Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-12-28

Nh. CHARLEs w. RUSSELL, in yesterdays
Union, comes out over his own signature
and endeaYors to throw cold water on the
suggestion of the Richie county cores
pendent of the National InteHigeneer, in
favor of division of the State at the Blue
Ridge, in. the event that Eastern Virginia,
for her own selfish ends, will persist in
dragging as into Cotton Confederacy.-
Mr.. Russell thinks very CONTEMPORARY
of the suggestion, says that it has been
standing threat for twenty years by dis
Contented people, and once or twice it has
been brought forward "by public meetings
in Western Virginia, under the influence
of temporary chagrin." If those who look
to BIr. Russell for advice in times like
these are satisfied with the very cavalier
and Indifferent manner in which he dis
poses of the proposed division of the State,
they are easily satisfied, and are not the
calibre ofmtnds to spend much time on,
and Mr.. Russell did well to say as little as
possible to them. But Mr.. Russell's treat
ment of the subject will not answer for
another kind of people, kind who have
no special disposition to take his opinions
on trust by reason of his antecedents, but
who would on that very account call for
2 the full measure of evidence by which he
came to his own conclusions. Mr.. Russell
does not address himself to people of this
kind. They are among the discontinued
whom he ignores. He doubtless thinks
that If he shall satisfy the minds of those
politically allied with him it will be quite
enough for all practical purposes, when
thesvote comes to be taken on the question
of Union or Disunion. Aud we believe
that those who are thus easily satisfied on
question that SO nearly affects their inn
mediate interest, will be quite as easy oper-
Rted on when the great question comes
before us, as probably it will ere long
Our hope is, however, and our belief, too,
that the kind aud class ofPeople, allied with
iNr, Russell, are not in a.majority in Western
Virginia. God save the Commonwealth, If
they are. Mr.. Russell knows much better
thanwe can tell him, that the movement Eora
division of this State dates back respecta-
bly, both npoint OF time and origin. 1t had
no less an advocate than Phillip Dodridge
inthis day, and his distinguished colleague
from Brooke county, in the Virginia Con-
yention of 1929, in private opinion,
was equally favorable to it. II we are
not mistaken, it had, and now has, the
weight of Judge Summers name; and we
know of many more less distinguished
names that we could give, were it neces-
sary to the consideration OF the question.
But it IS not. It was not necessary to the
minds of those whom we have quoted that
tbs question should have any prestige of
opinion in its afavor. And it is not
any more necessary now. The question
comes mp ON its naked merits, and ON
them It ought 10 stand OF fall. One sin
gle clause like that of tho twenty
second article of our State Constitutions,
kills At sight dozen letters like that Of
M. Russell's. Another provision where
by It is arranged that slYesteru. Virginia,
With - excess Of one hundred and
irtyltho.sa White lale, sispractloe1iy
distranebised in the Virginia Senate, is
siiiI1liif 55epbilgd 10 in iadteIs glfl.
asss e4naet HE .do s s. Iiofn tSstS.
nory can Sc prsslili tpo6 he opinion
st5at Tie peQpl lafs tllsnl. Ne I
and aaFe lg4 con- stegyag.