Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-09

sasassa
OF the restored goUHameat Is hs gouThmsat
Of VirqiniG, in the summer Of 1851 and In
the approval of the act Of admission of the
new State Of West Virginia, in '63. II re-
eeived the assent of the legislative depart
ment in the admission of Senators Garlic
and Wiley, who were elected by the loyal
Legislature, or the Legislature of Virginia,
in '6l and in the admission of the new State
in '63 and of the Judiciary department in
the direction given by Chief Justice Chase,
to call the State of West Virginia, in calling
over the States at the opening Of the court
over which he presides.
1t is perfectly manifest that starting with
the acknowledgment of the validity of the
restored Government as the Government Of
/ Virginia, its Legislature was competent to
do anything that the Legislature of Virginia
might do, even consent TO the formation of
a new State out Of a portion of its territory;
| and, as We must now secure to ourselves the
protection Of civil Government, and of law,
| by the extension of this restored Govern
l ment, through the action Of that class OF
| our people who are willing TO receive the
II
eral Government, by renewing their allie
glance thereto, under the solemn sanction
/ of an oath, we dare not call in question any
of the prior acts of this Government, that
have thus received the sanction of\the Fed
eral Government, in all its coordinate de-
partmentS. 1t will be remembered, also,
that showed in my last that all the princi-
pies involved in the validity OF this restored
Government had received the sanction of
the "Confederate authorities" not less di-
rectlv and unequivOcally than that Of the
United States Government.
These being the facts in the case, the
State OF West Virginia could only be Obite-
rated, if at all, by the act of the Legisla-
lures of the two States, first, in giving their
assent, and then by the action of the people
of West Virginia, in electing TO be attached
10, and become part OF, the State of Yir-
ginia.
presume it is to such action as this that
Mr.. Wickham looks for the contamination
of his ardent desire TO see the State restored
IN its entirety, as il was before the war, as
he saws ssthe cause which led to this Separa-
ton having been removed" he thinks the
people Of the new State will desire TO come
back.
/ appreheud this view will be found to be
very erroneous, as the desire Of the people
of West Virginia tor a separate State eX-
istence is not Of recent origin, and may be
very readily traced, amongst other things,
TO causes that can never be removed by
man, and that cannot even be Obyiated with
out great expense. | allude, of course, TO
the complete geographical isolation Of the
trans-Aneghany region from the Eastern
portion of the State. The mountain ranges
by which we are separated have thus far
proven an ctteCluGl lar tu commercial INTEL
course between the two sections of the
State. The rivers Of the new State all run
westward, and her trade must follow their
course. The only railroad of the new State
leads her people, not to the State of Viz
ginia and its capital city, but to another
State, and 10 a real commercial, metropolis
and thus il appears that, for all commercial
purposes, the State OF West Virginia is
as nearly related to Canada as TO Virginia.
Again, We must not shut our eyes to the
fact, that the organization of this portion
of our State into a new, and free State,
has Already impaired to that region a new
and vigorous life, and growth. The intelli- |
gence of the country has been directed TO
the great number and variety of valuable |
mineral and other resources Of the State
Capita. and enterprise are being actively
and largely employed for the development |
Of these resources thus increasing the |
population and wealth OF the State in a
very rapid ratio. Starting without any
public debt, and being guarded in her fun
damental law against the formation of one,
taxation, both present and prospective, is
c imparatively almost nominal. In view of
all these considerations it is but natural to
conclude that even if the people could be
made to forget all the old causes for dissat-
isfaCtion OF a political nature that existed
prior 10 the war, as well as those to which
The war gave origin, self-interest alone
would, in all probability, prevent the PEG
pie from ever electing to reunite with the
Old State. A NIRGINIAN.