Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-01-03

'-~S@ - lHolu AuAtiuo {aSCl OF "a Leglsla
ture, or Of a conveutiop.l or Of d poDuin,
vote, can supder the relation OF any of on,
4 states 10 the present Union, whatever mn,
be done by foreign war or domestic 1io.
Hence. "a ,r--.-.-Se-.z..1
/ Take, for example, ny oWu State. wber,
the Legislature, in secret sessions -by what
majority i do not knoBs--passed an .ortli.
nance of separation aud submitted Il to
the people upon canvass of something
more than three weeks, which resulted in
voting the State out 9f the tJ1ibn; in the
mlddleb counties by an Immense maiority.
IN the western counties by htsjurity moi
so large; and against an irhmeTse majority
n Il my Own portion Qfi klleI St9teS / ask
whether such action could havs any legal
efecl2A Couldiit change eithsr5tle govern !
ment or the fconstituti6ui IL Tennessee,
which ProEidedtfor its own amendment.
oat.in on IN another way; or change the relation
OF the State,to the United States? Did il
Grange the relation of the loyal meu7 If
| y aid, ana Tennessee became agovernment
loreign to the United States, then is every
SiLlhen p ~ y an alien enemy; then is every
'.I, hast tennesseean who, by thousands,
sent me here TO represent them that might
be instrumentali in procuring them Nssia'
tauce aud giving them protection, an alien
enemy; and every one of5them who il now
hghtng under your Hag ought 10 be seiz-
ed as prisoners of war, and held 40 sucb
until exchanged. a 4.l g.
Such doctrine as that is rnonstrous.-
It Is a doctrine did not suppose was en-.
tertained by anybody except the despots
IN Klchmend sudGthose in sympathy with
Them. Are we foreignera to the flag uu-
der which We were born Are we alien
enemies have we no rights as American
citizens? These are monstrosities oy which
men, through their vagaries, and their Wild
crude theories, have been carried away
from reason and common sense, Virginia
Is IN the Union and has Deyer been out of
It. Her Legislature, representing her lOyal
people, has assented to division by which
this portion of the Stats shall be admitted
as Apother sister into the beautiful constel-
,lation-which clusters on our flag.
admit that have brought myself to
consent to vote for. this measure with great
reluctance. There arc memories cluster
ing about the name of Virginia associated
win our earliest recollectious. That proud
olq State has been one of the noblest md
most honored of opr Confederacy ;aud-if,
were to treat of this matter as a sentimen-
talist, 1 would say let her remain az she
came from the great hands that formed har.
let her boundaries extend from the tifis.
water to the waters of,the Ohio. But that
IS a matter of sentiment, and this is no time
70 indulge in seutimentality. am aware
OF the difficulties under which her peoDle
have laoored for many long years. They
are not unlike the difficulties which have
embarrassed my own portion of nv own
State, the western portion of North Caro-
limo, and the northern portion of GeOrgia.
There dwell in those regions peopIe
whose habits, whose modes of life. and
whose pursuits are uunkiRdness aud uucou..
genial with those Of the neiRhboripg por.i
tions Of the States. 1t so happens thai
within the last few weeks have paid
visit to that portion of Virginia now pro.
posed to be formed into a new State Il
found there in that mountain region one
of the loveliest portions of the United
States. found there a.PeoplR loyal and
devoted to your flag, desiring 10 be formed
into neWsSta by themselves, with poyT-
or to manage their own local and domestic
affairs. They spoke with feeling and with
deep entreaty supon this subject. They
SAID, as their Representatives have said
here, that if you bind them, or which is.
the same thing, keep them bound to the
dead carcass that lies floating many n rood
on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge. their
fate for long, long years, ifinot for genera.
tlons and ages, is sealed. They begged
thst.they might be disiuthralled, and that
they might be permitted to GO forward in
that career of prosperity for which their
habits and the peculiar position of their
country ftthem. ! cannot turn a deaf ear
to their appeal. Nor do regard it of
grave Importance that in some future event
in the recoDstruction of this country and
the suppression of the rebellion, and the
rerestablishment of the authority of, our
Government, the pride OF old Virginia NAV
oelWound9d by seeing her mountain sons set
as rival Commonwealth. Virginia, in com.
mon With the other Neutrality-suspicious., has
earned tall. Sbehas only herself to thank
for her fortune. As,to standing here and
inviting her back, have we not been, doing.
that +! Have We not been appalling to her
ana asking her to come back over since the
| ga OF July, S6l, when, on notion of my
friend from Kentucky, TMr. Crittendeo. l.
we passed a resolution debating that it vas
the purpose and the object of th prosecu-
tion of this war to re.establish the author
tty OF the Government, aud to bring ba ok
the States ppimpaired, and with their au
thority restored as it was2 ~ q9ioy -
What has been the response TINT ms
come from Virginia! 1t is no time ito
mince words with treason or with traitors.
whether individnals or communities. We
stand here, or we should stand here, to do
what Is right, and do justice without refer
ence to whether it may exactly gradatewith
their sensibilitiesor withthe nicer and finer
feelings of State pride. All these States
have burdenedi themselves with "a load
which they will carry for years; if carry il
they do. Treason, rebellion, secession, war
have been broughtupon them by their Own.
bad, bold men, aud With them belthe con-
sequences. We are not responsible- for
them.t | am far from thinking tbatit would
would be just to the people OF Western
Virginia tOkeep then waiting, with scarce
y the form of protection, until such time
as we may be able BY the force of ourarms
to compel the rest Of the State to obedi-
ence to our authority and then to attach to
them those portions 6f the State that have
been loyal, and whose sons have been
fighting in our ranks ever since the war
hn1an- ~ 4 boy. ItJ;G3n,,1tr