The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-21
State of West Virginia.

passed the House of Representatives. We
regard this movement as singularly UNI
wise and inexpedient in the present re-
bellious attitude Of the larger portion Of
the old State of Virginia. In time Of
peace, wa would favor the division of
Western Virginia from the Eastern por-
ton of the State, as measure of geograPh-
zeal proriasty; hut now there are many
powerful, and to our minds irresistible
reasons, why no such separation should
be made. Hon. THADEUs STEVENS, in a
speech in favor of the bill, delivered in
the House of Representatives, said
/ say, then, that we may admit West
Virginia as a new State, not by virtue OF
any provision of the Constitution, but
under our absolute power which the laws
Of war give us in the circumstances in
which we are placed. | shall vote for
this bill upon that theory, and upon that
alone; for | will not stultify myself by
supposing that we have any warrant In
the Constitution for this proceeding
Let us waive the constitutional ques-
tion involved in the measure, and inquire
whether it be expedient for the restora-
ton of Virginia, and the weakening of
the strength of rebellion there. Accord
ing to our understanding of the matter,
the only legal and authorized State Govern
ment in Virginia is the Provisional Gov
eminent of Governor PRRPoNT. Governor
LEroHER, and his Legislature, had de-
posed themselves by their treason. The
State Government at Richmond is as much
nullity and a sham, acting without
authority, as the peregrinating Govern
ment of IsHAM G. HARRIS, and his per-
ambulating Legislature. Governor PIER
POINT is to- day the sole rightful legal
Governor of Virginia, just as Governor
JOHNSON is the sole, rightful Governor of
this State; and LEToHER has no more
legal power than HARRIS has. The
Provisional Government of Virginia is,
then, the Government Of thai Whole State
and empowered to make latcs for the aohole
State Here is grand advantage, then,
of which the progressive and loyal people
of that State certainly ought not to de-
prive themselves. An act of gradual
emancipation, or any other act adopted
by the Legislature of Western Virginia,
would be valid over the entire State,
provided the division be not effected,
while on the other hand the division
of the territory, would abandon the
patriots of East Virginia, to long
years of dreary servitude to the slave
breeders of Richmond. The creation of
the State proposed would be subtracting
the loyal and active population, from the
former commonwealth, and leaving be-
hind, as its controlling element forever,
consolidation Of the First Virginia
Families, who would be no longer
troubled at the presence of the sturdy
democracy of the mountains. The ad-
mission of the new State would be in its
operations an act for the perpetuation of
slavery in the old Commonwealth. We
want the Provisional Government at
Wheeling to continue, and if its powers
be restricted in any respect, let them be
enlarged so as TO make them as compre-
hensive and full as those of the Rich
mond Government were in the days Of its
legality. We don't wish to see the in
fluence of West Virginia lost to that
Commonwealth, any more than we would
desire TO have East Tennessee cut loose
from this State. We do not wish to see
the secession of one section Of State
from another, any more than we wish tOsee
the secession of one section of our coun-
try from the other nor do we like the
d,sunion of State much better than the
disunion of the States. Western Virginia,
as the governing portion of the O'ole State
can do all that she could do were her
authority restricted to her own proper
territory aud no doubt she can do much
more beside. In seeking to become an in
dependent State, at this time, she seems
to us to be Voluntarily renounqing a
grand opportunity of reforming and re-
storing the old MISUNDERSTANDING
away, as it were, what would be the
brightest jewel in the diadem OF her
future glory.