, 1862-12-18
TEL r. ARG EJNdEET FOR WEST
FERN VIRGINIA.,
Speech Of Hon. Schuyler Colfax

" 1Aoaas oe1tuS S1cr toAA2.
ar,
hil' eo1i'A, III LIS iate speecn IN Inc House
debate Oh the admission Of the new Slate Of
West Virginia. has so terse1y summed I'm tho
csea =, f,--or ~ 4,ot sat- 49,
80 -~'o. y 'N'' A.1'e' tnAs "e e'aasisf
and ADOPT his argument, us more fully report
ed in the Globe lie saws;
Two fh5nps are reon,rai1 he t;,cf,o,.t;+,,
OF The UnitEd States f,r ne ,[im;ssnn ~ f,.;a
new STATE. First fhe ,sacrt ~ ~ ~
tnre of the St.ie ont NJ wh;c1, y i. =, In
formed: and secondly the assent of cnn,rrss ~ w
The decision. tf,e1,. furns r. - vrast sxfa,,t
nnnn th, rnesfio1, whether tre fSror,a. ,o.
;ictipe as The Governor Of Yjre5n;o and ras;d.
ing aT Whcc1jnn and fhe T,esr;S,f ,1r =, r1i.1,
he communicates his mnssnGss ~. 1a,1l,. +t,a
Governor ;;,l lerislature If III 1oyai ,;cos1c
Of Virginia. think thny ar, and t,in! tns
history Of events in VIRGINIA viii nrorr tie
G;ct 91'S "itA PA''s s11s
When. in February. 1861 the tr,itoro,s IN.
thfritfes of V;r1;1,;; ,tfan,,ntna ~ 4a1a 49,
S,ate mt IF ta H;on th,. ~ .He tnas
Virginia noby resisted that % conspiracy: M tr and
n,ber ,a1t: " ~ ~, sts4 ~ . than na1,S IN
conrcnt;nn o1sctef hs-' ,a ny, ora';et tst
rroe;nn and snn,a athar ,.o,,,,t;o. "a .",
fh;n Ii,e bo',,,,r;n of ~ ~, os stnta @
'.art,i,aed a. sta,S VI LIZ ~" pity an9
= ,rns rio Tls onS. pc1ssG.lon, ~ unc GIion rs
| WIS; 1he convention, speak1nG the VOICE
o,at ~ If H. cdeu a tne members
-. ih,. 51 ;Ias ~, .i,o;. as ny Mele
IL tnnW,v15 I Eroni 1p y e enets aati taee Gt.tu %
tionrsAo nouIu tahe ~ oaan oI realty 10
fAe 9nlon, mo-: 70 meet at wheeling; and thus !.
!;yn Ioy;i1 Mgis.uure, CHOSEN IN accordance with
1ie GohSutatiea ;snd "a" Of f1rgI1lla, assem-
!1I Uieu Ga as:u ~as orglnlzed. Inns nacn'ncry OF
t,ie otiue Ios e1nI'Ght ~ 1aa neen anandone.. ~
w. ahI - ~: ltsislaLufe Wnlch
1 VIII nlai u Ius treason. II nav
1is tAts !ai'Scu, 1ne lo3sA people OF western
virginia look possession OF tins machinery,
IN o:Ger lhat all Inc S.ate nigilt not be driven
NM ~, t';ls . Micheu !eoehlon.
iHe next 1uestlon i, nes Tins loyal Ieglsia-
Ill Inc action OF the various branches Of this
government to prove to us that they hare, one
| and all, fully, and in various way5, recognized
tnlS IS me only true and righttnl government
| o. ylrsiria- AAoW me TO present u few Of
'1hen T.
toenizea 90, ms legislature MS tlc legislature of
ny sat ~ tns!nl', anu lol'1lstcu TWO ocne-
tsua sols Ileslca gu ~ lEt ooay 70, ~ vacancies
saassa oy .IsaaeH, rs NJ .Ae 1lsAtiuily CHOSEN
snan1Inonsly M! ~ taat body. ,..-..
s,+ ine EAee1livs department q inc govern
tt' ms.t, and LUG highest portion OF that Excel
rr,,n't,,t, nlens, !he r1ssi1ens himself, mas
1r!t;siat,;ys lte0gnlzea ls me Goyesner amt the
ties Of tint s,.tn ID LIZ i1shtiu1 aaanora-
| 5, The Sccrctarr of ,ho Tro.e,,r. ,,,. raoou
nizcd fl,at goyernn ~ 'as ~ ~. ns aeeos
mept Of Vffrin;a fer 10 u M ahe rihtlut govern
# ,.Treat7,r- ~ t1e iIadnIa na''t 70 tncla out
D7aint and fritiouf nro+aSt fo,, ..e1 ut eon u
iii lie twenty odd millions nf iorsi ,y'oa9 us " "
thc TIni,ri S,;frs tho s41 nm so,,,p;:l ps4pte ~
the Treasury as til, sI,are Of tho Statc nf ~
trinia of tie ,,rocrnds of fhc s.1as ~ 49,, ~.
lie lands and which tie Sta,e If 81 tu; Mn a,
h;thcrt .efus,l to take fr,m III, Tr,.s,!a, Ian
i. ThcSecretary Of War ms recn,rn;y.d rr;s
government as thr lawful uoy,rnn,Snf of Vir.
ginia, ant Gov. Picrpont as the rjehtfnI Gnr-
ernor Of yirpini; Is lecsntin, bgs co,n.n; nGs
sions to ,e ui;icers Of In: ,Ip and ogi.nls iars1
yoluntecIreginents Of Virginia. as can,,nis-
sions eminafinr from riphffnl and 1eoo1 -,
thorlty.
| S: The Secretary of the Interior a1so has
recognized the same thing in bis commuuie;,.
ting to GOV. Pier,ont. rs tbe Gnvrrnor NJ
TifgiIia. the official notice Of the Cameras
sionul a1portipn1pcnt under tie tens1ss If
1850, as REQUIRED i, law, -
e. Tlis House Of Representatives. anu
glad 10 s;,y that gentlenlcn on the other side
ofthe House largely participated in that act
al ihc last tsession-rccognized Gov. Pierport.
rs the righttul Governor Of Virginia when
they admitted the gentleman who represents
the district around Fortress Monroe IMr.
I Ssgar, who came here and claimed admission
under IN election ordered by Gov. Pier,,ont-
! although that is 4 portion of Virginia distant
1uittcd MS a State, The Ioya1 nconIc tb,.r.
however. recognized fhe Wher}inr f,oEarn''
mcut as 1he oIiy Legal Slate Goye7nment =,
cSistcnce in Virgi,,ia and this Hnnsc affirm.
ed their conclusion as correct. After 3hnr.
o11ph orpnmeut whic,, IF course in,o1vcd H.
u11Ss;ioE a. Ia yh.fher tns Gnrernoe ~ 1,ad ,ad
| a,11I,oriiv tn or.irr fhn elect;on A. c.. au
was admitted to his sc;t. and now ho11s =
here. and 1n.ng oant1r,5c 1,,,oo :1,a notu5 ~ !.
Side Of the 1Ion:e ioine.5 with te 4tnS, m
that ocrasion IN rrno1,;z;,,o l;os NV P;tS, P;sn,. VI
the r;rItfu1 nr.rnoE ono t,,o.. ~ ,;17 p91e p
s1afu 7nst1ar tol ~ 'ne5 "in oo
81 s,r t3't:yn frat mt ,n7,.+,,,
1rarci,,s ~ 40 Gtan,. ~ o,, ~ ~
Rros;dcn+ " af+ha ne ;td stasn nut aaas .fe
I--,,o,t - LIZ ottteu Et'tIcs s.n4 w various