Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-01-15

ThtnRg at IGIchmOnd and tIlrbuRh
sion OF BuSinesS-GreRt neciIne in
ASEE A53Xe ~! aFt!rtnE.Ps9Pie Beginning to
Extract from letter to gentleman in wheeling
RIcHNoSp, Jau. 8 1861.
Dear FiienI:-YoG are all doubtless
anxious to hear the latest news from Rich.
mond in these times Of threatened Rcvo-
luton and anarchy. aud snatch "a few
moments to write you something of the
state ofatairs in this city, aud :he doings
Of OuR43tate Legislature, which has been
iusessiou three days.
To say that the excitement is intense.
would give the cold. blooded people of
yoGr latitude faint idea only OF public
feeling here. Everybody is fcverish aud
very many perfectly wild. There isa bull
letin hoard on Main street. where the lat
est kilograms are posted. and all day IL
crowd surrounds it, eager to hear from
Washington City or South Carolina. Bu-
siness OF nearly every description is per-,
fectly stagnant. This is theususl time of
the year for hiring, negroes=thc hiring
generally beginning on the first of Jnnu-
ary aud continuing for few days-but
no one can tell what to do in such a cri-s
isis. and the result is that the streets nre
crowded with slaves from the surrounding
country who cannot obtain situations
Gold commands per cent premium II is
nseless,to conceal the fact that the labor
ing closses, and in fact Nll classes, must
suffer extremely should this state of fittings
continue. There is perhas stronger
secession feeling than you are aware of all
through Eastern Virginia All the prom
inent clergyman Of Richmond nre said to
be of the opinion tlnit Virginia Should go
out otIhe UhiOn:2 then the conversations
in the carS-in TIE hotels and private
houses. all indicate that the same feelings
are extensively entertained. If you pass
along the street the tag.end of every con-
Versation assures you that all are talking
on the same subject. It is difficult TO sny
whether the disunionists have really got
possession of this part of the State or not,
but they are very active and noisy and try
to make that impression. Conservatism is
not quite dead yet though in this latitude.
There are many who are in favor of ex-
hausting all honorable means for the set
tlement of difficulties before destroying
this great government The large slave
holding districts have too much regard
for their r0WnfintcTeSts to'aet with prccipi-
taticu. On the day of national huniiiA-
tion and prayer, II Presbyterian minister
undertook to prcachfa disuuion sermon in
Petersburg, but was siienccd by the elders.
But have almost forgotten to tell you
about the Legislative proceedings during
the past three days, On the first day of
the session Il series of resolutions were
passed by the House of Delegates, ahd on
the second day went to the Senate. They
DECLARED that the Union WAS not to he pre-
served by farce-that the General Gov.
crnmeut cannot make war on n State
that has been member of the I'M
attempt To coerce u seeding State would
tie resisted by Virginia, szgi
But feW members voted against these
resolutions as they were carefully wordcd
soit that those believing in the right aud
those opposed to that doctrine could claim
that no such position Iwas taken Taking
the words of the resolutions they don't
come With great deal of consistency from
those who have sworn to support the
Constitution of the United States.
q This morning "a Convention bill was re-
ported ia the lower house. send you
copy just us il came from the committee.
All day was taken up in discussing amend
ments. Que passed changing the day of
February. Ono proposing to submit the
question Convention or no Convention"
to the people, was lost by = few votes.
The programme seems to be to rush
everything through in the shortest time
possible. To accomplish this, a, great
outside pressure is brought to bear ON the
members. Minute men and cockadcs arc
AS thick as hops around here. They cheer
everything ultra said in the Capitol. q
Now that the calling of Convention
seems certain tthe friends of tue Union had
better go TO work, Wheeling will have
two Delegates, and Western Virginia q
majority of the Convention.
Are the people of your section willing
to become the Vermont of - Cotton Con
federHcy. f
Are they willing to abandon the stars
and stripes, and substitute therefor the
Palmetto tree aud Rattlesnnke, the num-
her Of States being designated by the num-
Der of rattlcs attached to. the tAil2
II you heard some of the talk familiar
-hsre about stronger gorernments being ne
cessHE5, and about the beauties ofconsti-
tutionnl monarchy, IL would arouse sill
your latent democracy. Butt have writ
ten enough for the present. r..
t-F-, Yours truly,
The ProgresS OF LeEIslatIon In tho
! the arst Three Days OF the Session.
80 RIouIoSD, Jan. Ilth, Is6o.I5
Edltors9f nteIIgencer:-Thec convention
bill is. still pending undecided by either
House. On yesterday, the House OF Dele-
gates, by ave of q majority, rejected an
amendmentto the blk providing that the
question should be submitted to the peo-
pie to vote whether or not a Convention
shall be held. This question elected con-
siderable discussion, and irthe midst of
lit, Mr: Seddon, of Stafford, read a tele-
graphic dispatch, Just then received, an
no1dcing that South Carolina had cannon
AIDED the steamer Star of the West, and
driven her back to sea. The announce
ment brought down loud and tumnltuous
tHpplA Ause from the galleries, which was
field; who ordered one fsthe boisterous
under arrest, which was soon effected bv
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