The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1861-07-26
Cumberland Valley, HENRY wERTz
July 18th, 1861. nHNNI !" EhIA.
LETTER FROM WESTERN VIRGINIA.

WHEELING, Va, July 18th, 1861.
Dear Friend
Your anxiously expected
letter is at last received. was glad to learn
that your family and large circle of relatives
are all well and prospering. Things are gloomy
and dull here now. Business is almost totally
suspended and an atmosphere OF sorrow and
despair seems to overhang this once thriving,
fourlshing country. Our new State Govern
ment moves on very quietly. The office hold
ers under il are the leading politicians of this
portion Of Virginia, and whilst none OF them
are men OF great ability, they seem to get along
as we'll as Governors and their Secretaries usu-
ally do. Our taxes, however, will soon be very
heavy, as the machinery OF our Government is
just as cumbrous and needs Just as much pecu-
mary fabrication as that of your own, or any
large State. However, We are perfectly willing
that our taxes shall be heavy, nay, that they
shall exhaust our all, il the establishment OF our
new Government will aid ia the restoration of
our once glorious but now broken Union.
You ask me in your letter, whether the re-
ports 10 your newspapers, OF the unanimity of
the people IN this region on the great questions
now agiiating the country, are correct | can
assure you that :he friends OF The Union are in
great majority here. Still there are divisions
among US, which fear will end in trouble, il
not disaster. Before the election of MIR. Lin
coin there was not Secessionist in all North
Western Virginia. Prior TO the Proclamation
ofthe President calling out $1,000 troops, no
one openly proclaimed himself in favor OF Se-
eeSslon, though some few Southern Rights men
were suspected of entertaining hostile feelings
toward the Government but immediately after
the issuing OF the Presidents call, numbers of
our best ciilzeus and formerly the staunchest
Union men, declared themselves adherents OF
the Southern Confederacy. The subsequent
acts of the President and the action of Congress
since the 4th INST, have only served to exas-
perate and efnbitter these men, whilst Repub-
iican newspapers received here encourage them
in the belief that the Democrats of the Nerlh
sympathize with them in their Secession theory,
and practIses. BY the way, [ saw leading
SecessioEist have we'll worn COPY of the
"Bedtord Inquirer" few days ago, from which
be fead to a few listeners the statement that
there were consdeIa able number OF Secession
lsts In Bedford county. He chuckleG over it
considerably. | see however, that the "Ga-
zette" denies this charge. The Republican
editors may think that they are dong good by
deuouneihg Democrats as SecessIonists, but they
certainly thereby give much aid and comfort to
the real Secessionists in this part OF Virginia.
The people here are divided into one fourth
unconditional Union men, one half Union men
opposed to military occupation, and The remain
der IN favor Of Secession. But enough in re-
gard 10 the ocrisis.''
1.-The remainder oi this letter relates TO pri-
vate affairs and 10 therefore excluded.-Ed.
GGsstts
1The inquirer compares our article on