Year: 1864




laws and break up the established order Of the Union py
violent application of force there was no man among"
them 90 obtuse as not to be capable of seeing how sense
less must have been the complaint against the President
for invoking the aid OF the military power OF the country
to resist them.


Third They knew that scheme OF revolution being an
appeal those who dscontented with the Government
to rebel against it, only addresses itself TO such a. Dee'o
in its expedency and leaves all who do not assent 70 na
at libel to refuse their aid that this freedom
of action would 10 the first stages Of the movement nave
allowed large portion of the people of the South the OPP
portuny stand firm to their loyalty and refuse 10 take
any share in the revolt against their country whs ON
the secession theory the State would act IN It's sovereign
capacity and by declaring the separation complete woud
the obedience of it's citizens In the hrst case Inc
citizen would regard himself as an Individual Tree agent
with full liberty to decide upon his conduct; In the
latter he would be overborne and coerced by
authority claiming his allegiance and subordinatlng ms
individual will to what called the public interest


Fourth Revolution also in'ers another and still more
embarrassing rght-that Of counter revolution III the
State may rebel against the National Government why
may aggreved dscontented portion OF the peo
pie of the State rebel against the Statef heDelon
teacher Of bloody instructions" which may return 10
plague the inventor What argument can Virginia. LOT
example, make in favor of revolt against the authority Of
the Union may not be used with tenfod force oy ne
own western counties to justify revolt against her Vr-
gna herself had really denable grievance against the
Union She absolute mistress OF her own domestic
government and could freely enact and execute all laws
which she might deem necessary to her own welfare within
her limits. No human power could interfere Win
her there She has never yet indicated single item of
grievance resulting from the Of the Federal Govern
ment In fact that Government has always been in great
part in her own hands, under the control of her nhu
ence If she not been happy and prosperous II Is
simply her own fault mean to say she has no cause
whatever to excuse her rebellion against the Union Yet
she revoted we may say gave to the revolution c0un-
and support without which it would have speedily
sunk into futile enterprise. Having come into 1t, she
assumed the right TO compel her unwilling citizens TO cast
their lives and fortunes into the same ISSUE large Por
tion of her people, comprising the inhabitants OF many
counties in the mountain region of the Aeghanes have
always been dstngushedas, indeed, seems to be The
characteristic of all mountain countryor their strong
attachment to the Union These people have an aversion
to slavery and have been steadily intent upon establishing
and expanding system of free labor They have there
fore very little in common either of sentiment inter
est with the governing power of the State. When there
FORE the question of secession submitted to them
they voted against it. From that moment they were
marked and when the State under the control of its low
land interest raised the banner of revolt its first move
ment was invite the Southern army to occupy the
mountain districts to and drive the people there
not only into submission to the dominant power OF the
State, but into active hostility against the Union To
this end these loyal people pursued with bitter
persecution, harred by rufan soldery, hunted from
their homes into the mountain fastnesses their dwellings
burnt their crops destroyed, their fields laid waste, and
every other cruelty inflicted upon them to which the
savage spirit Of revolution usually resorts to compel the


FrL LoL
of these beautiful mountain valleys simple, brave,
and sturdy people, and all these terrors found in
sufficient to force them nto act of treason They
fused and n their turn revoed against this eXecrabe
tyranny and drew their swords in favor of the Union
What natural righteous than such resistance
And yet Virginia Affects TO consider this the deepest Of
crimes and is continually threatening vengeance against
what she calls these rebels-Vrginia, the rebel de-
nouncing rebellion


Her plea that she has only seeded but Western
Virginia rebeis-there is great difference.


The Southern Confedeacy, like Virginia this great
difference in the two categorie and is quick enough to
take advantage occasion serves of that which suits its
purpose.


The state of things exists in Eastern Tennessee
in Western North Carolina Arkansas and in parts
Of Georgia and Alabama Counter revolution would be
rife in many districts If the rebel Government did not sup



presence of military force Even this would be impossible
they had not nsinusted into the popular mind Of the
South largely they have done, the conviction of
right of accession and persuaded the country that they
acting that theory and were but asserting the e
gtmste sovereignty Of the States.


Western Virginia, for t0o years, endured the pryson
and suffering OF this cruel and wicked attempt to enforce
its submission and compel its people to abure their
earnest and eager allegiance to the Union two years that
left them without law. without any Of the apparatus Of
government helpless in every thing but their firm
resolution and voluntary selfcontro orderly
nifty until finding themselves under necessity for organi
zaton they erected their broken community govern
ment claiming its foundation in just and righteous
luton ana in that Character sought place in the Union
Congress assented to their claim and holding them
loyal men, constituting msjority in number Of the whole
people Of Virginia who retain lawful citizenship in that
State accorded to them the right to express the Of
the State in favor of the division which thus gave new
member 10 the Union.


What lawful objection the South make 10 this
ter revolution out the spe and in the actual state Of
the case absurd idea that s not itself pursuing
Of revolution but only constitutional right Of secession


Lastly may add TO the considerations which have ope-
rated upon the mind of the Southern leaders in their
deavor to persuade the world that they not smenabe
to the responsibilities Of rebellion one which have
presented 10 former letter, and which briefly repeat
here necessary TO the completeness OF this summary
The inauguration of rebellion imposes upon those who