Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-11-04
I=nrnrn nz.loo0n1pRrsToNooUNTY
Views OF an Old and Prominent Citi'
zen ON the new state cOnstit"ti0n'


Editors of the LnteiIgs1ecT:
AZ the people of Kanawha are about to
.sn,,s the cares and responsibilities OF
senarate and independent State, true WIS
Adm would seem to indicate that great care
shonId be exercised in laying the founda-
ZION of our political superstructure. 1t is
| believed that great unauimity of sentiment,
upou general subjects, will prevail in our
approaching Convention BUTT rs possible
/ that upon the particular subject OF slavery,
there may not be general harmony 10 Its
councils And why not2 One cause, and
perhaps the most prominent one, is, that
| the public mind has been so long vitiated
| BY the constraints of artificial legislation
that, like the long bent bow, it has sue
cumbed to superior pressure; that even al
ter it has been relieved, it is slow in re-
suming its natural positions and may new
/ er fully recover its former elasticity But
| instead of apiDg the long imprisoned, I'M
conscious bow. rational men should rather
follow the instincts of the disenthraled
bird. that embraces the protfered freedom
at once. and rises and scars towards
| Heaven. What is the sum of good that
slavery has conferred upon US, that we
! should desire its perpetuation? Common
observation answers, it is naught-it is
| nowhere to be found in our history! but
/ on the contrary, its mildew and blasting
| footprints are scattered broadcast over all
| its dominious. Its political vocation is to
engeuder aristocracy. the antagonist OF re-
publicanism teaching insldiousiy from
totteriug infancy to dotage, the concerts
of superiority aud the desire TO rule. In
proof of these assertions, VIC have only to
read the language of pretentious Southern
| lordlings. recently and unblushiugly pub
| kshed to the world, that ''the Southern
l0hits race are the true muS!erS Of this CONT
nent-the North has no dmiabke qualities, nor
dny of the elements for goUerHmsnt-thGt the
! North has forced empire upon the SOufh-
IRE take the destiny &c. Southern journals,
during the past few months especially, have
bloated and abouuded with gasconade and
conceits that no other soil this side OF
Mexico could produce, and no social status
could endure or forgive, but a land STEPPED
in slavery and inhabited by despOts who
glory in the relation of ''HGSter and servant"
Socially, slavery engenders and inculcates
the idea of ,,caste-nurses INSTRUMENTATION
facilitates indulgence in all the vices of
the age-hatters and pampers vanity
makes honest labor disreputable; IN short,
it sows all the multitudinous seeds that
terminate and grow and ripen upon its
Drolifc soil into crop Of evils, whose
t.name is LEGION" and now threatens the
very existence of all our glorious institu-
tions. The mad ambition of men who
have been trained in this nursery, having
become FESTIVE under the best aud most
benifcent government ever given TO man,
has thrown of all restraint and all dis
guise and grasped the parricidal sword
aud avowed its purpose to denationaiize
our goyernmeut-"take our national capt.
tai and winter in Philadelphia" But con-
quests are easier made on paper than on
the field These wild councils and rawlings
are, however, the legitimate fruits of a false
social system, and however imperions the
necessity that compelled our patriotic rev
olutionary fathers to adopt it in the fun
dameatat law of the land, there is no such
necessity and no excuse for its adoption
by US now. Materially, slavery is scarcely
less disastrous to every earthly interest,"
The statistics of the free and slave States
: tell the comparatively inglorious career OF
t the latter, in population, wealth and gener-
al enterprise When was n school-bOy
Virginia was the ruling particular star in
our political constellatiOn-first in pOpu-
latio and first in fame, but how is the
mighty fallen! Where is she now? II
, slavery can bestow the blessing Of wealth
and numbers, of the arts and sciences, OF
; general literature aud religion, and all the
countless disiderata of human hopes and
aspirntions, then surely Virginia should
stand forth before tue world an EldoradG
: ii teeming earthly paradise, for ''many
daughters have done virtuously (?l hui
thou more excellent than them all''-in III.
number of SIaUes! But all experience
e proves thar, in our latitude and surround.
e ings, the more slave the wOrse-the les:
q the better. 1t is no part of my purpose Il
earn at old Virginia. God knows ] wish
she were loyal, free and happy, and my
only reason for allnding to her at all is thai
8 believe her to be the best exponent of tho
s fatal experiment of slavery TO be found it
our latitude and here, with fair trial
under the prestige of fine start, gOOC
climate, great names and mighty leaders
: it has most signally fniled-nOt failed Il
= produce the fruits before described, bu
failed to add to the sum of human happi
ness and the social and christian ch"ritie:
= of good and loyal citizens. Instead, the
i State now grOans under the greatest deb
J. of any State on this contiuent-under tax
alton almost iusupportable, mechanical
and commercial ruin and desolating civil
warI Wise and patriotic men may wei
f stop and SEE if there is not the most immi
nent danger in perpetuating system 81
pregnant of evils and so lily adapted tC
our circumstances. 1t is safe to assume
that nine -tenths of our people are abstract.
= Iy opposed to slavery, and neither own
nor do they expect to own, slave. Surely
all such will choose TO be free, and will
give their aid in making ours afree State
They have no personal interest in the sys.
TEN, and every consideration invites then
5 to suspect and nbhor it.-They might say
: that however desirable it may be to 9th,
ers, in other climates and circumstances
> it has no adaptation here, and could only
prove curse to our new State; and AS
this is the only opportunitr We have ever
: had to enter our protest against it. we will
: improve it and be free" But while the
great masses are abstractly opposed to the
system, it is quite certain that large num-
: hers have haen 90 lnncr trnlnad hr La NJ - Id