Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1865-11-21
,STAFEM ENFS

of tie United States aid the General Az
sehbly of Virginia. asking relief from GER
'tain grievances therein named.
After the passage of the ordinance of Sc
cession by the Virginia Convention in April,
chiefly representing the people of the western
part of the State, assembled at Wheeling in
June of that year, and on the 18th Of that
month by ordinance deposed the State Gov
eminent then at Richmond Six DAYS after
wards viz on the 10Th Of June, 1861, the
convention, by an ordinance, styled Gan ordi-
nance Tor the reorganization of the State Gov
ernment," ordaiaed that "a Governor, LIEU
tenant Governor and Attorney General for
the State of Virginia, shall be appointed by
this Convention, to discharge the duties and
exercise the powers which pertain to their re-
spcctive Offices by the existing laws of the
State &c" The Legislature of the State, it
was also provided, should be composed of
"the Delegates elected 70 the General Assem-
bly, on the 23rd day Of May last, (1S61), and
the Senators entitled, under existing laws, to
seats in the next General Assembly. together
with such Delegates and Senators as may be
duly elected under the ordinance of the Con-
vention, or existing law1 to fill vacancies, who
shall qualify themselves by taking the oath
or affirmation hereinafter set forth" The
oath above mentioned Is in the following
words:
81 swear Cor afirrl) chat will support the
Constitution of the United States, and the
laws mario in pursuance thereof, rs the SUI
preine law of the land anything in the Con-
stitution and laws Of the State of Virginia.
or in the ordinances Of the Convention which
assembled at Richmond on the 18th OF Febru-
airy, 1861, to the contrary Notwithstanding;
and that will uphold and defend the Gov
eminent of Virginia ~ indicated and restor-
ed by the Convention which assembled at
Wheeling on the 11th day of June, 1861"
So that the Government of Restored Virginia
was inaugurated by a Convention which as
sembled at Wheeling in June, 1861, which
proceeded to remove the Executive officers of
the ola State and to appoint others, and to
organize a Legislature from those who, being
elected to the General Assembly ofthc State
at the regular election in May, 1861, were
willing to repair to Wheeling instead of to
Richmond, and - fake the oath of fidelity to
the GovCrris-;t3 of the United States and the
Restored State of Virginia
by an ordinance Of the same Wheeling
Convention, passed August Goth, 1861. rcci-
ting that ''whCrcas it is reported to be the de-
sire of the people inhabiting the counties
hereinafter mentioned, to be separated from
this Commonwealth, and to be erected into
separate State, and admitted into the Union
of Statcs,' it was ordained ':that q Few State
to be called the State OF kanawha be formed
and erected out Of the territory included 7Sith-
in the following described boundaries" The
boundaries are then defined. and the counties
embraced within them ;rc then enumerated:
Ii thc list Of counties thus specifically set
forth, neither Jefferson II II Berkeley county
is included, but in suEsCqUcnt section ofthp!
ordinance the Convention which was author
lied to form the new State, was empowered
to Charge the boundaries first described. 81
as to iEc!';le both these and other counties
The vote upon the proposition for the new
State was submitted to the people of the ter
ritory first named (exclrhive Of the counties
of Jefferson and B3rEcley), on the Fourth
Thursday OF October, 1851, and at the same
time delegates were elected to meet in Con-
vcnton, also at Wheeling ON the 2Gth of No
vcmbcr following, should the popular vote
adopt the project of the formation of the new
State. The new organization was resolved
upon and the Convention selected to form its
Constitution assembled at the time and place
appointed and proceeded with the work as
sigped it. The Constitution of West Virgin
il (w!ieh name was substituted for that of
Eanawha,) was accordingly adopted on the
18th st February, 1862, and ratified by a
vote Of the people, taken on the :}rd of April
of the same Year. This instrument thus
framed, was acceptable to the Legislature of
Restored Virginia, and rs consent for the
formation and erection of tho State of West
Virginia was obtained, ard recommendation
made Tor its ad'aSsion into the Union The
Congress on toe 3lst Of December, 1862, pas
scd the act OF admission nut on conditions set
forth in the said act, Will II. provides s.that
whenever the people Of West Virginia shall
through Convention AMI by a vote to be
taken at an election to be held within the
limits of said State, at such time IS the Cons
veutlon may provide" change its system of
gradual into immediate emancipation. and
that fact shall be certified ''ovcr the hand of
the President of the Convention, +" it shall be
lawful tor the President of the United States
to issue his proclamation stating the fact and
then this act Cof admission) shall take Of
feet and be in force from and after sixty G,vs
from the date Of the proclamation" Yhe
changes required having been made G,ut
whether as indicated by the Congress or nor
cannot be ascertaned.) the President of the
United States, by his proclamation of the
goth Of April, 1868, declared that the State
would become a member CT the Union at the
expiration Of sixty days from the date of his
said proclamation.
The State thus admitted confirms, accord
ing to the act of Congress for its admission
forty eight counties. which are all enrmera-
ted, beginning with Hancock and ending with
Mo-gan.
The Constitution of West Virginia itself
names only torty>tour counties as at the time
Ot'its formation actually composing the State,
(aad many Of which were unrcprescntcd IN
the convention that framed the Constitution
Of the State.) but by a provision of the lst
At. ether counties b. compliance with GER
tam conditions therein named should also be-
come part. of the territory and he placed under
the jurisdiction of the State of West Viz
ginia. Wis provision will be reicrrod to