Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-03-23

II any one had come there IN good taitht
wishing to discuss the New State question
and oppose it they would have given him
q full opportunity to do it. Bot they we're
1t should be remembered within IL or 10
miles of a county through which guerrilla
bands were continually roaming aud pill
laying and numbering the people, and they
were not going 20 allow men to come there
and hold reasonable meetings and make
reasonable speeches for the purpose of en-
eouragiug these sguerriilas. In several
counties which he named letters had been
received from persons beyond the rebel
lines in which with significant ..nniformi-
| ~ of expression they told their friends
they would be at home the coming spring.
Rumors were rife of a force gathering on
our Southern border. Judge Camden had
written letter home saying they had 12,
600 West Virgiuians in the rebel army and
5000 more organized and ready to rise as
soon as this invasion was made. If the
rebels could come to Parkersburg why
might they not come o.Wheeling? Alrea-
dy it was reported that Sutton had been
taken by jenkins.
He asked them whether, under such cir
cumstances, they would permit traitorous
assemblages to be held and traitorons
speeches to be made in their midst. mo
no he asked them if these men among
them should rise what they would do with
them. ["Hang them! hang them !" cried
hundreds of voices. Well then, he would
remind them, an ounce of prevention was
worth n pound of cure.
Mr. Van Wrinkle then entered upon an
elaborate aud most convincing argument
in explanation and viRdication of the
Whole Western Virginia movement, from
the calling of the Richmond Convention
i n he Is
steps of tyranny and usurpation by which
the State government at Richmond was
abdicated, and clearly settiug forth the
principles aud citing the Precedents that
entitled the people Of this portion of the
State to reorganize and re-estabIish their
government.
In conclusion he called attention to the
benefits to be derived from the New State
under the Constitution provided for it, and
said we were only asking to be allowed to
attend to our own affairs in our own way.
1t was not for the qualification OF any alb
stract idea that the people had chung to
the New State. 1t was for the practical
blessings it was calculated to confer, that
we wished to set up a government adapted
to our own condition. Let every man re-
member when be goes TO the polls on
Thursday, that it is not for themselves alone
but for their wives and daughters they are
to nct-that they are voting to obtain
blessings for their own fresides. Zap
plause. =
Mr.. Van Wrinkle then quoted those beau.
tirul lines beginning:
aThere Is a land of every land the pride,
Beloved by Heaven DER kIl the world bsside,1
with excellent effect, and sat down amid
raptnrous applause.
Mr.. Wiley was loudly called for, aud
coming forward was introduced by the
President in perfect storm of applause.
He began by saying that be bad come to
the conclusion that Wheeling was o very
industrious place. His friend Hubbard
had invited bin to speak to "vorkfng-
mems" meeting and il all the men be saw
before him were working men then he must
be right in that conclusion. he was re.
minded by the same letter that it was a
New State meeting, but if our Union was
not preserved our New State would not be
of much account.
he alluded TO the address issued BY the
Petersburg "Convention" as the mdocu.
] ment of five old whigs who won't down to
Parkersbnrg to revive the Democratic
party" [Uproarious laughter he was
| whig once himself. ''They talk about
) inviting the whole country. Why they
} didn't invite all the Whig party. They left
, several of us out" He felt somewhat
: sighted. He thought he could have made
J some good suggestions to Gen. jackson and
his old friend Mr.. Jacobs. One of the re.
Communications of those gentlemen was for
those opposed TO the new State not to 20 tc
the polls. They had precedeutifor that,
which his friend (Mr. " W. had not cited
} among his presidents.
There was a convention rs far back as
fkN, AuWy nfE D.. .
it were afraid they might be shot if their
purpose was distinctly known. They held
} 1t in the woods and appointed as chairman
} of that meeting, not Gen. jackson but Mr.
Reynard. Aud after dus discussion they
looked up where they hung clear out OF
reach and said 20, those grapes are sour
we don't want them anyhow" Don't yott
against the new State-have nothing to dc
with it-and why because there is hardly
. corporals guard left that could yots
against it. CGreat laughter and applause.
Mr. Wiley took up the objections urged
against the new State and answered them
one by onei beginning with "Congression-
al dictaton" aud ending with the free
negro bugaboo, elicitiug repeated applause.
He spoke OF the cry ot"abolitiou." That
was about all the argument there was on
that side. Without argument or trutb
these men seduced by The instigation Of
the devil were going about the country
J calling everybody "aboIitionistsn who
were in favor of anybody or anything but
Jeh Davis and his Confederacy. Did you
ever, ssid be, go along lane whore there
was flock of guinea fowls? Well as Won
go along they will fly up on the fence aud
utter their note. sharp, discordant to the
ear as 1t is, and if there are Fifty of them
they will all do precisely the same thing.
They will dy upon the fence one after an
other and utter the same unpleasant, mon
otouous cry. Well now these men are going
around the country like flock of guinea
fowls and they are all squaWkiug ';Aboli.
ton! Abolition" (Vociferous applause
he wanted to know what abolition meant
IN the offensive sense of the term. South