Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-02-18
Mr. vErcu, in lecture before the Historical

duced some new and rather startling ideas with
respect to the Panhandle. His views will aston
ish many who have lived in this "neck OF
woods" all their lives, without ever once sus-
pecting that they were not good and legal citi-
Gems of the Old Dominion. He asserts that
Virginia has no title whatever for this strip Of
land; and declares it as his settled belief, that
the Panhandle belongs of right to no State, but
is today actually United States Territory. He
fortifies his position thus: :,
Virginia bases her claim on King James
charter of 1909, the language of which is
ave grant all that body ofland called Virginia,
beginning at Cape Comfort; thence two humid
red miles north, and the same distance south
thereof and from tho circuit thereof up into
the land throughout from sea to sea, west and
northwest" When Virginia framed her con-
stitution in l77G, she planted herself on that
charter. That constitution was revised in 1880,
but do not know whether or not the old claim
is still put forth therein, or whether it IS taken
for granted. The words quoted as i part of the
charter of 1909 were only intended to give the
bearing of the land back from the sea. Hem
ming aud Lee, two of the most distinguished of
the old Virginia lawyers, said that it meant only
to give Virginia an uniform width of 400 miles
from ocean to ocean. Point Comfort is in
north latitude 80. Allowing 694 miles TO a
degree, her charter would carry her to latitude
400 north, and no further. Moreover, sub
segment grant of islands off the coast OF Virgin
ia carries the above boundaries so as to include
islands between the two parallels above alluded
to- In addition to this, the same King in 1920
made grant to the New England company be-
tween the parallels of 40 . and 4S ? north lah-
tude, thus fixing the northern boundary OF Vir-
gina as by the other facts already alluded to.
Taking then the parallel of 40 it cuts off the
Panhandle almost entirely from Virginia.
If all this is true, the Panhandle had better
organize a territorial government and apply in
80 for admission into the Union on an equal
footing with the other States. 1t may not have
quite enough population (95, ooo) to entitle 1t to
n representation, but as there are no other ter
ritories around it with which to incorporate it,
we do not know how else it could be disposed
of unless it could be moved down and hitched
on somehow to the District of Columbia. Or it
might be, that if left in a territorial condition,
and in consideration of its central position, gov
eminent would conclude to remove the Federal
Capital to Wheeling; in which case with the
addition of the election of an Opposition Presi-
dent, Intelligencer stock would run up to about
200 per cent.
But seriously, we have always thought that
this strip of Virginia soil, running up north be-
tween ONO anu fennSyNaHiaI ouSHt ~ W III
cluded in the boundaries of the latter. The natu-
raj boundary of Pennsylvania, on the west from
where it strikes that:strcam, southwark, is the
Ohio river. On the south it is that direct line
from the Delaware west, running on through to
The Ohio river. This is the way the line should
have been run when the boundaries between
the States were fixed. This would have given
Wheeling to Pennsylvania free state-and
she would now have been as far ahead of her
present self as she is to-day ahead, in point of
energy and wealth, of the old dilapidated cities
on the eastern shore, that have suffered still
moro than we the paralyzing influences of the
policy of the State. Wheeling free ethyl
Just think of it, citizens, mechanics, men of
brave hearts, strong muscle and honest purposes
merchants, manufacturers, owners of proper
ry-think OF how much it would enhance your
interests il tho line could tomorrow be run
across to the Ohio on our south and Wheeling
be transferred to Pennsylvania
-SsSSs$
Tup Senate Of the limited States has dispraced