Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-04-15
War as an Educator of Public
Opinion.
The great Change IA public sentiment
In Western Virginia.
CFroDn the W,elishnrv F1sr,I8O
LRFom &c MellsbaFs HeEaldl

NEAVAA &uS WsAeuuIS GeEN44sl
Our theory always has been in regard 70
this war and its connection with slavery,
that they are parts of one stupendous mir.
aele that have very intimate bearing up-
on each other. African slavery on this
continent always had, to our mind, SIM
ilarity to the captivity of the Israelites in
Egypt what the ultimate designs of the
Almighty are, it is ofcourse presumptuOus
to say, but there is no Improperly in trace
ing the parallel, which any man can do at
his leisure with the Bible aud the history
of the last two centuries before him. The
particular phase of parallelism TO which at
tention is now directed is educationary.
Pharaoh was smitten with q miraculous
obduracy that after bringing plague after
plague upon land and people, finally re-
suited in his ruin and the liberation of his
intended victims; so now, it is hard to ac-
count by rational means for the infatua-
ton that has seized upon the minds of
SHAREHOLDERS and is urging them on to hu-
initiation and ruin. As God by his
plaques at that day also educated the minds
OF the Egyptian people that they prayed
Pharaoh to send away Noses aud his peo-
pie and all that belonged to them, so do
we believe that the progress of this war is
educating the minds of the American ma
ton into the proper frame for both aboI-
ishing slavery and getting rid of the me-
gToeS. This is no dream, no visionary
theory, but is being developed daily be-
fore OOe very eyes, and We are smitten
with worse than Pharaoh's blind ness, if
We do not see it.
Was there ever greater revolution in
public sentiment than has been wrought
in the public mind of Western Virginia,
during the last very few months on this
very subject? The late election tells the
| tale. In counties where, eighteen months
ago, the venerable Ruffner was treated
with contumely and insult for having
years before been the author of a pampb-
let advocating gradual emancipation, the
people, after one years tuition in the
rough school of war, endorse his views by
I vote that is wonderful for its uuauimitT,
In counties where, few months ago, to
question the divinity OF slavery was to
court at least political martYrdom, the
sovereigns have voted one hundred TO one
TO get rid of the institution. In sections
where horse thief was held to be more
respectable character than a free soiler,
and a NOrtherner was an abolitionist and
PTfma fdciG an outlaw that could be rob.
bed and maltreated with impunity by the
skum and dregs of the slavehoIdinS oil
| garchy, they have voted themselves free
soilers by tremendous majorities When
the official vote Of last Thursday comes tC
be published, those who have doubted the
liberalizing effect of the war upon the
minds Of the people on the subject will
be astOunded. Preston rolls up her I5OC
majority for free State; Wood her / 800
to l3; Aonongalia, Marshall, Wetzel, Ty.
Ter, Harrison, the home of Carlile, and Ma
riou, the den of the Haymonds, the Nelson's
and of more traitors than any other county
Of equal population Can boast, all uniform
y gave tremendous majorities for the new
Constitution, and where a vote was taken
for gradual emancipation.
Verify, slavery is doomed in West Viz,
GINA from the date Of that vote; and IN
less the eduCationary process be quickly
stopped, 1t will not be long before the Val
ley, Piedmont and Tide Water will expert.
ence the same startling phenomena.