Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-08-21
sponded salls--fOr the defense of
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SpOndeu ~ CtliS--IOF tue defense Of
h0snes, and ourproperty.
/ wish to correct here n mistake into
which the gentIemHn from Harrison (Mr.
Lewis), who addressed the Convention yes
terday, fell in regard to the character of
the government which has been instituted
here. He called it provisional goveru-
ment," he seemed to think it was to ex-
pire, according to the system which we have
adopted, within six months. This, Mr.
President, is not the system which we have
adopted. It is true, sir, when this Con-
yention met in June, it was impossiblestu
have throughout the counties of Northwest
ern Virginia an election for Governor. The
Convention from the dictates af an impeF-
atiye necessity were obliged to assume the
responsibility of electinga a Governor them
selves. That tar we interfered with the
rights Unpopular sovereignty, butwe trIst-
ed to our constituents to excuse US for that
interference on account of thenecessities,
the difficulties, the vast embarrassments,
with which We were surrounded. They
unanimously approved of our course
Throughout the whole length and breadth
of this land our action IN June has heen
approved OF; approved of by the govern
ment of the United States; approved of
by the loyal men of the loyal States
everywhere. We were fully justified, there.
fore, in doing it. But, sir, having elected
II Governor in this irregular-and exceptsO
far as it was justified by the circumstances
with which We are acknowledgements
fable mode, We prescribed six months for
his term of office. Yet, sir. we went on
here to enact as follows: '.The General
Assembly toiprovide by law for the elec-
ti0n of Governor and Lieutenant Governor
by the people, as soOnas in their judgment
snch election can be properly held" The
Office of Governor under the re-organized
government, is not to terminate at the
end of sixths, at least according to the or
dinance for the reorganization of that gov
ernment. An express provision is made
for its continuance, and for its continuance
in regular manner, by election by the
people, whenever in the opinion of the
Legislature such convention can be proper
ly held. And would ask attention for
one moment TO the expression in this
clause. The Convention did not recon-
mend this to the Legislature; they did not
request the Legislature to do it; but they
are. in the language which is used here,
required to do it. Then, Mr.. President,
loOf at the provision in regard to members
of the Legislature .They shall hold their
offices from the passsge of this ordinance
until the end of the terms for which they
were respectively elected" The members
of the House OF Delegates under this sys-
TEN. hold their Offices until 1863, and a
portion Of the Senators until 1865. When
the terms of'thoSe officers expire, if this
system is tosbe continued, their successors
will be elected in the regular way. In no
proper sense of the term, therefore. is this
merely n provisional government, for II
provisional government take it is Il gov
crnment which fixes in the very charter Of
its creation, period beyond which it is
not to continue.
z would wish, also, in connection with
this same matter, to correct singular
mistake iuto which the other gentleman
from Harrison CMr. Carlile) appeared to
have ftlleu, in the argument which he adj
dressed to the Convention to-day. He
seemed to think that there are members
here from certain portion of the State
on their owu Iitotion-that they had come
hero Independent of our invitation. lie
seemed to think that the call for this Con
vontion was addressed to Northwestern
Virginia exclusively. InOtice these things
because II is necessary, it seems to me, in
order that the Convention may understand
the precisepnfpose and object of the move
ment We liiye instituted. This is all
mistake The call under which is Con-
ventinn was elected, was addressed in the
following terms: .sResolUed, That in the
event of the ordinance being ratified by
vote, on the 23d of this month, fMay,) we
recommend to the people of the counties
here represented, and all Others disposed 10
co-oPsrdte tgtb us, to appoint on the fourth
day of June next, delegates to general
convention to meet on the llth of that
month. et6s The call is addressed to ull
the Union men Of the State of Ylrginin,
for that is the meaning, and the only
meaning, aud that was intended to be the
meaning to my certain knowledge by the
expression, tall others who are disposed to
co-operate with u.s. The gentlemen who
have come here from Fnirfnx aud Alexan-
dria, have come here upon our call.
Mn. GARLILE-I was speukiug of the FIRST
call. Not the second.
Mn. LAMR-We have other evidence upon
this subject, which will show the intended
expression of the measures which we have
adopted. In this Convention on the l4th
of June, 1861, Mr.. Hagans, of Preston,
offered the following resolution, which
was unanimously adopted:
.'That in consideration of the peculiar
circumstances that have surrounded our
loyal brethren of Loudou county, ms well
as their geographical position, this Con-
ventiou now extend to them cordial and
special invitation to Rccredit and send to
this Convention sheir regular number of
delegates as soon as may be-"
At former date of the Convention,
fDd that John S. Garlic, of Harrison,
submitted the following resolution, which
was adopt d.:
"That the loyal people of the counties
Of this Commonwealth that have not yet
appointed delegates to this Convention or
are not already represented here, be and
they ore hereby cordially requested to ap-
point such delegations without avoidable
delay
Such then, gentlemen, was the system
which we had adopted. We adopted
government here, not provisional; we ex-
tended our invitation TO all the counties Of
the Commonwealth, to be represented in
this government. We did not intend the
movement as movement of Northwestern
Virginia alone, but of all the State, nc