Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-12-08
Ths new soc Of ws...rn vlrglnla.
[Yrom the wa.hIngton q. C., ohroulela.I

[ErOm the Washington %. CO. ChrOulels.I
The question of the admission of West
ern Virginia will be presented to Congress
at an early day of the present session, and
will deserve immediate attention. The
bill has already passed the Senate, and on
ly awaits the action of the House to be-
come law. The new State has already
been once recognized by the Federal Gov
eminent, aud nothing prevented the pas
sage of the bill for its formal admission but
some irregularities and delays for which
the people Of West Virginia are not res
ponsible.
Tho question of the propriety of the adj
mission of this Stale lies IN nut-shell.-
The inhabitants are a tree people. They
own but few slaves, and are anxious TO get
rid Of them. They are opposed to slavery,
both in principle and in practice. For
many years the change in their condition
from a slavsholding to free labor commu-
nifty has been going steadily on, 'and their
union under the same Government with
the slavehoiding atistocrats of Eastern
Virginia, who are, after the States of
South Carolina and Mississippi, more gull
~ In this wicked rebellion than any other
set of men, has for long time been grow
ing more and more repulsive. To force
uection would be terrible blow TO their
prosperity, and, lift can be properly avoided,
a cruel injustice. These people are loyal,
Their late comPatriOts are traitors. These
people are free white laborers, who earn
their bread by the sweat Of their brow /;
those of Eastern Virginia are Shareholders
who never earn anything but live on the
labor of others. The instincts of these
people are all for freedom; the others are
stepped in prO-slavery prejudices and
'nrgroism" to the very lips. These free
men of-Yest Virginia are bound by every
tic OF interest To free institutions The
slnveholders of Eastern Virginia. who have
always controlled her legislation hang on
to slavery with death grip, aud will
lose oil their Fictitious consequences
whenever the system which now curses the
land can be removed. What community
of interest, therefore, what bond, social or
political, OF affinity, is there between the
people of these two secLions2 There is
hardly point in which the two sections
of the Old Dominion can agree, either now
or hereafter. Should their representatives
be again obliged to deliberate in the same
halls, session after session would be con-
sumed in wrangling, and would result in
the most tyrannical oppression Of the free
by the slave section of the State. The shirt
OF Nessus would again cleaye to the bleed
ing shoulders of the young Hercules of the
Border States, now almost exhausted in
the terrible Struggle of disruption. We
hope that Congress, in it's wisdom, may find
means to avert so terrible fate.
We are at loss TO discover any good
reason why Congress should refuse to
grant the prayer of the people Of Western
| Virginia. The question of the right of
one portion of a State to secede from an
other does not arise. The question simDly
Is, will Congress recognize aud protect q
! certain loyal community which needs its
protection These people have never fail
ed the Union. They constitute The only
State of Virginia which the Federal Gov
erument is by strict rules of law, bound to
recognize The rest of the State is in re-
bellion, and has repudiated nli connection.
not only With the Southern part of the
State, hut with the Union The argument
that the people in Eastern Virginia still
meet mt Richmond is a mere bubble, aud
amounts To nothing. The long and short
of the whole matter is that the people of
Western Virginia are still loyal and ~
abiding citizens of tue United States. ans
they are entitled to it's protection. TheY
need and must have some form of State
GoVernment. Tue Eastern Yirginiaus are
rebels against the authority OF the FEEDER
al Government and have no rights which,
when the conflict With those of loyal com
muntties, Government is bound to reg
,Peet. .....'.- -
The touching appeal of the Western
Virginians, which is printed in the Wheel
ing Lnttttigencer, and copied extensively in
our exchanges, should be read by every
member of Congress who has the least
donbt on this subject It presents a clear
and connected account of the history of
the movement, mentions the fact that at
the election on the new constitution pre-
scented by the Legislature of the new State,
the people voted Informally for emarcipa-
ton, there being as many thousands for
the measure as there were hundreds against