Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-09-28
WHEE
THE INTELLIGENCER.

u'st taouSht naturally seems incredible: hnt
yet, nevertheless, tits entirely true that the citv
OF Wheeling is to-day, the only city of all the
cities and towns of this Commonwealth. TINT
really possesses cosmopolitan character
And we can yet, both safely and truly, 60 far.
ther and say that, with the single exception of
the city of:St. Louis, she is the only city in all
the Southern States that possesses this cbarac.
teristic. When we use the term cosmonoTton
weuse it in its received acceptation, as the ron.
reSentatiye of an aggregation ofdiverse opinions,
languages, prcjudices &C., brought together
from all parts of the world, and freely ex.
changed and discussed in public and private. In
other words, we mean tina this city and St. Louis
give equal protection and equal license to men
of all shades Of political opinion in the exercise
OF their right to speak, discuss and vote those
feelings and convictions which, in other South
ern cities, are kept alive only like so many
Smothcrcd GOALS Itis, therefore on acconnto Of
this really great and distinguishing character
lstic that we say that Wheeling and ST. Louis
are really the only two cosmopolitan cities of
the South. They starl out togcther-hanrl in
hand-twin sisters in the great missionary
movement in the Southern States, in vindication
of those great political and constitutional nriv
ilcses of free speech and free elective franchise
which ali Of US have, either by right of our birth
OF by right Of our adoption What other cities
IN the South can stand forth and declare them
selves cities of refuge" where men of the
North aud SOUTH East and West can meet to
gether, on the streets, in all the public ard
private places, and say, believe thus aud so
I.:IllC
under which we live? II is in these two cities,
aud these only, where man can say, 81 am
Roma"," with no timorous hesitancy as to
the consequences. Aud it is these two cities
that to day, throughout all parts of the conn
try, stand before the public eye of three
great divisions of our republic like the s'frecd
cities of continental Europe dnring the eras OF.
prescription, attractive and attracting to The
gaze Of the surrounding nationalities.
What must necessarily be the results Of
condition Of society like that we have briefly
reviewed? Here, in our midst, Ec are told by
persons protesting to be intelligent who essay
to mould and lead and teach public opinion, and
who, from their positions, onght to DC above the
local bigotry and provincial and sectional pre-.
ljudtccS and animoSiticS which attaches to mar.
row and ignorant minds, lli$t its effect $50
humiliate us at the f,otStool of power, and for
felt the. favors OF those who meet at our COM
mon Capital, sworn 10 lcgislatc for the best
interests ofeacIl and every part Of the Common
wealth. Wcare, in effect told this: That by rca-
son Of t!:e characteristic which we have men
toned above, we are to, and by right onshtto
be made feel chat it is no matter that VIC pay al.
our dues TO the common support, or that we even
pay more than our fair proportion, aud that we
have patiently put up with small return, since
that we have not, together with our taxes, sur
rendered our principles aud oar manhood
That very idea, disguise or conceal it as they
may, is taught day after day in our midst ut
the mouth Of so called organs Of public opin>
ion Stripped Of all its plausibiIity, and
brought out in its real essence aud mcaung, it
is Just that we, TO obtain rights, our guar.
antcel equality, our tax bought protection,
should mentally abasc themselves This is the
kernel of all their logic, and when once diSpas-
sionatcIy sought for midst the layers of their
thread bare appeals and adjuratiOns about unity
and patriotism, is plainly perccpublc as tho
physical substance that prominently meets our
outward eyes. We will put it in this way, TO
test the complete validity Of our assertions: In
other parts of the State, especially in the east.
EN- part, private and public men, both
privately and publicly, express their opinions
upon the one side Of question, praise it, up
hold it, encourage it, and in general way, by
all the contlivances of speech or lawful action,
known to them, propagate it zealouSy. We
arc conceding them all sincerity in their opinions
just as conccde them all their rights to the
free expression of them. They meet at the
capital in common with the representatives of
all the various sections, and when met, they
rise in their places nn'i ask for Legislation upou
the various wants and requirements of their
sections Who gainsays the petition or the de
mands Of a, B., aud e., on the charge that on
certain day night, this one or that one of
their prescntatiyes, said that he believed that
OF all the benefits which had been vouchsated
10 men, that of African Slavery was the greatest,
which is the exact language Of many influential
papers and men in other parts Of the State? Is
it told to their disgrace, is it cast in their teeth,
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