Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-02-02
What Is Meant by "GettIpg Our
RiUhtE.''

~ AAEJASzs - oEEA4S " uS - - W. ~ AAVA
man, who really is in earnest on the side
Of the Union, will permit himself to be de-
ceived by such can't as this phrase. 1t is
only thinly yelled secession. 1t is the on
ly way ia which secession could be adYo-
Gated here in the North-Mest. If one Of
the disunion candidates should say, 81
am a secessionist-I believe that secession
would be good thing for us-iu fact, the
best thing we could do he would be boot
ed out of all foothold in public opinion
He wouldn't have the ghost of a chance
Of success. This the ilsunionista know,
and therefore they don't chOose-because
they dare motto play their reasonable
game that way. They honey their words
with expressions about the rights of vir-
ginia, and say we, too, are for tho Union,
only wc want our rights. Now, We have
only to look at the necessary logic of this
phrase to see whAtsthe consequences will
be in electing such men. In the first
place, it is well to bear in mind the fact
that the men who use this phrase, use II
only as cover for their latent wish and
purpose of secession. There is not a Sc
cessiouist on our streets-people whom
you know by the tenor of their lives aud
conversation, for years back, are ultra pro-
slavery and secession in their feelings
who do not employ this cant about our
rights when they want to make a convert
10 the disnnion ticket. They are accession
lists aside from any question ofrights or any
thing else, but it would not do to say SO.
This every man of intelltgenc knows. But
granting what they say, and allowing
that they are for the Union provided they
can get their rights, what will be the up
shot2 Ask them what you think their
rights are, and they will say the Criiten-
den Compromise. "Well suppose you
don't get that CompromiSe-suppose the
North don't corceee 1t, what then will you
do? "Secede, of course! "You will then
secede, or vote for an ordinance of seces-
sion, If you can't get this compromise will
you" ''Yes." "Well, have you IN idea
thatyou will get it2p mo, not much."-
The reasonable inference, then, is that you
will feel yourself constrained to go tor Sc
cession 'aint it1p "well suppose it is"
Now this is the final upshot of this talk
about our rights. These sccessionists in
tend to lay down an ultimatum, as Hon.
John Carlisle warned the people of Harri.
son county the other day, and say to tho
North, if you don't come up to our ulti-
natum we will secede. The ultimatum is
only plausible excuse for the cherished
purposes of secession. They know the
North will never accede to their ultima
tum, and just so sure as they lay it down
as the condition of the State staying in
the Union, the State will go out. 1t will
be as much AS the North will ever do to
eoncede tho Border State proposition. 1t
is as much as they ought TO be expected
to cOueede, and if Virgins lays down the
Gritteudsn compromise Is her ultimatum
the State might as we'll save timO and go
opt at once. She will never get it.
And now If we of the Panhandle be-
lieye that secession would be good thing
in any event for us-if we do not believe
that secession Is remedy for NO evils
Whatever las Mr.. Critteuden expressed
it,l-let Us vote for these qualified Union
men, as they call themselves-but seces-
stonists, and disunionists, and traitOrs, as
they ought to be called. Just SO sure as
We elect enough Of this stripe of men.
throughout the State, so sure will we
have secession. Our advice to the voter
of Wheeling who expects to see the Con-
venttOn lay down an ultimatum and '.get
our rights by IT, is to watch an early OPP
portunity and get shut of his real estate
and other little property. For just so sure
as an ordinance of secession is passed,
there is not foot of real estate in the
city Of Wheeling that would be worth
30 cents on the dollar. Not foot. We
will be foreign population to the people
on both sides ofus. They, as high spirit
cd, Intelligent people will foreverafterwards
dcspise US for our toadyfsm to Eastern
Virginia and South Carolina, and will let
us look to them for comfort and susten-
ance. We cannot insult them with i'm
punity by proclaiming to the world that
We wont live under the same same flag
with such people, aud expect that they
will regard US other than as aliens. We
warn our people of these things. We
eonjure them to let reason and common
seuse bear sway, and not to desert the
substance for miserable shadow, Let
these disuutOnists goto Eastern Virginia
or South oarolina, ifuothiug but secession
will do them. Those are the places where
they ought to go. All their aaiuities and
congenialitiss arr there. Here in the e1-
IRENE northwest, where We have no slaves,
no cotton, no rice, no southern affiliations,
bn. where We are the same kind of people