Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-03-29
NUMBER 1856


I We are living in a new era(.f What iba .
1 happened is entirely unprecedented. We
have no example for it in the history Of the
I world. 1t is thing the founders of our
government neverauticipattd They made
no provision for dissolution or destfuc-
ton OF the government II has cop.e hp-
on us and we must meet the event as best
We may f5laf6 SFS. -
And what Is that bestP ay:Nr.
President, just let them nlone. 1 would
use no force, Force now Is civil war. and
win civil war, tie bonds of our Union
can never be renewed. / am happy to
say that the news of this morning leaves
no reasonable ground Of doubt that n pa
enc policy has been wisely determined on
al Washington, and that the troops in Fort
Sumter arc now or viii soon be 'withitawn
Ihese States must be left to time, to their
! experiment, to negotiation, to entreaty, to
slsterly kinduess. That is. my mode of
treatment. Under its operation nil may
oe well. The old affection will return.
the memories of the past will incline ms to
ieheh other-our joint struggles and Joint
trumphs, tue hopes which clustered about
our great experiment of free government
and enlightened civilization, and which
can not be abandoned, ,4andiyet. more than
az, 2 sense Of common interest and COM
mon safety, will bring US together again.
ana anu our Union be more strongly cemented
than ever, 10 6la5l . = -
Virginia is master of her own nnsition
and OF her rown movement. Shu need fear
no force around or about her, She is IN
pable of taking caro- of herself. and! of
taking care, by her voice ard her declarn-
tons, of tue interests of her. sister States
to a very large degree.
What then is her duty? Is she IN
plunge into an nnkuowu future2 Is she
% rush into the arms of Southern Com
iederacy, the structure of whose govern
ment she has not aided TO erect. TO tnke
retnge IN an ediics reared by other hnnds.
ana none of whose apartments may suit
eltner her necessities or her convenience {?
IS she to hasten to feast. where she may
oe'- .PeFchance, an unwelCome guest n
guest ly,tnnd not an original member of
the family? Is she to 90 witbont. knoWing
tue desire OF any one Of the States bor-
i'uerlng'upon us. or whether they win ac
company US? Is She TO go in contrnyeu-
uon OF the express will of the great body
OF her own people? Are we to do this on
tue gr0nnd that we are afraid to stay in
the Union lOnger2 Are veto be wbiHnei
out7of 1t by fear? Are we to become sub
missionists to the apprehensions. or 10 tbe
ambition of politicians gf-fi
AT; FFesident, let US erect ourselves to
higher posture. It.delights me to raze
upon the lineaments Of this noble old Com.
monwealth, impressed upon her in lier
early youth time, and never hitherto eff
faced. Grand, noble, deliberato, lust
calm, wise-all these attributes she spreads
out before us-she is now asked to break
away from this sisterhood of States: to
abandon all hope of eyFr demonstrating
our once glorious Union, and to carry
away with her the household gods Of the
nation-to ma depart with the renihins of
tsH ashingtnu sin her soil, with Jefferson.
I and Henry, and Mason, and Madison, and
that long line of illnstrious sons who
aided in laying the foundations of this
Commonwealth, deep and abiding in the
! principles of law aud order. She is asked
TO carry these away and 10 make them
70 the larger portion of this nation, for.
eign relics, to be visited and gnzed on.
perhaps, in after years, only mt the price of
/ some new crusade. wngeL in vindication of
/ the right to look upon the shrine, not of
Him who shed His blood for. the common
| salvation, but TO visit tue tomb Of hin
who WIS the leader and conductor of his
people in their great struggle which led
them 70 joint Inheritance of inderen-
dence and freedom. .a.H .l