Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-06-17

l hNNA4SA w kuG S1ulmllkGE WHO QaVE QGe0
tavoring it acknowledge that; and it is
generally believed By those who understand
| anything about the views Of the loyal peo.
! pie Of the United States, and who can guess
at the views of the Administrator Is
generally believed, if not fully understood,
that the general government will recognize
anything that Virginia shall do to keep
| herself in the Union, and ut the same time
| preserve peace and order within her bor-
ders. Wherever there is illegality in the
| one plan there is in the other Wherever
there Is an overriding of technicnIities in
tue one there is the same in the other; and
l wish just here to call the attention of
those who may defend the plnn that is be-
| fore the convention in part-1 wish to cali
their attention TO this point, TO say If they
gan that the Administration will probably
reject the one plan and receive the other
admit Indeed that there srs abundant In
dlcatlons that the Administration would
prefer the plan that is proposed by this
committee. see the Indications in the
newspapers, and hear them Ia private cou-
versations, But are we 10 infer from that
that tue general government will not re-
coSnize our plan ut all if adopred by us2
The Administration has a certain plan be-
fore Il as q plan of operation. This may,
| 1t adopted, be made a special plan to these
opsratiOus--an agent, an instrument in the
hands of the Administration to accomplish
its purpose more readily perhaps than it
could without such plan, That is admit
ted By the advocates of a division of the
State, but we insist that the general gov
ernmeqt will also adopt our plan if we do
not see proper to adopt the other plan
It's a revolutionary movement altogeth-
er. Both plans are revolutionary and if
one, it can the other. l may say that I
know from private conversations with
those who know something about the
views of the Administration, that they ex-
Pect us not to quibble about technicaiities,
not to be sqeanish about little points of
law, in our action in this convention and
If we are afraid of little points of, law; if
we are squeamish, really, about these lit,
tie technicNlities, it is tune for us to begin
to tremble already. We have already
I done acts which viewed in the light of for
NAL law. are reasonable. 1t requires
6oldness to enter into a revolutionary pro
ject of this kind, and if we have it in one
case, we ought to have il in the other
When we have alrendy committed revo-
lutIonaTy act, we ought to consider what
lies before us, in view of our own local In
terests, aswell as in view of the general
interests of the country.
Now, ask the question, What shall de.
eide us between these two plans that have
been proposed2 The legality cannot de-
! eide US, because they are equally legal
and lithink the gentleman who viii advo-
cate this plan before the Convention, will
admit this-admit it as the InteLligsncer
has done. Legality, .indeedl We epropose
to do something in due form of law, and
yet we have already trembled about the
forms of law, and not only that, but we
propose to override oil forms of law in
carrying out the plan that is now proposed
by this committee. 1t is the understand
ing, though not formally proposed in the
report of that committee, that we shall
ovehaul the Constitution of Virginia,
change its provisions, make such arrange
ments in the change of those provisions,
as will enable us to carry out this project
OF rcconstrncting the State Government.
In fact, the project itself is n change o f
the Constitution of Virginia as to some of
its specific laws.
Well then, shall the simple considera
tion of Interpretation ofthe United States,
and the desire of the Administration :ndi.
Gated in a variety of ways, decide us as be-
tween these two plans that are proposed to
the members of this Convention. admit,
Mr.. President, that there is some force in
the proposition that is made. admit there
is some proPriety in the Accomplishment
of the object which the Administration
propose to accomplish by the action ofthis
Convention, in accepting the plan propos-
ed and suggested by the committee can
see that the design is to introduce this
same plan in all the border States. The
design is, as rapidly Ns The troops advance
to establish a similar government TO this
proposed in the report of the Committee
establish similar government, and call on
the loyal Union men of the Commonwealths
in the various States, to rally around that
government. | see it will have mighty
moral Influence in the border States in
which such government shalt be establish
ed, and also on the States still further
South. But then here ask that the Ad.
ministration shall not solicit US to do that.
while we have local interests embarrassing
us Of such character. five had no com
Plication of interests in this matter, It
might be kind, prudent and appropriate.
for the Administration to request us indi-
rectiy, ms it has, to take such action. But
sir, if this action anticipated is the desired
thing-ifthe effect of this new project up
on the border States and the States South
Of them, is the desirable thing, suggest
that Western Virginia shall be separated
from Eastern Virginia, and then that Eas-
tern Virginia, as the pressure is removed,
shall enter into this enterprise, and estab-
lish a provisional government, and set the
precedent the Administration desires this
Convention to set. They have no local
difficulties pressing upon them rs we have.
Let them attend to that matter. And esDe-
cially is it proper they shall do it, because
it will not only not em6arras them in their
local interests, but will greatly advantage
them.
l believe the interest of Western Virgin
ia ought TO decide as between these two
plans, and / think so especially because
this whole movement was professedly in
augnrated for its benefit. j remember the
gentleman from Harrison justly boosted
fhat he N na tbn n nt,ti,nr l,F tI,;. ,-tsnI.