Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-03-12
FROM THE KANAwnA Valley.
Aeurious Lie tier n bout the New state,
The re.OrgnniZed State, the ConSLIs
tuition, Sc

TSs ss N, Me-:
tutionI sc.
Editors LItelEigeneer:
Where are we after ten months Of hopes
delayed, Of expectations disappointed |?
What has the government of Wheeling
done for US? What prospect have we Of
being admitted in the Union, with Con-
stitution which in short very short clause
has made this a slave state to all eternity.
Was not the reorganization of the Gov
eEnment at Wheeling rather prematnre2
Would not our condition be more propItious
It instead OF state Government we had
been admitted as territory, uoder the
auspices of the General Government at
Washington until the Confederates should
be driven out of the State, and then re.or-
ganiZe the Government so as to embrace
not only few counties, but all of the ter
ritory OF the old State, and then decide
roee PcPuh whether slavery shall be an in
stitution Of the State as heretofore
In. connection with the question of slave
~, there isnuother Of primary Importance,
as 1t will seriously affect the future of the
Commonwealth. What is to be done with
the leaders of secession, and those slave
owners, who were the instigators of it
Shall we, that the new Constitution may
become permanent, and its clause concern
ing slavery may be fully protected, crafty
them with bill of amnesty for past mis-
demeanors, or shall we punish them by an
act OF attainder aud confiscation ? The
majority of the people are determined
to have a free State. They expect the pun
tshmeut of the leading traitors, while the
Convention aud the legislature seem to be
IN favor of slavery and mercy; mercy,
mercy In thn1p ma tg1, huV a.:
war upon us Who have endangered our
lives, who have robbed us of our property,
have beggared our families aud who in n
country heretofore blessed with peace and
plenty have caused devastation and ruin |
Tue Convention has seen fit to introduce
IN their Constitution, a mere patch work,
one clause of two lines, which forever riv-
cts the chains of the African bOndmeu.-
This clause is the most mischievOus engine
by which the traitors may hope to recover
their rights of citizenship, and to be able
to bring among us any number of slaves,
to be owned by few privileged families,
the future lords of the land. But, as one
of the members of the Legislature was
telling me the other day, all this was done
to conciliate Kentuckyl Conciliate Ken
lucky by running all our hopes, all our
prospects! May Kentucky sink to the
lowest depths of perdition, if, in order to
keep her in the Union, we Western Vir-
ginians must see all our elements of hap
piuess, all our prospects blasted. These
are not the times for Cancellation, for COM
promise! We nre in the midst of revo-
luton, the end of which is not known.
As we shall work, SO we shall reap. If
Kentucky must have our rain to crafty
her views, let the General Government see
TO Kentucky. As to ourselves, Our neces-
stiles require systematized action, and we
must fulfill our destinies by fighting for our
rights. We want free State, with Con.
stitution that will ignore slavery. We
want good system of public schools,
liberty of conscience, equal rights to all.
We want the punishment of the rebel
leaders rs security for the future.
We feel that the government, as recon
structed at Wheeling, is a failure, without
any prospect of amendment. We wish that
some step be adopted by which We may
have the protection of the General Govern
ment until the whole State is reconquered
from the Confederates. We then can de-
eide for ourselves whether we shall be a
free State.
If We cannot obtain something of the
kind-itthe Governmental Wheeling is OBJ
sttnate and endeavors to enforce its enact
ments or the collection of taxes by and
through irresponsible agents, from popu-
lntiOn impoverished aud beggared by poor
crops, iuundutions unprecedented, and by
the exaCtions and devastations of friend
and foe, if the vote to be taken on the new
Constitution (Which, by the by, will be
supported only by its Originators, and their
friends, the slave owning secessionists)
then woe be 10 those who are against the
peoples justice. Can anything be coucei-
we'd more solemnly frightful than the JUS
tice of the people?
What remedy have we still left? A
convention of Delegates, chosen in each, or
majority of the counties, for the purpose
of remedying the present condition OF af-
fairs in Western Virginia.
PUTNAM County.