Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-05-02
9ailp9 utelIiaeIrfer.

II West Virginia, on tho ReaOIuGIOn
10 Rsjecttho Claims OF AIr, Kitchen
10 = Seat TN conEreSs as . RePEe-
sentative from YIrgInIa.
Mr.. Speaker, do not ,dssigulto occupy
the time OF this House at length; rbuI
would consider myself un worthy to be the
Representative Of loyal aud suffering
people were 'tOirsmain' silent % this oc.
easioni and wish TO call the attention OF
members ofthiS House to some historical
facts from the beginning OF this unholy
WGrnp TO the present time, especially to
those which relate to my unhappy State.
hope You will bear with .nss pa aIently
Uhile haSIsqftoS Rtfe Ibs SeiS6nS 6hyII
consider Mr.. Kitchen, with the other Rep
reSentatiyeS from Virginia, ,tEIflIIed to .
seat on this floor; and 4 assure tyoa that I
am actuated only "; the principles of jos!
tioe and right in making FhisshoEt appeal
for your consideration On this very In 5
porIAnt subject. .-is- 81 JsHhsT "a
10 the winter Of 1860, the Legislaturs Of
VirginiA' passed Gn act ca afttuE eonTel-
tion to assemble in, the city of Richmond
| to cohsider tho relations of tho State to-
ward the Federal Government Seven
States had already by their own act with.
drawn from the Federal compact, and at
tempted to establish separate and iads.
pendeut naIiOnaiily. Tho said act of the
Legislature provided that upon the same,
day the vote was taken for the election of
delegates TO said ConVsntiOn the qualified
voters OF ths State should decide whether
or not the acts OF this convention should
he referred back to them for ratification or
rejection, The question before them was
reference Or no reference; and the people
Of Virginia. so fearful were they of the de.
signB Of the Legislature, aud 80 jealous of
their rights AStreemen. rallied as true pa
! triots, and by n .mnjoriIy unparalleled in
the history OF the StAte, reasaine eighty
| thousand, decided that the proceedings of
the Convention should be referred back 70
them.
The convention met In the city of Rich.
noud in February 1851, and tho devoted
patriotism there shown by q large portion
of our delegates Is WeIIlknoWn to the
country, and the speeches made by many
of them in behalf of the Union tor true
and uuselhsh loyalty equaled the best ef-
forts Of our fathers in the Revolutionary
struggle, and will live in the history OF
this fearful contest tor u nation's lite down
to Ihe latest generAtion.- Many stood firm
as friends of the Union until South Caro-
lima and other States poured thousands of
their murderOuS rAbble into the city, filing
every hotel and even she streets, aud who
surrounded the hall in which ths
convention ~sa held, .IhreaIeuiug,I 70 hAnFI
them il they did not Paso S,Sn. Saif..
conditional ordinance of secssSion Inls-
aud many Of the bravest, who
bad hitherto, 5Sttlsd mAnfnIIy ekainst those
who were attempting 70 destroy. aud blot
cut oreysr from the map Of haifoha t6tS
great Repnblie, qRaiIedf before The fearful
storm which was then tagiSg thfodgho1t
the city like an epidemic, and were swept
infn ha nRo \
to send forth their sons to fight In an un-
holy war against their own countrymeu, as
we'll as to drive the loyal citizens from the |
polls. TO deprive them Of tue right OF suf. |
trage in castiug their votes against the |
ordinance which the convention was com.
PEELED TO pass. Then, sir, had q regiment
of our brave soldiers been sent to Rich /
moUd and ArrLsted the conspiratorS in the |
convention aud protected the loyal citizens |
in the exercise of the right Of suffrage, Vir- |
giuiA would not have bsen the battle |
ground for the last Two years, and would |
this day be considered as loyal as Mary
land, Kentucky, or Missouri.
ItiB a we'll known fact that troops on
their way to defend the capital of the na-
ton were shot down on the 10th of April |
10 the streets Of Baltimore, and reign of
terror existed in that city for. three days,
OQuAled on by that in Richmond; and, sir,
had not Governor Hicks, supported by the |
Federal Government, stood firm aud refus-
ed to assemble the Legislature, thereby
depriVing the SecessionisIs of the power TO
call q convention, Maryland- would have |
been mObbed out OF the Union, aud thou.
sands Of her loyal citizens, as we'll as her
loyal Representatives on this floor, would
to-day feel the same modification that the
loyal men Of Virginia are compelled to en-
Hvae H. - 81. I
in arresting Marshal Kane and the traitor.
ouSIeaders ofLhe secession p tfIy in the leg.
iSlature gave the loyal people of,lhAtS State
tim6'to rally, and Ouce moro rAisstthe in
suited hsg Of our country, which had been
torn down in every part OF the city. The
loyal people Of that State were then per-
mitted 10 assemble free and untrammeIed
at the polls and elect true and loyal men
to office. And 1t Is high qualification, not
only TO the loyal people Of that State, but Of
the United States, TO know that her Repre-
sentattVeB here have done their full duty in
sustaining the Government in its efforts to
end this uholy war, aud conquer q peace
which will be perpetual. t
need not say that the traitorouS Gov.
OFnOr of Kentucky, aided by Buckuer aud
others, attempted to call a convention, but
the members Of the Legislature having al.
ready learned the terrible effects Of 6eces.
sion In the old mother State, where the
brave aud the tras were battling with the
brave and the false, refused to comply with
theiwishes Of the leading traitors Of that
State. Kentucky was held 10 check by her
position OF neutrality until her people saw
and tully realized the designs Of those who
were attempting to disrupt every tie which
held these States together, and the innumer.
able suderings which secession would en-
tail upon them, when they rallied around
the banner OF their county and drove back
the eOnSpiratOrs who would pull down this
temple ofdretdom, and thus saved theh1!.I
selves from the diBhonor Of becoming one
Of the seeded States. O.
The SeceSsioPists of Missouri, also ct;
tempted TO dtsg her ,fdtS taii 9fdhSly con-