Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-08-02
9atlg gntelligeutpr
Speech Of Senator Wiley
AT THE
MEETING IN MoRGANTOWN,
ON Monday, July 2s, 1909.

What he saId about the New state
In Congress and M CarIile's Course
pose OF theUnfatthfal. Semator-SIa-
very m the New StaIe-WhaL IL
OF New State Men.
Now, friends, what you want to bear
from me day is an account OF my stew
ardship in regard to this new State. 1t
has seemed to mt, during the little time
have been at home, that there is no place
on the face of the earth but West Yir-
ginia ApplsusOl, aud that there is no
other topic now than West Virginia. The
battles of the Chlcahominy; JEFF Davis and
the rebellion Gen. Mcclellan and the ar
my of the Potomac-sll are torgatten in
the presence of Western Virginia.
Well, my friends, said awhile ago that
perhaps should not have taken the liber-
ty of addressing you if had not been
called out, nevertheless Tdesred to be call
| ed out, somewhat Laughter. wanted
to talk to you little to-day, aud correct
! some misconceptions that have been, no
doubt, honestly entertained. remember
very well, and you do, when there was no
small amount of indignation manifested
even against SO humble nm individual as
myself in regard 10 this new State. l re-
member, aud you remember, when took
posttion-a decided position, against
! the means that were about to be employed
to get u new State in Western Virginia. L
remember, and you do, when the effort
was, without any Legislative sanction, and
without any Congressional sanction, sim
1 ply by the ipse DIRT of the people in Con
vention assembled, to lay off portion OF
the State of Virginia into new State, elect
Il Governor, organize new State, without
asking the assent of Congress or the assent
of the Legislature of Virginia, both of
which is required by the Constitution of
the United States, Iopposed that, and in
opposing it provoked in the mind of ma
ny an honest man, regretted to see, a
degree of displeasurc which know exist
ed only because sach one did not under
stand what was necessary to be done in the
premites. opposed my friends. Why
did Inot assent to that which you SO much
desired, which this people SO much desir-
ed-this summary mode of establishing q
State2 Let us see, now, if i cannot con-
VinceyOu 10 u moment. have not the
fCOnstitution here; but you will take it for
granted when tell you that the Constitu-
tion says that no new State shall be erect
led out of the territory of one or more
States without the cousent of the Legisla-
I GuA0H OL tslt Dkt1le Ut GolulGSsa#a w ell, now
| Isuppose you were the Congress of the Unit
ted States, and in this summary --mode-
the mode of Mr.. Carlile, my colleague in
Congress (and it is remarkable that we
lshould be hntipodes Doth at the beginning
and end of this matter). | opposed it
because thought he was premature; be-
cause thought he bad not started right;
and we did start it right and got it through
as far as it has gone; he opposed that be-
lieye because he thought it was right in the
end. daughter. Well now want to
come to Congress-to you-to decide this
and be satisfied that originally was right
whether lam right now or not. Whenever
a man takes seat on the floor of Congress,
he puts his hand on the Bible and swears
to support the Constitution of the United
States. Well now. suppose that plan of
Establishing State5Lad been adopted
without making constitution, merely by
the vote of the people, without the assent
of the Legislature and without the assent
of Congress-B6uld you have recognized
it as n State? Gould you have done it?-
| Suppose we had applied To be admitted into
the Union under such terms as these-you
being the Congress, taking the Costitution
and reading that no new State shall be
formed, &C., without the consent of the
Legislature of the State or States out of
which it is formed, MS well as of the Con-
gress-and you are asked to give your as
sent to its admission into the Union under
that Constitution, with that oath binding
1 lyou-could you have admitted it under
such circumstances No, you could not;
becauseyou were sworn to support the Con-
stitution, and that plan of organizing the
State was not in conformity to the Consti-
tuition of the United States. What would
have been the result? Confusion, disorder,
disturbance and distress. The organizing
of a government not legalized by the Con-
stitntion, would have been overwhelming
in the extreme, and hence it was necessary
to proceed with due caution. Well, fellow
citizens, make confession aud say, when
the Convention SO called commenced to
proceed regularly, l thoughts it was prema-
ture.s If had been consulted, would
have said, wait little. Still l am as free
to acknowledge to-day that what i would
have waited for has not come. had sup
posed the rebellion would havebeen driven
out of larger portion of territory than it
has been. But without dwelling to con-
slider whether was right or wrong in the
premises, when it was determined upon that
we should proceed according to Law to or
| ganize new State, gave up all personal
objections to it, and went into it heart aud
| soul to the full extent of my ability. We
proceeded. The first Convention was call
ed. Then the Constitutional Convention.
L. ordained constitution which was sub
mitted to the people. It was adopted by
the people. Itwent up to the Legislature,
aud the Legislature gave its assent. That
assent, the act of assent, to the new State,
was sent down aud placed in my, hands in
the city of Washington. 1t was determined
that it should be first presented in the
Senate of the United Ssates, aud my
colleagues in both Houses devolved on
me the duty of presenting it. The Sem
ate did me, though out of order, the
courtesyto hear me nearly half an hour,
explanatory of the principles on which
this new State was organized, and the
grounds upon which We had become claim
kants to admission ns.n new State intn the