Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-11-27
An Article for our Exchanges.


Some of our exchanges from distance
seem TO be not altogether clear ia their
ideas or inforrnation as to the present at
titude of our new State question. This is
but natural. We cannot expect those at a
distance to bequite SO accurately informed
in the minutia as people who have an i'm
mediate interest 10 the matter They have
their own questions of local Importance,
besides great national matters to think
about: and it would not be strange, what
ever might be the sympathy or interest felt
if they do sometimes lose the connection
of events so as not to be able to tell just
where the new State stands. If We shall
succeed in contributing anything either to
their clearness or information in this res
pect the requisite space aud time will not
have been altogether wasted. With this
object in view let US briefly refer to the
most prominent links in the chain of events
that has brought the measure to its present
position before the country, so that it may
be seen just how it stands at this time.
Our State Government haviog been bro
ken up by tie abdicatiOn of its officers, at
the capital, mass Convention of the loyal
counties met in this city ON the 18th of
May, 1861, to take steps for the public safe
ty. This Convention provided for Con-
vention of regularly elected delegates who
met on the lIth of Juae and reorgauized
the State Government in all its depart
ments, making Wheeling the temporary Cap.
ital. 10 July the Legislature las much of
it as was loyaD held session and elected
two United States Senators to fill the pla-
ces abdicated by Mason and Hunter. They
went on to Washington and were admitted
to seats. By this and other acts the Uni
ted States Government formally recognized
the reorganized government as the legiti-
mate government, and the Legislature as
the loyal Legislature of the State.
The Convention having adjourned over
to secure the cooperation of the Legisla-
tura in completing the work of reorganiza-
tton, met again in August, aud on the 2Otb
OF that month passed an ordinance for the
erection of the State of Kanawha out of a
part of the territory of Virginia and pro-
Vided in the ordinance, that the question
Of division or no division should be submit
ted 70 The people wherever vote could be
taken ON the 10th of the following October,
and that delegates TO Convention to frame
. Constitution for the proposed new State
should be elected al the same time, to meet
or otherwise if division carried or was re-
jeeted. The election was held and division
carried by an Overwhelming majority The
Constitutional Convention met on the 9th
of November following. One of its first
acts was to change the name of the State
from KanaWha TO West Virginia. It COM
pleted It's Iabors about the last of FebruH
~ C62) and adjourned without dissolvtng,
having vested its powers in Eve Commits
sionsrs who were empowered to call it to-
get6er in case it should be discovered that
any change In the Constitution they had
framed should be necessary to secure the
consent of either the Legislature of the
State or of Congress, both of which are re-
quired by the Constitution of the United
States. This wise precaution was taken
because the Convention had by a small
majority persistentiy refused to the last to
engraft provision for the extinction of
slayery-for the measure had enough enc
mics and timid, irresOlute friends in the
body. to bring about this resuIt-and go fear
full were the friends of a new State thatthe
absence of such provision would he an
insurmountable bar to admission, that they
succeeded In obtaining in the schedule the
reservation of power to recouvene the
body If it should become necessary to save
the new State.
On the Sd OF last April, the .Constitu-
ton was submitted to the people within
the boundaries it prescribed for the new
State, aud of course adopted by very
large majority. At the same election by
sort of understanding, or rather in res
ponse to a suggestion made first in the col
umns of the wellsburg Herald, and follow
cd mp in. our columns aud some other Yves,
tern Virginia papers, an informal vote was
taken in many counties for or agaiHst grad
ual emancipation, and it was voted for by
as many thousands as there were hundreds
against it-showiug clearly that the PeO-
pie were ahead of their Convention, and
that they would have heartily adopted the
Constitution had it provided for emaneipa-
tion., ss-ss ~
In May the Legislature had called ses-
sion, during which It's formal consent to a
division of the State with the boundaries
axsd in the Constitution was obtained.
It's memorial and a certified copy of the
Consultation were forwarded to Congress
then in SESSION. shortly amer.
Let US pause here to say that all the
forms of law and requirements Of the Con.
..,.,,.;,., IA t,.on .onnl;ed with Tins far