Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-10-08
Daily gnteIIigetrtet
The First West va. Legislature.
.SETATE}
Sketches Personal, Political and BIZ
ographical. e
DANIEL HAYmOND, OF Rftchie.

lature, and the storms Of seventy six win
tiers have left their mark upon him; he be-
gins to trembIs and staggeF under the
weight of years; his bent form, lang aid APP
pearance, dull, heavy eye and broken voice,
give evidence that the allotted "thrse
score years and ten" which he will probs-
bly, reach by reason of strength, are we'll
nigh run; with him the ''sere aud yellow
Leaf is at hand.
Bot he bears bis years well, and is still
possessed of considerable activity and
strength, as is evident by his prompt and
unfaiIing attendance upon every session OF
the Senate He seems Watchfll of the in.
terests, not only of his own eonstituents,
bit OF the people of the entire State. He is
a sober, staid old man, honest in all he.
thinks or does, and brings TO his lRborS In,
the Senate, and as check 70 those whom
he thinks too fast, the influence of insure
age and long experience. Hefs entitled to
and commands the respect of every mem
Der Of the Senate, not more perhaps on acr
count OF. his age than out of Difference to
his modesty and good sense.
His grandfather came from England and
settled 10 Montgomery county, Maryland,
long before the Revolutionary war, and
during this war, his father removed to Nor
gantown, where be commanded company
of Continental troops then stationed there.
When Harrison county was formed during
the session of 1884,, his father was sp--
pointed surveyor thereof, and settled near
Clarksburg, where the subject of this
sketch was born in April, 1887. His father
and his sons have held the survsyorshiPof
Harrison county ever sinceiit was tormedA
seVenty-nine years. Daniel removed, In
his youth, 10 what wss then Wood county,
(uow Ritchie, where he acted asjustice Of
the peace for twenty years, and was well
known as deputy surveyor IN the counties
of Harrison, Wood aud Richie. in which
position he Distinguished himself.
In 1908 he was Captain Of militia COM
pauy which he held till the close of the
war of 1872. during which he volunteered
in the defence of bis county, but was not
called into active service. Although in
political opinion opposed 70 that war and
TO the administration of Madison, he pat
rioticalIy offered himself to his country; in
1882 he was opposed politically to General
Jackson, yet sustained him in putting down
notification; and in 1860 he voted for Bell
and opposed Lincoln, yet he now sustains
him in crushing the rebellion; in all which
positions he sets worthy example before
us all, and shames the condlct of the
shameless butternuts, j, !. u
He has been wing ofthe t'most strsfght-
est sect" ever since the organization of that
party. and never had much confidence in
the political honesty of his opPonents.--
His views in this way were considered ex.
treme. He was especially opposed TO the
democratic convention system, and does not
like to see his Union friends follows bad
a precedent, and denonnces conventions as
unjust aud monarchical. lin an article
against conventions published in his coun-
ty paper last April, he said
al should be much pleased to see some
movement set on foot that would forever
destroy this sly, sneaking serpent that has
been preying 80 long upon the rights of the
people. The surest killing stroke
that can think of at present would be to-
call public meetings and adopt strong res
olutions to the effect that they will never
again vote for the nominee of any conyen-
ton, nor for any person who shall hereaf-
ter serve as delegate in any such conven-
ton, who may hereafter become a caudi-
date. Ifany one will suggest more dead
ly weapon, will cheertully lend help.
ing hand to use it" ~ - -
Some of his friends twit him. by saying
that these opinions are the result Of his
old prejudice against the democratic party;
but no one doubts his honesty or his pur-
ity in holding them.
voti0n, aud would crush the rebellion by
all the power and resources of the nation !;
thinks slavery destroyed, aud by its pro-
fessed friends; is a STAKEHOLDER himself, but
loves the Union more that the peculiar in
stitution. He was an original new State
man, as the following article from the
Richie Press, written by him December
10, 1860, will prove: HE
"To the people of Vest HIginiG:
ait is earnestly requested that the friends
of the Union and all those who desire the
perpetuation of our republican liberty, il
all the counties of Western Virginia, should
in some public manner make manifest theil
determinations, and say, that SO far as they
are concerned and capable of performing
the Union must and shall be preserved
From the signs of the times, It Is evident
that powerful effort will be made in the
Legislature, by disunion traitors, to call q
State convention, to decide the course that
Virginia shall pursue, or to- appoint dele
gates to a Southern conference. Let either
be adopted, the object is evidently to drag
Virginia into disnnion, whether the people
are willing or not. In the event that either
of these plans are adopted, il is desired
that the people IN all of the counties ives,
of the Blue Ridge, and of all counties cas-
of it too, whose interests are identified
with Baltimore and Warrington city Ia
many of them are) should Immediately cal
q convention for the purpose of adopting
or deyising such a course as ought TO b
pursued in case Virginia should seeed
from the Union, aud as will be the speed
lest mode Of acting, SO. that Western Yir
GINA may separate from Eastern Virginia
and form new State in the Union-re
CARELESS of the decision of any illegal an,
irresponsible convention that the Legisla
ture may authorize.
la this letter is displayed both patriot
ism aud prophecy. The Convention wa:
called, the ordinance was passed. the Stat
was handed over TO the Confederaey; ii
the West the May Convention devised
means of escape, the new State was form
al and in a fnu DAYS The last lrnnnkr 4,