Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-08-10
WHEELING, VA, SATURDAY MORNING, AUGUsFl0, 1861,


or until his successor shall be elected and
qualified. There will, therefore, have to
be within or near the period of time when
we propose to call the people from their
homes aud ascertain their sense on this
question, an election of some sort or other.
But here Is the clause of the Coustitu-
ton in reference to the formation of new
States:
''New States may be admitted by Con-
gress into this Union, but no new State
shall be formed or erected within the juris-
diction of any other State, or any such
State formed by the junction of two States
or parts of States without the consent of
the Legislatures of the States, as well as
of the Congress"
Is there anything in that provision to
limit the action of the Convention in taking
the initiatory steps2 to organize separate
State government, as to time or the manner
in which it is to be done2 Surely not.
Ascertain the sense of the people in your
proposed boundaries, lay before them the
form of government you expect to extend
over them, and with this before them let
them say whether they desire it or not;
and if they do, their servants in the Legis-
lature can give their consent.
Sir, you will remember that this Legis-
as the Legislature, possessing all the pow
ers that the Legislature of any State can
exercise. That thing is fully, clearly deci-
ded by the Supreme Court in case report
ed iu Curtis reports, familiarly known as
the case of Luther VS.. Borden. The deci-
sion says that the admission of repIesen-
tatives in Congress upon the floor of the
Senate binds every other department of
the Government, settles the question MS to
whnt is and who is the government of the
State. That is the language of it. The
question is settled. If you are the Legisln-
ture, ifyou do represent the State, and are re-
cognized US such by the admission of Sem
ators in Congress, then your legislative
capacity can never he questioned again by
any department of the Federal Government.
Now, Mr.. President, there is just ex-
pectatiou in the country on the part of the
people we represent here, that this action
will be no longer delayed. They are look
ing for it, waiting for it, expecting and de-
mnnding it. And cannot for the life of
met may be owing to my obtuseness of
intellect that l canEot understand the
mystery and pierce the clouds that are
around aud abou. me-but l cannot see
any reason why you should refuse to those
you represent-your masters, my masters,
right, in form prescribed by you, to de-
clare their wishes and will upon this sub
ject. Why, sir, should it be withheld {?
What is driving from our borders many of
our people within its limits2 Aud what
is preventing thousands upon thousands of
others from coming amongst us2 What is
wanted to develop the immense deposits OF
mineral wealth that fill our hills and with
which our valleys teen? a separate and
Independent existence-a position that ma
ture has designed us to occupy. said
here last spring that in five years, aye, sir,
will say now that three years will not
roll around until, our population will be
quadrupled, and there will be more people
in the limits of the proposed boundary of
the new State than there is in the whole
State of Virginia to-day. Our neighbors
in Ohio and Pennsylvania and ou: friends
in many other States of the Union are
all looking and anxious for it. / have
lately received hundreds of letters making
inquiry in regard to separation. Every
where loyal hearts are beating to come and
share with us the destiry we ought to pro-
vide for ourselves aud which nature has
designed for US, if we have but the manli-
ness and are equal to lift ourselves to the
circumstances that surround us.
tOE centuries uuuer lue llCuOuS Oh n
false political philosophy we have remain
ed here, digging, almost in a primitive
state, from the bowels of the earth the
necessary means of support, while nature
has filed US to overlowing with all the
elements of wealth, seeking nothing in the
world but the hand of industry to develope
them and bring them into active use.
Borne down by an eastern governmental
majority, cut off from all connection or
sympathy with people with whom we
have no commercial ties, we have endured
the disastrous results that ever must flow
from an unnatural connection. Cut the
knot nowI Cut it nowl Apply the knife
You are compelled to wait at best for the re-
alization of your hopes some four or five
months, and by that time the advancing
columns of the nations army will have
moved rebellion far beyond your borders,
or they will have been stayed forever in
their march. loud applause.l