Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1861-05-21
To the People OF KanawI,a

Ia view of the impending crisis
now upon the country, involving tho
safety of our lives, liberty aud prop
erty, this brief addressis made 10 yoii
i This is not q time for elimination or
! recrimination among ourselves. j All
hearts should now be united, and eve.
Try arm nerved for the defense Of our
rights and liberties. The State Of
Virginia after exhausting all honora.
bic efterts to- save the Onion, was at
last by the mad violence Of the Lin
5coln administration, and the fanatical
abolition crew of the North. forced
to dissolve the bonds that bonnd tbe
otates % the Federal Government.
More than tEo-thirds OF lhs Nom.
bers of the Conyention were firm
Uniennen --fnTl this fact alone, the
people have assure guarantee that the
ordinance ofsecession would not have
been passed, ii it could have been
avoided consistently with the rights
/ and honor Of Virginia, and the safe
" OF the people. Since the passage
OF the ordinance by Virginia, North,
Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas
have left the Union, and Missouri
and kentucky will rapidly follow
It Is true that the two. last mentioned
States, being unarlned, were disposed
Tor a time to remain neutral. In
this they were encouraged by the Fed
eral Government But notwithstand
ling the neutrality of Missouri the
Federal troops in the State, not only
captured and imprisoned one OF her.
military companies, but in the city Of
lSt. Louis, murdered among her citi.
zens, men, women and children. II
Notwithstanding the neutrality Of
Kentucky, the free. States Of the
North, with the sanction of the Fed
eral Government, have on all occae
sions recently seized and confscated.
the property of her citizens. These
facts have opened the eyes of those
States. they now see that there can
be no neutrality in this contest; and
they will soon range themselves onthe
side of their brethren OF the South
who are now again fighting the glo-
rious battles for liberty, which was
fought against England, by our noble
revolutionary ancestors. But~a day
Tor twoa ago, the steam boat 1Hen Col.
Tier, on her waysefrom Cincinnati to
Charles ton, was boarded at Gallipo.
lis, and "a large amount of property
belonging to our citizens forcibly ta-
ken from the boat.
. The above facts should teach the
people Of Western Virgiaia that they
can hope for nothing from the tender.
mercies of Lincoln, or the excited
Northern hordes who govern.his adj
ministration, Hthey find protection
at all it will be under the flag Of
Virginia, and from their own strong
arms and brave hearts. The whole
North are now perfectly united a.
gainst Virginia and the Sonth-ani
mated by fanatical rage, and with the
cowardly spirit Of fiends, thirsting for
the blood of the Southern people, y
They boldly proclaim that their pur-
pose is TO subjugate the South and
exterminate her people, and appro-
PIRATE their lands and property to
their own use. This they will at
tempt in Western Virginia, unless
we are united amongst ourselves, and
show.sa firm spirit Of resistance. If
however they find us firm and united,
and the true spiritof Yirginians ami
| mating our bosoms, they will hest
Etatelong before they will desecrate the
soil Of the father Of his country, by
invasion. The course pursued by the
Union men, as they call themselves,
Twill certainly bring war and desola-
tion upon us; otherwise it is more
than probable that we would escape
the horrid scourge in this part of the
State. 1t is stated in the Northern
papers, that the counties of the
Northwest, which are now seeking a
division ofthe State, have already ap :.
pealed to the Governors of Ohio and
Pennsylvania to send forces in Wiz.
Eginia for their protection, which those
Governors have promised to do.---
This of course, will at once produce
war of the most sanguinary character
lin Western Virginia /; for while there
I is a drop of blood remaining in the
veins Of tho true SONS Of Virginia,
lthey will never permither yenerated
soil to be polluted by the foot Of a for
leigh foe. And in fact if Western Vir-
ginia is invaded, 1t will be either upon
| the Invitation ofthose who call them
selves Union men, or under pretense
Of protecting them as friends to the
Northern Confedcracy and the enc
mics of Virginia. But fellow-citi-
! zens let all remember, that when that
i Northern rabble> once quarter them
selves upon Virginia soil, and in our
midst they will know no distinction
among our citizens; but will prey
Ealike upon the men, women and chill
dren Of all Virginians. Again, it is
well known to all intelligent persons
i a. a i. 81