Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-03-03

H
! good people of Hancock assembled at the
Court House to hear the "great light of
West Virginia, SherrRrd Clemens, disSect
and eViscerate the New State question, and
to open the food gates of his vituperation
on its unofending advocates in this coun.
". As Mr.. Clemens invited discussion,
and challenged REPUTATION, it was accord
ingly accepted by the friends of the New
State, knowing their cause could lose
nothing by investigation, and Aessrs. Por-
ter aud Donehoo entered the ring In de-
tense of the question. We have neyer had
a much larger assembly in the county. The
Court House was filed to its utmost capa-
city, and the "Buttsrnutsp frsm 'tDan TO
Beersheba" hOnored the meeting with their
presence; the frat instance since the
breaking out of the rebellion that they
have mingled with loyal men, to any con.
siderable extent in any meeting. Butyes.
terday at the opening Of the meeting there
they were, smiling and iubilant, antici-
pauugI no doubt, with inefable pleasure,
the stern rebuke and excoriation which
their champion would administer to his
| opponents and their friends in handling the
question. The proposition for debate wal,
" That the division Of the State of Virgil
MIA was unconstitutional and luexpedient
under the present circumstances.p
Mr.. Clemens took the affirmative; Mr.
Porter and Ar. Donehoo the negative Ar.
Clemens opened bis speech, and, indeed,
devoted the entire time Of his first speech,
to discussing the constilntienality Of the
iquesttou. He took up the Rhode Island
case. He told. us nothing was a clearer
case than that the Rhode Island case was
not u parallel with this of West Virginia,
aud yet so sOlicitous was the gentleman to
impress it upon our minds, that he mem
toned 1t not less than thirty times, and ev-
identity could not get it arranged to his en-
tire satisfaction. He had great deal to
say about the de jure" and 4" de facto /"
Government of Yirginia-denounced the
Wheeling Government as being govern
ment OF force-and said Western Virginia
WAS compelled to take some action of this
kind IN order TO rescue herself from the
artillery of the North, and deliver her soil
and people from the desolation and devas-
tatiou consequent upon invasion. The re.
stored Government he called the de facto
Government, but he would not admit that
1t was the de jure Government of Vir-
giuis. But protested in regard to this
usurpatton of power by the minority, that
the restored government was minority
government, aud nothing like an equal eT-
preston of the sense of the people of West
Virginia. Bat the government at Rich
moud, says Mr.. Clemens, is the "dejure
government of Virginia." II holds a quo
rum Of the Legislature, and of course a
quorum Is necessary to the discharge of
business it therefore ia the legal, rightFul
government of Virginia And we, following
the line of Mr.. Clemens argument, must
accept John Letcber as our Governor, and
continue our allegiance to the authorities
at Richmond, and repudiate Governor Peir-
point and the restored government. The
/ Rk.n
some of the members of Mr. Liucolu's Cab.
met, whom he said were opposed to the
New State on Constitutional ground. Aud
presume upon any other question than the
admission of West Virginia, Mr. Clemens
and his friends would be very reluctant to
endorse the opinions of Mr.. Lincoln or any
OF his Cabinet. The next argument he ad
duced, was that West Virginia was too
small for State. These steep ridges
} Had ssOrilO knobs, theOO cranberry Su1
huckleberFy bills are not fertile nor pro-
ductive, aud We have not the financial
resources OF population essential to organ
iGlng Rnd carrying on a new State, and
detraytng the expenses Of new govern
ment
Mr.. G. then, with his characteristics sar.
i cRsm, aSsailed the President and Congress
for their mOnstrous usurpation of power
in admitting into that body the Senators
aud Representatives of Virginia. He told
as the story of the "Spider and the Fly !"
D how Congress had allured the immacu-
} late Representatives of Virginia into the
abolition den at Washington, and then
: played the part of the rapaeious gpider in
devouring the delicate little fy. he told
s US Garltle was trying to exEriCate himself
1 from this spiders web; but no, he couldn't
do it. The Abolition lion, Ben Wade. mt
bis foot upon him, and said: "You can't
go, Mr. Carlile." Wiley, the gentleman
{ said, was the most obsequious aId dociIe
mau IN the world. He could endorse the
Abolition bill Of Ben Wade, aud have IL
tnterpolsted into the Constitution Of West
Virginia. with extreme pleasure.
The evening speech of Mr. Clemens Ras
, only crusade against the Republican par
y. he resurrected it from it's premature
grave, and held up its dead carcass as a
CLOAK under which to secrete his fimsy and
empty pretexts against the New Stats
So far had he been reduced by tbe fact,
aud arguments made 10 the speeches of
DonehoO and Porter, that hereuouneed the
dictum Of bis own party, and sought pro.
lection and argument from the Republican
! party. Mr.. Porter, in his elucidstion of
the Rhode Island case, proved that, BY the
decision of the Supreme Court, tthe high
est Judicial tribunal in the laudl whatever
Legislature Congress recognized by admit.
ing ne Senators and Representatives. thai
EHs the Dc JtTe government of the State
M Clemens even denIed the authority of
tue supreme Court OF Of Congress TO de.
teFutne this issue, saying the people were
the ultmatum in this matter, aud This bs-
iuE majority movement was revolutiopsry
and illegal. But Mr.. Porter removed The
: Bentleman's evident misunderstanding nv
producing the figures, which show that ont
oil . GOO voters included in the New STATE.
} exclusive Of those In the Uuiou and rebei
armies, IS, 600 voted in favor Of 5iTisSoH.
aud Jet this is q minority movemSn,.
that few citizens Of Hancock. md 4 fs2
/ OF brooke, and small portion Of the CHI.
fsns Of other counties, are going to disin.
teSra&e cur State, and here in the North.
Mesl estsol'sh government of their own,