Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-03-19
To the Readers Of our Weekly.

To the Readers OF Our Weekly.
The weekly edition of our paper goes to
press this morning. Before another Issue
can reach its readers election day on the
New State will have come aud gone. This
day week the vote is to be taken. Has
everything been doae that can be done?
Cannot much more be accomplished?
The re7ult cannot be doubtful. Just as
certainly as the 18th day of the month
comes to us, so certainly will the New
State be carried by great majority. NE
do not see, at this writing, tue remotest
likelihood that oue single county will vote
against it. This is remarkable in the his
tory of the admission of States into the
Union, and in the adoption of State Con-
stttutions: the rule is that the people are
generally divided to considerable extent.
One county is carried ono way and auOth-
er couoty another way, aud those that
vote the same way do SO very uuevenly.
With US it will be different. Every county
will ratity the Congressional amendment.
In some counties there will be very few
votes against Iii 10 others there will be
scarcely any while in three or four there
will probably be none at all. The aggre-
gate vote promises to be the largest ever
polled on the question. The reason is that
in times past the end to be reached has ap.
peared too far off to enlist much time or
zeal. There were too many processes re-
naming. The people hardly dared to hope
that the New State could pass through
them all, and finally come to them for their
last ratification. They doubted its ability
to pass Congress. They feared that the
President might veto it. They feared that
some fortune of war might jeopardize it.
They could not realize itas certain thing.
Therefore they coutented themselves with
but little excitement-little hope-little
activity. Now all is different. Since the
Convention adjourned aud submitted the
question, an active canvass has been in
progress. The people have fiocked to the
New State meetings. With their whole
hearts and souls they have committed
themselves to its success. The excitement
in the Grst era of secession hardly ran
higher. In some of the counties it did not
ruu so high. Such eagerness and zeal as have
been displayed iud no parallel within our
recollection in the case OF any State seek
ing admission into the Union. Why is ali
this2
The answer is plain. The day of a long
hoped for deliverunce is at hand. For two
generations the formation of new State
has beeu moused in Western Virginia. Auo
why? Because the people of East auo
West Virginia were two people. Because
they were divided by the hand of God b,
an insurmountable barrier. Because tbeir
soil-their climate-tbeir productions
their mArkets-their ass ociations-tbelrin
stitutious-theirv very language, we're differ
eut. Asiatic and European Russia are no
more different. Tue group of the islands
OF West India is not SO varied. EnRlnno
aud Ireland are Il unit in comparison With
them. The TrNus- Alpine aud Cis.Alains
countries OF the continent of Europe are NO,
more d'sssmtlar. Tho crying evil was rad
icsl autsgouism in our legislative require
meuts. Tho East bad but one interest, and
1t was all-absorbiug. IL ruled the State.
II arrogated TO itself exemptions and priv.
leges aud Differences to which all other in.
tsFesIs combined did not pretend, and
which were constantly granted by the West
uuder protest. Untold millions of money
were taken from the West wyongfully aud
se;6shly to Offset the exemptions on Eastern
slave properly, With majority of white
population in the West, the East held
majority in the State Senate of one.,hird
They refused TO grant US the white basis
in legislation. Their property killed our
votes. They voted vast sums, aud aeon.
mulated an immense debt to build canal
river and railroad improvements in the
East. Not foot of canal or railroad wa,
ever built in the West. They legislated As |
ifthere was no West. They ignored our
very existence. We were Yirginians only |
In the light OF tai, payers. We were to |
Richmond what Canada is to London-a |
mere dependency andStoreigu priuoipality.
What Was the consequences
Western Virginia is to-day almost new
country. Old in years she is young in |
Her population has not re,
tanned in many years its natural increase.
has avoided US as an ill-fated
land. Three millions and aShalt of emi,
grants have passed over our border here
on their way to the West in quest OfbOmes.
Scarce ever one of them stopped to go into
the interior aud look At our soil. They
we're nOteOutent until they had gained the
other side of the river, Then from the very
banks of thar river they began to
Examine the country Westward, aud to drop L
mt of line and to settle down all through