Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-02-23

any gentleman who is Accu toned to trace
similitude in handwriting, can decide at
once that the whole thing is an ignobIe
aud base forgery. Whether ft,was the re.
suit Of Ignorance or the result of malice.
it's the same, and Iput the heel os nv in.
dignation upon it and If can trace il
back to its author he will have To meet an
accountability far greater than that Of nv
own. ~
Mr.. MoSTAeuE-Since my name has been
rctsFrcd to in this matter, Il is PROPER that
should make a statement. OF course.
know nothing about this matter of frank
ing. am no member Of Congress: I
know nothing of the benefits or the abuses
OF the frankiug privilege. Bnt do know
this: that there came TO my post Office Mt
hume-Hnd it is now in my room at tie
hotcl-under the frank of Sherrard Glenn
eus-wheilcr genuine or NOT ! do mot
know, for am not acquainted with the
gentlemau's haud-writing-his speech. Nlr.
Wilson's speech, Mr. Nelson's speech and
an address of Mr.. Stuart To his constitu.
cnts. And there came tu a post Office in
my county, which have beet sent to me In.
Richmond, copies of documents under the
gentlem"n's frdnk-whatIer genuine or
not do not kHow-addressed to two men
whom know to he free negroe4,F one
whom know ran read. l.. know further,
from consultation with worthy and re-
spectacle friend. II delegate upom this luor.
from the counties of King and Qneeu and
Essex, that simihlr documents, under the
same frank, have gone To free negroes in
thuSe two counties. Similar documents
under tue same frank haVesbeen sent to
free negroes, as | Understand it, in the
county of Orange. Whether this be cor
rect or not, do not know. make no
charge upon that ground. This is all
haze to sny in regard to the matter.
Mr. CLEMEHs-(T Tho franks being shown
to Mr.. o. lpr0nounce both of these sig
natures to he Corgcries.
Mr.. MONTAGUE-I am glad to hear it. II
your Government at Washington, which
some of MS are disposed to worship has
become SO corrupt and rotten, that it has
resOrted to forgerics for tho purpose Of
disseminating incrndiary doctrines among
the free negroes in Virginia, is it not
time
subject before the House isl
Mr.. Nos rAGUG-I have said oil desire
to say.
Mr. HAIL, of wetzel-I have been nc-
quainted with Mr.. Clemens hand writing
for nt least IA years, aud uuhesitatingly
think, from the best Of my Judgement,
that these endorsements nre f0rgeries.
Mr.. HoLCUMBE-Referenceh has been made
by the gentleman from Wheeling tMr.
Clemens to u statement in the Chnrlottes-
vile JefeFSOniUn-a paper published in my
county by one one of my .eonstituents-
that documents were sent to;free negroes
IN that county. purpOrting to be under the
frank of Mr.. Clemens. Now, sir, heard
Post Master in that county saw, that
such documents, under such trunk had
come to men in that county whom he knew
TO be free negrps, THAI, / b6lieyn, was the
entire statement made in the Je5erS0Hian
Republican, LIDO not remember the arti-
Gle, but do not believe that there was "
statement in it which necessarily implica-
ted Mr.. Clemens in manner inconsistent
with the explanation lie has given to tho
Convention. The statement of the paper
that documents came to these persons,
was true.
MR. MoRToY.-In connection with the ex-
PLANTATION which the gentIemun from Whee-
ling has made, us my constituents are i'm
tereSted in this matter, aud as their repre-
sentative, they placed in my hands the pa
pers which have been Submitted to the
consideration of this house. think it
proper to state thht have n letter from
five Ur sis gentlemen, of high respectable.
ty, in that county, (0rHngc) who mention
ed the names of free negroes who huve re-
cciTed incendiary documents under the
frank of the gentleman from Ohio, (Mr.
Ciemens.) state further, that numerous
documents OF the same character had
been sent to the county of Harrison, and
such was the public indignation on their
reception that they were collected aud
publicly burned. Lam grNtitied with the
explanation mnde by the gentleman, and
hand over these papers to him with great
deal of pleasure, with the simple request
that after he makes the investigation, that
lie may deem due to himself to make, he
shall return them to me.
Among the numerous resolutions offer
ed and referred, Mr.. Wilson, of Harrison,
offered the following, which were referred
to the Committee on Federal Relations:
Resoleed. Tbut we, the neople of Yir-
ginia, in Convention assembled, do adhere
with patriotic devotion to the Union of
these States, and thnt we will do 50 as
long as tue same can lie perpetnHted con-
si$Iently with full security of all our COM
stitutiOnal rights, and the maintenance of
the equality nf all the States,
ReSotved, That it is inexpedient and inn
proper for the General Government to i'm
crease its forces at the forts, arsennls and
dock-yards within the limits of Virginia,
or toidO any act looking to warIike pre-
PnratiOns against this State.
Mr.. HAYIoND, from the Committee of
Elections, presented u report showing that
in all the State but sixtern counties, the
vote on the question of reference was rs
follows:
r.
EOr Feierrlng..........., .6s4
against ,s27
Majority for reference.............52,s ,s5T
The counties not heard from are: Bar
bour, Boone, Braxton, Buchanan. GabelI,
Elizabeth City, Greene, Logan, Mcdowell,
Prince William, Putnam, Upshur, WAYNE,