Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-02-02
Nh. rorrER's spExcu.



FELLOW Cti=ea' Of Tie City Of Irhr.lng:
have been invited to come here and ad
dress you this evening upon subjects in
which We all have deep interest have
common interest with you in everything
which relates TO our State affairs. / was
horn in the State Of Virginia and have nj
ways lived in it. and hope to die in the
State ot-West Virginia. GSlght APP
plnuse. am interested too in the city of
Wheeling-in property within it, and in it's
commercial relations with our people. !
am very we'll acquainted with both the can
didHtes before you for your suifrHges ! am
very well acquainted with Mr.. Richardson.
| served with him two years al Richmond
l have nothing to say against him person
ally; believe him to be n heightened gem
lleman. will say the same also of Mr.
Ross. Politically have great deal TO
say against the position which Mr.. Rich
nrdson occupies
The question before you gentlemen is
this Do you wish new State no,C, to be
called the State OF West Virginia, or 10
you wish to postpone it indefinitely. Be-
cause il you should not at the coming clrc-
ton decide TO come into the Union as a
State, there is no way suggested or devils
cd, by any of the opponents of the meas
ure TO admit US ut any future time. Should
they attempt any such thing you would be
met by numberlesS objectiOns-the same
arguments you have to meet now. You
would have to undergo the expense of the
several elections and the Convention You
would have to endure all this over again,
and perhaps tobe again defeated. Ny own
impression is, that il the friends of the
new State are defeated Mt the comiRg cleo
tior they will become so dispirited and
disheartened that they will giveit up.
We are told at the Outstart that it would
be unconstitutional to admit the State of
West Virginia; because this Legislature as
scmhled here is not the Legislature OF Vir.
ginia. 1t will he sufficient TO reply to that
that this Legislature has been recognizs cd
by all the departments at Washington, by
both Houses of Congress, by such men US
Pendleton and Cox of Ohio, and VOORHEES,
of Indiana. 1t has been recognized by
nearly all the loyal States of the Union
II this is not the Legislature of Virginia,
'he city of Wheeling is certain ~ in = very
anomalous position. Your cogucil has
been divided into two branches, your city
government entirely rcmOdeled and rcor-
gHnized by an net of this Legislature
Every official Of any description, every mu-
nicipal officer, every man who takes out
license to sell anything, every lawyer, doc
tor, every man who occupies any public
position in Wheeling, has taken an oath to
support this restored Government OF Viz.
GINA. When you see any man who has Ia
ken thai oath aud hear him makiug any
OF these objections, tell him Tint he has
sworn to support this government, as the
government of Virginia, and in doing that
has recognized this Legislature as the Leg
iSlAture of Virginia.
But they will tell you it is unconstitu-
tioual because the act which passed Con.
GreSs was of such character that Congress
violated the Constitution in passing it
They will say, for instance, that it is nm
constitutional for Congress to "dirtaten
anything about the new State The gen
tlemau who preceded me has answered that
objection fully. There is State Just over
the river therc-one of the largest and
most prosperous States ofthe unioa, which
was admitted into The Union by '.CouCres-
sionaI dictatiOn' With proviso as to the
taxes it should levy on the Government
property within its limits, and certain other
measures of that kind. There was tue
State of Michigan, just the other side of
Ohio which Was admitted in the same way.
If you will examine into The circumstances