The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1863-07-09
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Gentlemen cf@s Senate
and House Of Delegates:

and House Of Delegates:
In the midst of the great rebellion,
which we all dsplore so much, we re.
joice in the feet accomplished, of sepa.
rate State existence. For thirty years
and more the people west of the noun.
itainsin Virginia, have Justly complained
Of bitter wrongs done them by the "gou.
ernmsatat majority" in the East. Inc.
quality olrcpresentation in the legisa.
ture; unjust and uuequitable imposition
of taxes; and total disregard Of their
interests in the appropriation and cxpen.
diture of the public moneys, of which
they contributed so much, were some Of
the grounds OF these complaints. Du.
ring that time, the people Of the West
have repeatedly set forth the injustice
they were suffering and demanded re-
dress Of their grievances; but the lsgis-
lature majority as often turned deal
ear TO their complaints, and indfferently
disregarded their demands, The people
Of the West we're loyal, and in favor Of
law and order, and, although fully alive
to the inequality and injustice they
were suffering, they preferred to wait,
believing that in time, by the continued
progress in improvement, and the in.
crease in population in the West, their
wrongs would become so manifest that the
ruling majority would yield to them .heir
due representation in the government,
and the correction ofthO other evils would
follow. But in this the West was de-
ceiyed. The East held with o firm
sresp the power which they had against
the numerical majority of the Vest
And when the spirit Of insubordination
and resistance to the authority of the
Government of the United States mani.
tested itself in the more Southern States,
those who had SO unjustly controlled
Virginia for so many years, unsurped
power and plunged the State into the
vortex Of secession, and into rebellion
and war against the Government ofour
fathers. And then It was that the loyal
people of Wes. Virginia, who felt and
appfociated the value of republican in.
slilujions, determined to stand by the
Government and resist the subverdve
and destructive doctrine Of secession
"at all hazards and to the last extremi-
t5sp After peinful solictude aud ma
ture reflection it was decided that the
most legitimate and successful mode Of
effec.ing that determination would be
for the loyal people Of the State to reor-
ganize the government Of the Statai
under The Constitution and in. the, Us.
ION a CoPventioa vas o6lled and j
,,Spf filq2S .wss- feosraili,.
zed and restored, Recognizing the su-
premacy OF the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States and repudiating sud rejecting
tho pestilent and ruinous doctrine Of
secession. The reorganiSed govern
ment has been and still is recognized
as the true and lawful government of
the State by all the proper Departments
of the Federal Government. The Con.
yention that reorganized the State gov.
ernuent submitted the question Of New
State and calling Convention to frame
Constitution therefor to the people
west of the mountains; they decided in
the affirmative by an overwhelming ma"
jorily, The Convention for that pur.
pose assembled and formed a Consitu-
ton which the people adopted with like
unanimity. Congress by large MAORI.
ties in both Houses passed an act, which
was approved by the President, admit
ting the New State into the Union, on
condition that the Constitution should
be changed SO as TO provide for the grad
ual emancipation Of slavery. The Con.
vention made the change and the people
ratified it by nearly the Unanimous vote
Of all those who vote, on the question,
and by clear and decided majority Of
the votes ofall those entitled to vote in
the New State. And the President Of
the United States having issued his proc.
lamation as provided in the act of Con-
gress, and the time therein prescribed
having expired, West Virginia is, to.
day, one OF the United States, entitled 10
the same rights and immunities as, and
upon an equal footing with, the other
States of the Union.
The people or the New State have
thus committed to their hands rich in
herilance of which they may we'll be
proud. Here are all the elements nee.
essary to make great and prosperous
State. The salubrity of the climate is
unsurpassed; the fertility oftho soil is
equal to that Of almost any Stale in the
Union: Iron, coal, salt, petroleum and
other minerals are found in abundance;
the uuimproved portions abound in tim.
Der OF the finest quality; there is wafer
power sufficient to turn machinery to
manufacture for the Nation. The area
of the State is $4,000 square miles,
which is greater than 0ny one of the