New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-12-12
WEST VIRGINIA.

/
holders Rebellion-(not with its ayowed pur-
pose OF dissolgng the Union but with what
they regard as is true intent Of reducing the
Free States to "a more complete vassalage to
the Slave Power)-are taking ground against
the erection and admission Of the new State
of West Virginia as unconstitutional Let us
look into this.
Virginia, as embodied in or represented in
the State Government in power at Richmond,
claims to have seeded from and TO be no longer
member of the Federal Union. This Viz
ginia claims to have united her destiny with
JEFF. Davis's Z" Confederacy," whereof she is a
leading member. And she claims by her act OF
Secession TO have taken with her every foot Of
the territory formerly known as Virginia in-
Guiding that large section which is still loyal
aud devoted to the Union. II this assumption
il true, Wheeling, where no Rebel flag ever
hoated, aud whose people are all but unani-
mously loyal, is no longer a city Of the United
States, and its people are justly exposed to
the pains and penalties of treason for resisting
and defyng the authority of Jef Davis y Co.
! Where is the man even pretending 10 be
loyal to the United States who uphOlds this
assumption He must be nearly related to q
U. S. army officer who, asking Union soldier
to what regiment he belonged, aud being an
swered 1.-THE 9TH loyal Virginia" reioined,
" You ought 10 be fighting on the other SIDE"
Yet there are barely two rival hypothesis 10
this Of rampant treason: !. That which regards
the insurgent States as having committed sui
eide By their treason and 10 be- now merely
Federal territory, subject Us such TO reorgani-
cation and readmission; 2. That which regards
them as still existing in the persons and delib-
crate acts Of their loyal citizens
Last Winter, we who are s!igmatizol as
"Radicals," because we strike at the root OF
this atrOcious Rebellion, adopted aud acted on
tue former or territorial hypothesis, which de-
MES that there IS, potentially say State Of
Virginia, so long as a majority Of her people
and the authorities by them constituted are in
armed rebellion against the Nation. This posi-
ton was stigmatized ~ monstrous, horrible,
by our Democratic " conservatives, who re-
garded it as little better than Secession itself.
Then We understood them to hold State as
subsisting indestfuctibly in the person aud
through the acts of its loyal citizens.
But now that we accept and act upon this
theory in the case Of West Virginia they make
WHY faces at their own physic, and utterly refuse
to swallow it. And yet the case is Il peculiarly
strong one. West Virginia never for one mo-
meut assented to nor even acquesced in Seces-
sion. IL has remained continuously, dehanty
loyal throughout. Her case is totally different
from that Of South Carolina, or even Tennes-
see which has been wholly in possession aud
under the rule Of the Rebels There La.
always been Ii loyal Virginia. that loyal Viz
GINA chose a Legislature aud Governor very
soon after Letchcr Il Co. went TO their own
place; aud that Legislature and Governor OF
oh Virginia have heartily assented to the
formation Of the new State of West Virginia
under Constitution framed Ivy Convention
of her People alone. The West Virginia which
forms the new State Is totally distinct from
the old Coyal) Virginia that assents to it;
though 1T happens that most (not ALI Of the
members of the old Virginia Legislature are
chosen from the counties which form the new
State of West Virginia. The current assump-
ton that the same body has acted alternately
az Legislature Of Virginia and OF West Nir-
ginia is entirely at war with facts. Francis
H. Pierpont lives IN West Virginia, but he is
Governor of Virginia proper, aud will not be-
Governor of West Virginia unless and until be-
shall be elected to that Office. And there VIII
be no u. s. Senators from West Virginia
until Legislature, chosen distinctly b. and
for that State, shall elect them.
AZ to the Public Debt Of Old Virginia, West
Virginia will doubtless assume and pay what.
ever may be adjudged her fair proportion of
it, We presume she will court aud abide by
the decision of any impartial arbiter on that
point.
Too long already has the living been chained
to the dead West Virginia belongs by
geography and topography, by character and
destiny, TO the great Free West. She has
immense resources in Iron, Coal, Salt, Tim
Der, DC, which have too long awaited de-
yelopment. She ought to be one of the
greatest WOol-growing States in the Union.
Twenty years Of Peace and Freedom should
suffice to increase her population from 10000
to full million, giving her a power aud
weight in the Union equal to that Of Indiana
or Illinois ten to fifteen years ago. 1t is an
III wind that blows good tQ no onoi aud tue