Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-04-26
Agar Ago.


a year OF time in a long life OF peace
and quiet is not an extraordinary niche
Generally you can count its prominent
local events on the ends of five of your
fingers, or. at most, on ten. 1t has not
been so, however, in regard to the last
year in this section of the country. nor,
indeed. in scarce any other part OF the
Union. The last year has been more than
average lifetime. No year was ever more
eventfnI. Events, like days, were COM
pressed into it, and one feels old by the
mere reading of a file Of newspapers.-
Fac,s but few months old come up like
old recOllectIons. Thrir place in the mind
has been so tightly contested that like the
shallow impressions OF a long course of
years in any other times, they have but
barely retained place. We NIL have an
idea-a very indefinite Omniunl gaiheyum of
all that has happened in the year past, in
our minds. When We reflect just II little, a
few prominent way marks, perhaps half u
dozen. iit before Us, and they are the year
with ms. When one comes to read the
files of daily newspaper all is changed.
Then 1t is that the mind wakes up, as it
were, from a long disturbed dream OF hap.
pentngs that are slowly accepted as be-
longing to the last year.
This city this time last year and little
before, was different place from what it
is now. Let any one try to remember
what was going on during April, 1891
That uncertain month was of all months of
the year then the most uncertain. 1t
opened and it closed upon city distracted
as much as any one in the country by the
possibilities OF what was to happen. In
Piusburg they were all ablaze for the
Union after the fall Of Sumpter. In Rich
mond they were all ablaze for secession =
In Wheeling what dreadful, gloomy sus-
pense and inertia prevailed throughout the
month. Oar Gnionism was being born, and
it seemed as if there was scarce strength
to bring it forth. There were so many
lands and 'tifs" and shuts" to be met
with in the streets, that one might have
supposed it the era of copulative and dis
juuctive conjunctions let loose. Unionism
straight-Cnionism without sWeetening or
water, was scarce to what it is now. We
had it mostly with the trimmings and mix
lures and conserVatisms. We had it with
40 coercton"-we had it with the ''con-
stitutiOnal'' dilution--with the ''soyereign-
ty'' in gredient. To take it straight aud
raw was considered as almost too stom-
achy for any body except Black Republi.
can or II very shaky conservative" man.
In those days lived the Wheeling Union.
Day by day it Iabored at its fell purpose of
delivering this people over to the embraces
of secession. Chas. W. Russell and Joe
Pendleton, behind the blind of sap. H.
Moore 4 Co, we're working the wires and
speciouSly and insidtously understanding
Western Virginia with their foregone con-
spiracy. Mysterious hints we're given ont
as to the abbreviated existence of the In
tr1!igasesr. We were told to speedily take
our concern from OF the tssaered' soil;s'
over the river, if We would make good our
escape from what was to come. Alas
little did the conspirators know that with
in a few weeks the IRtelligenesr would be
left alone to write the obituary of the
played out L'aiOH. Capt. Fordycs was
then unknown TO the editors. Probably
the paper on which he SO soon after wrote
his "notice to quit" was then green in the
factory. Who knows? At all events, it
was forthcoming when needed, aud we
never shall forget what squirming, pite-
ous editorial it evoked from the poor,
wicked secession sheet, that soon after
died such a popular death.
Does any body forget what commotion
he return of our, delegates from Richmond
made or how we all ran hiIher and thith-
IT after them to find out, if possible, what
,mlnous. things were in store for US. 1t
eemed as If the seal could not be broken
Until some click and crack Of doom should
% heard. when probably it would be too
ate. Every bOdy's mind was bsWildered.
'Very one was afraid to move with prop
aition to do any thing. Mr.. @. d. Hub
ards advice to the Union men of the 9th
'ard, .aF Hssling .do1n in the American
all, to organize aud arm, and to COM
fence the next day Sunday y, Was regards
as an incqndinry movement by quite
lumber Of constitutional Union people.
he were as much shocked, some Of Them,
were the t'eouStitutional" Phartsees who
ere so5iuaiElant htthe corn being plaek-
on the Sabbath IN the Sayiour's time.