The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1863-02-26
MR. PORTER.s SPEEcH.
Fellow CITIZENS.

~ yNu tH'S S'euIHS uPou suuyoCh
in which we all have a deep interest. 1
have comnoninteresl with you in every.
thing which relates to our State sffairs.-
| was born in the State Of Virginia and
have always lived in it, and hope to die
in tho Sta:e Of-West Virginia. GSIight
applause. ana interested too in the
city of Wheelng--in property within it,
and in its commercial relations with our
people, lam very well acquainted with
both the candidates before you for your
sufTages. / am very well acquainted
with Mr.. Richardson. Iserved with him
two years at Richmond. | have moth.
/ ing to say agairst MIN personally; be.
lieYo him to be a high.toned gentlemen.
! will say the same also OF Mr.. Ross
Politically | have great deal to say
against the position which Mr.. Richard.
son occupies.
The question before you gentlemen is
this. Do you wish,a now State NOW, TO
be called the Stale of West Vireinia, or
do you wish to postpone i, indefinitely?
Becsuse if you should mt at the coming
election decide to come into the Union as
State, there is no way suggested or de-
yised, by any Of the opponents of the
measure to admit Us at any future time.
Should they attempt any such thing you
would be met my numberlrss objections
The ssme arguments You hayeln meet
now. You would have to undergo the
expense Of the several elections and the
Convention. You would have 10 Gu.
dnre al! this over again, and perhaps to
be again defeated. Ny own impression
is, that iflhe friends Of the new State are
defeated in the coming election they will
come so dispirted aul disheartened that
they will give It up.
We are told at the outstart that it
would be unconstitutional to admit the
State Of West Virginia; because this
Legislature assembled here is not the
Legislature of Virginia. 1t viii be suf
fcient to reply to that that this Legisla.
ture has been recognized by all the tie
par'ments at Washington, by both Hou
ses OF Congress- by such men IS Pendle.
ton and Cox of Ohio, aud voorhees, of
Indiana. 1t has been recognized by
nearly all the loyal States Of the Union.
II this is not the Legislature of Virginia,
the city of Wheeling is certainly in
very mslous position. Your council
has been divided into to branches, your
city government entirely rcmodpled and
reorgan zed b. an act Of ibis Legislature.
Every official ofany description, every
municipal officer, every man who takes
out lceuce to sell anything, every law.
yer, doctor, every man who occupies
any public position in Wheeling, has ia.
ken an oath TO support this restored
Government Of Virginia. When you
see any man who has taken that oath
and hear him mskjng any oftheso obicc.
tionS, tell him that he has sworn to sup.
port this government, as the government
of Virginia, and in doing that has recog.
nised this Legislature as the Legislature
Of Virginia.
But they wiil tell you it is uneonsri!u.
tional because the act which passed C n.
gress was Of such n character that Con-
eress violated the Constitution in pass
Ing it. They will say, for instance,
that it unconstitutional for Congress
TO dictate anything about the new
State. The gentleman who proceeded
me ba answered tha, objection fuly.-
I'hre is State just over The liver there
one of the largest and most prosperous
Stwes Of the Union, which was admitted
into the Union BY "Congrcs,ioual dictR
ton with proviso as to the taxes it
should levy on the Government proper.
ty within its limits, and certain other
measures Of that kind. There was the
State of Michigan, Just the other side Of
Ohio which WIS admitted in the same
way. lfyou will examina into the cir
cumstances attending the admission Of
nearly every Stale ever admitted into
the Union You will find that there was
."dIcIation''-as these gentlemen would
say, or as | would say an exercise Of dis.
cretionory power-and the reverse has
been the exception. So much for these
"ConSiitutional' arguments that you
hear men talk so much about--mon who
profess to have such great love for
States rights and tie institutions of the
South. Why, fellow citizens, you have
just listened to a gentlemen who hes
spent the greater part of his life 20 the
extreme South-who knows about the in.
stimtion Of slpvery-who knows the ad
vantoges and disadvantages of tho two
sys'cms Of labor in our country, You
have heard him speak tonight, and l
have no doubt you have heard men on
the street corner who are very loud on
this subject of "abolitonizing'thc new
State, when perhaps negro never black.
ed his boots in their livos. Laughter,
-