pealcdly discussed, and parties respect
fully and patiently heard. You next com
plain that In parts of the State CTcxas) IL
is difficult 10 enforce tho criminal laws
that Bhcriifs fail Is arrest that grand ju-
rors will not always indict that in some
caso9 the military acting in aid OF the civ
il authorities have not been able TO exc
cute the process of the courts that petit
jurors have acquitted pcrBons adinlged
guilty by you; and that other persons
charged with Offences have broke Jail and
He'd from prosecution. know not how
thcsc things arc but admitting y0gr rep
rescntationB literally tTuo, If for such
rcaBOnB / should set aside the local civil
tribunals and oder military commission,
there is no place in the United States
whore 1t might not DO dono with cqual
propIictY. There ig not State in tho
UniOn-NOrth or BOuth-whoro the like
facts are not continually happening. Per.
lection is not 10 bc prcdicated OF man or
ms works. No ono can reasonably ex-
poet certain aud absolute justice In hu-
man transactions and it military power
Is to bo set IN motion, on the principles
for which you would gecm 10 contend, /
fear that civil government, regulated
by lave, could have no abiding place be-
meath the circuit Of the cum. II is rather
moro than hinted in your letter that there
Ia no local State government in Texas,
ana no local laws outside Of the alds OF
Congress which ought to respect; and
that / shOuld undertake a. protect tho
rigms Of persons and property In my own
way and in an arbitrary manney. IL
such bo your meaning / am compelled 10
dilicr with you, After tho abolition of
slavery, (an event which / hope no one
now regreis), the laws OF Louisiana and
Texas existing prior % the rob, llion, and
not IN conflict with uo acts Of Congress.
comprlJed a vast syslcm of jurisprudence.
both civil and criminal. IL required not
volumes only but Libraries 10 contain
them. They laid down principles, and
pfocedcnts for ascCrtaibing the rights and
adjusting the controversies Of men In
every conceivable case. They were
not creations Of the great and rood and
learned men, who dad hbDrad IN their
day for their kind, and gono down 10 tho
grave before our recent trOubles, leaving
their works an lnostimable lcglcy 90 tho
human race. These laws, as am I'm.
formed, connected the civilization Of tho
past ahd present agos, aud testified of tho
justice, wisdom, humanity ahd patriotism
df more than ono nation, through whose
rccOrde they descended To- the prescnt
people Of these States. / am sstisGed.
from representations Of pcrsons comge
tent 10 judge, they arc as perfect syf-
tenn of laws az may bo found elsewhere.
and better suited than any other Co the
condition Of tho peop}e, for by them they
have long boon governed. Why
should 10 be supposed Congress has ab1l