Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-07-31
Tuesday INCOMING, July 81, 1850.
OK the 4th OF this month-thc anniver-

On the 4th OF this m0nth--thc anniVer-
sary of our national liberties-a number
of our fellow citizens of the county of
Prince William county of the Tide
Water Section Of the State, and one that
contains about six thousand white people
and half that many negroes-in, the exer-
else of their indisputabIe rights, assembled
together and commemorated the day by
reading the Declaration of independence,
making some speeches and raising pole.
On this pole they put flag of the stars
and stripes, and surmounted it with a
streamer bearing the names of Lincoln
and Hamlin. From that day up to this
there has been great excitement in
Prince William. In that county, as we'll
as in this and other counties of the State,
therellvea class of people, " no imagine that
their doxies are alone orrhodoxies. and that
that portion of their fellow citizens who
differ with them on the niger question,
have no rights which they are bound to
respect. Accordingly from the 4th up to
the 9th of the month, these small minded
AC9RObS O0SlCO' GuClASGAESo n4Gu CAuSuSCSf
street corner consultations and petty con-
spiracies, as to how and when they should
band together and cut down this pole,
which their Republican fellow citizens
had put up. Tho fact that it took them so
long to bring their plans to a head: and to
enlist men enough to carry ont their dirty
purpose, is clear proof to US that our
friends over there are what they claim to
be-viz:-a strong and growing party
And even ut last it was only by the awe
and pomp and supposed privilege of mill
tary power that they were enabled to see
their wishes carried out. The Republic
cans vigorously stood their ground against
any show of mob violence, and yield
ed only to military authority; and yielded
too, rs it appears by the account to-day,
under an obvious mistake. They had
called upon the Governor for protection
not wishing to take up arms for their
rights, except in the last resort-and the
Governor, to his credit be it recorded,
promptly replied, promising them all ne
cessary aid and protection. This the Repub-
licans supposed they were getting when the
Cavalry and the company of foot came
into town. But they were deceived. I'm
der the pretcnce of restoring quiet and
abating threatening nuisance, the mill
tary surrounded the pole and stood guard
over those who cut it down. The Repub-
licans, of course, could do nothing but
stand by and look on. 1t would never
have done for them to have put themselves
in collision with the military power of the
county, ordered out by instructions of the
Governor, and they wisely dcsisted from
all resistance. The end, however, we are
assured, is not yet. They propose to put
up another on tho same site, and try the
question whether they have any rights
which the Governor feels himself bound
to protect in good faith, instead of keep
ing the word of promise to their ears and
breaking it to their sight, rs was done in
this instance. As question of present
utility, and of peace and quietness to the
Prince William community, we might say
that the pole being cut down, should be
left down by the Republicans, and that for
so small matter as the waving of Lin
coin and Hamlin flag over a despotic do
main, they should not risk SO much,
both to themselves and to other people.
But that is not the way the Republicans
over there look at the matter. They
rightfully view the outrage rs degrading
act of tyranny over them, just us much us
the tea tax or the stamp act, was to their
forefathers. The tax was nothing of itself,
but inconsiderable as it was, it contained a
world of high handed despotic principle,
and that was why it was not submitted to.
And so it is with cutting down this POLE
1t was clearly and entirely total abroga-
ton of everything like equality of right
OF citizenship, and correctly read was just
to say, that some citizens of this State
have political privileges which others
have not; that one OF the privileges is to
peaceably assemble and raise party pole
IA right which Breckenridge secessionists
may exercise, but Lincoln unionists may
not. of course no body of men in this
State or any State, will long submit
to such a gross Austrian prescription of
their rights-such complete and lnsul
ting extinguishment of their equality, as
this; and while for one We should be sorry
enough to see hair of any ones head
harmed among the. people of Prince Will
liam, by reason of any political diferen-
ces, yet we hail the avowed determination
of the Republicans over there, to re-raise
their pole, as an evidence that they rightly
appreciate and resent the odiousness of
the insult offered them.
Looking at matter like this Prince
William county difficulty, and viewing