Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-03-31
The New state stitutIong-A rrac.
ticRlRnd Intelligent Review OF Itl
D I3SurE0unhlnRSs f E.fs-7 fa.-t.--f r.-,.

The New State eCOtistltutlon.-AI1 I1Fnc.
tlcRIaud Intelligent Review OF itl
. IiSurrOundlDgS. ~ 5lr4-.7-5 iss.rf,.-f r.-r,.
ia communication in the Wellsburg uerald.l
Theiperiod will soon arrive when the
people of Western. Virginia will be called
upon to exercise their right Of suffrage In
referenceto one of the most important in.
tcrests that ever clnimed their attention
1t is needless to say that we refer ITO their
action in the ratification or rejection Of
the Constitution which WAS framed blythe
Convention which recently closed its de-
alterations in the city of Wheeling. There
are other and higher interests involved in
the manner in which this instrument shall
be received by the people, than the mere
fact of'the division of the State. If the
Constitution is adopted it not only is an
open declaration of tue desire of the peo-
pie of Western Virginia to withdraw them
selves from any COnnexion7;witht their an
cient brethren of the Eastern portion oi
the State, but they thereby give q definite
sanction to the establishment of impOr-
tapt fundamental rules for the guidance oi
the new State through many long years ol
the future. 1t is eminently proper, there,
fore; that they should deeply consider the
character of their action in reference to
the establishment or rejection of that in
strument. A.iut5sf7s g. 5
u 1T is almost universally admitted that
the late Constitution, takenas a.whole,i is
great Improvement upon the one under
which we have lived for SO many years
past. Il is far mere in keeping with the
progressive spirit of the present time.-
But the existence of one single evil con-
nected with the formation of that iustru-
ment oyefshad6ws all the advantages and
excellenciss which it may contain. We
refer to the want OF some feasible plan
for the gradual RlfeXtiuctiongof the institu-
ton ofislaveryI within the. proposed new
State! 1t issthe existence Of this want
that makes alliit advantages insufficient
to atone for this great detection. 4#-,E,.
There lisa clear and diunmistakable antag-
onism of material interests between. the
Institution Of slavery and its protection in
Western Virginia. The greatest justitica.
ton for the existence Of the Institution. Of
its Of this country,is found in the laws oi
tclimdte debarring the employment Of free
white labor, mud the pec1liari adaptation
of the soil to the production of cotton
tobacco; rice and articles of Kindred char.
aCter produced by the extreme Southern
States!I The PF6Posed2 d2new Stats Of NVesl
liVirgihi6i however, is en1fnently disouali.
ifed for the production ftofi such articles
and the employment of slave elabor.-
There would beiuo inducement to the i'm.
tpOrtation Of slNyBsinto the new State; aud
we can consequently see no practical ben.
eft growing out of the insertion of, the
clause into the Constitution prohibiting
their introduction into our prospective new
State. If clause had been Incorporated
into the Cons titltio9 fotbf ddthE' the expor.
tation, we believe that a far greater blow
would have been given to its permanent
estab blishment. aAs it is;2 the number oi
slaves now III the limits of the proposed
new State,bini the event of its admission
into the Union under itslpreseut 0onStltn.
tionP will be quite sufficient for thepnrpost
Of forming breeding market5to supply
'theiWantsi ofIthe moFa,uremote Southern
States. 1.-The hKpOrtation of slaves willib
.aiproi able ehahuel Of trade, 9tIt has long
been an established theory in the ;Wester1
part Of Virginia that, the snrest cure fol
olI conservative pSegro # population 4 is Il
sspd them Wnito the tsi cotton Statesi While
ahe the importat of slayes from. Lopisians
or, Mississippi, was tile necessity of buyinr
them oyercoats to wotli IA our fields ia 'tht
hottest months of the year. Thus would
West vItgila be made 4hsH degraded in.
struthenta1tty of warming into rsnewet
life tie dtoopfnE energtes of slave labor il
thGss States that lay along the tGqlG CD,
nl Those Who desire to see slave llabor
'erGdi Heated from the area of'our new Stat,
ard who YET advocated athei admtssionlo %
lfIfeTState under 6Hrtlatei Constitution npot
i1hel ground Of pedieucyy4seer tofrelJ
lsWitlE implicitd dconfdsnce upon the allen
innovations of future years for its selimjp.
alton from our midst. The voice. of his
tory il q disapp ointment 70 heir ishet
khopsg. fIftheFs is one truth more obYiou.