Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-07-03
THE WHEELING CONVENTION.


THE WHEELING CONVENTION.
A Reelection upon its Members by the
horgaMtoyvn Star--MysterIOus In
situations Concerning A Secret IN
auencc. a= .E
We are of the sincere opinion that if
ever people were cursed with Conven-
tions it is the people of the State of Vir-
ginia. First, we elected delegates TO n
State Convention by majority of over
60, 600 votes TO keep the State in the Un-
ion. This Convention violated its faith to
the people, and seeded. Then a portion
of the people. whose interests and feel
ings were directly opposed TO this action,
called Convention TO meet at Wheeling,
to tolm separate State of Western and
Northwestern Virginia, TO remain in the
Union This movement was the most
spontaneous and unanimous uprising of
the people which we have ever witnessed,
and the Convention itself was almost n
mass meeting Of the people instead of a
representative body. y Convention COM
posed of over four hundred aad forty del
egntes, representing only about thirty
counties, and in a country rather sparsely
settled and without conveyapces, is a scene
not often witnessed in this or any other
country The personale of the Conven-
ton too, was superior. Conventions are
generally composed of political wire
workers and schemers, and if one attends
their annual meetings he will always find
tue same old faces, working for the loaves
and fishes. BEt this majority Convention
was not of such. 1t was composed OF the
frugal farmer, the hard working mechanic,
the enterprising merchant and mnnufactu-
rer, who had al heen toiling and suffering
for years against the oppression of gov
ernment which did not foster their inter-
ests, but instead, burdened Them with une
quail taxes and unequal laws. For years
they had been despordent for all was dark
before them. But so soon MS the State
Conventior had hdnttempied to drag them in
to the whirlpool Of secession, the light
began to appear; they could see in the dis
tance plan to rid Themselves of
their oppressors, and once more be
free. Hence, they arose almost MS
one man, made strong by consciousness of
right and integritySot purpose, and deter
mined to sever their old State allegiance,
legally ifpossible, but forcibiy if they must.
Their champion was the Hon, John s. Car
lille, and most CALAMITY did he fight their
battles. But there was nconservRtive a par
ty who thought that was notthe oppor-
they made a gallant stand, but were quite
in the minority. Everybody thought tue
tprompt action" party had the majority,
and we were going to have the new State.
''New Virginia. under tue talismanic in
fluence oi Cnrliles :loquence, bechme the
rallying cry for all. But suddenly achangc
came over the spirit of the Convention
Some unseen agent was at work, aud soon
the conservatives had the majority. Car
lile, though feeling hoPeiessiy iu the nil
nority, fought them like lion: but event
uaily very gracefully and patriotically sue
cumbed to the superior force. The new
State men were discouraged, bnt they
were told it was impolitic to take action
till We knew whether the ordinance of se-
cession was passed or not They were
told to go home, work and vote agliust
the ordinance, and if it did pass, to elect
delegates to Il Convention to he held on
the llth of June, and thenwe would make
the new State 'New Virginia and tie
Union became the rallyiDg cry. The
shouts of our patriotic mOuntaiueers were
heard on every hilltop and in every valley,
for sNew Virginia and the Union" The
election was held, and an almost unani-
nous vote was polled against the ordinance
in the traus-Allegheny counties down to
the Kentucky line. In this territory the
majority against the ordinance OF seces-
sion was near forty thousand, though there
was majority in its favor in the whole
State. Then our people, finding that they
had been out-yoted in the State, elected
and appointed delegatesto the Convention,
according to the arrangements Mt the for
mer Wheeling Convention, to make tenn
porary government for New Virginia. The
delegates assembled in Wheeling ut the
appointed time. But mnch 10 tLeir sur
prise Mr.. Carlile, who was their champion
fths new state, when there were legal
objections to forming its government, now
that the objection had been obviated, had
become the champion of the Old State par
| ty. The country delegates struggled, one
| refusing to take his seat because they were
not going to form new state. But their
labors were in vain. The same hid
den but mighty power which influenced
the former Convention had wound its folds,
anaconda like, around this Convention,
| and one by one they had yielded up their
/ opinions and declared they pers what
/ then kneir they trere not Just look at it.
1 Delegates sent to Convention to prevent
| the secession of a State, and they caused
| its secession. Against this action por-
/ tion of the people rebel, aud call Con-
veution to form n New State, and that Con-
vention, without any authority of the peo-
Pile whom they represent, but really in
4 Violation of their wishes and against the
wishes of 19-2Oths of the people of the
people of the remainder of the State, de-
! clare themselves to be the State of Virgin
ia. Louis Napoleon, when he metamor-
phosed himself from President 10 an
/ Emperor, was not half such an usurper as
this present Wheeling Convention; because
Napoleon had the people with him, but
/ this Convention is acting in direct opposi-
ton to the will of l9-2I,hs- of the people
of Virginia, for whom they are pretending
to act.
Bat our object in writing this article "a