The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-10-02
WHOLE NO.7l6.
From the Wheeling tvuJ lnteligenccr.
Progress in the Border States.

Slavery is going out rapidly in the old
places where it go lately held sway. Not a
foot Of new territory Is it getting-not a
foot will it ever get. Its day is over and it's
race is run. Henceforward it's destruction
will be very rapid. Every border State is a
new missionary ground where the people
turn about vindictively and aveDge on tho
institution all the despotsm they have suf-
fered at its hands in times past, including
the scourge and curse Of secession. Before
this war Is over it will be found that the
most relentless foes of slavery are the peo-
pie OF the border States. We doubt wbetb-
or there is a people in the Union to-day who
moro heartily de,est slavery than the peo-
pie of Wes, Virginia. They are long ways
ahead of those who fatter themselves thoy
are representing public opinion. We be-
ieve that If it was left to the people of
Western Virginia to say whether slavery
should not be wiped out at once all over
this Union, that their overwhelming verdict
would be, "wipe the accursod thing out"
The people of West Virginia owe it nothing
but detestation. All the days of our lives
il has been nothing but a despotism over
our minds, blood sucker on our p-osperi-
ty, and clog ard hndrance q shame and
a disgrace. 10 all our relatioDs of life. We
never had anything but fs shadow among
Us here in Wost Virginia, yet look how bleak
1t has left everything now that the shadow
has been lifted. Look at our sparse popu-
lation, and bow back war d and ignorant it 10.
Look how more than western, N everyth thing
like progress, the interior is. When We
think Of what We ar0 after our long night
Of slavery, and What we might to day have
boon, bad we~pever been cursed with it, is
it any wonder that tho people want the curse
extirpated from the land 1t is a philoso-
ply easy to be understood why such men
rs Gov. johnson abomnate slavery. Men
Who have felt its dspotism over themselves
and those around them, such as nil men
have in the Slave States who dared to ques-
tion its sway, cannot do else than abomi-
nate it. Several years ago an article, con-
tending for the freedom of speech on the
slavery question here 10 our midst. came
near cosiing US the destruction of our es-
tablishment. Many times We have been
threatened by mobs for showing the figures
and facts as between West virginia aud our
Eastern Virginia masters. Many men who
, would be ashamed to be remembered now
0 OF their conduct, warned US that we were
o undertaking a hopeless task in calling for q
o redress OF our grievance in the expected
II Convention of 1865. Our first article on
10 the new State question, IN December, 1860
n when the Richmond papers were advocating
u secession from the Union, called down or
v our heads . torrent OF abuse such as per
i baps never fell upon journalists in this OF
y any other Common wealth. The files of the
j. Wheeling Union will show editorials ant
!. communications for q full mon th 10 reply
}. Every little cross roads meeting of the De
!; mOcracy, as secessioniats then called them
}. selves, spit their FIRE at us, and even Alber
c GalIatin jenkins, ct Washington City, in th,
;. columns of the National Inieiiigencer, ano
r Charley Russell in the Richmond papers
N and Joe Pendleton, kidwell, Neeson ant
tho rest. on the stump, poured the hot sbo
D into us. Those days have passed away ant
II the looked for days Of 1865 have not ye
s, come. Yet see the situation! Many time
lg more than We over expected or even askc,
ID for from that Convention of 1865, have becl
l.. obtained in l863-two years in advance =
1t Who would have believed it possible VIII
70 says there has not been progress And wh
" thinEs that this progress will stop with US
D. Such an idea is vain delusion. The sam
10 secession that unIoosed our bonds aud free,
t. us from the despotism of slavery, is now un
n loosing the bonds of the people of Tepnes
% see, OF Kentucky, of Maryland. Missouri
J. has dsengsged berself She will not wal
W even until 1870, the time set by her frs
ID Convention for the extinction of slavery
Is She has called another Convention and d,
b. nanded immediate emancipation. VIII
to doubts the end He is poor reader
I'd the past who believes that there is nov
in any where in these States, q salvation f,
d. slavery.