The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-03-15
!. 1877 !. ~ Y :. - :.
FREE WEST VIRGINIA.

Fps. Jo:axit: Every nation that hase1er
existed ha. had ita srent leading epachs, in
which the changes we're so great and Of such
. nature, as to settle for all time To como its
destiny either for veal or voc. II those
changes consisted in introducing into its pol.
/! iey, Or system Of government, the principles
Of truth Justice and humanity, and IT con''nee
10 maintain them, its career has always besu
0he Of greatness and glory but i: wicked
Hess, tyranny and in Justice were peEAi'ted to
shape and cont,o oil its institutions and laws,
the rcsitl. has always been That 9: re'rocession'
wriest.chedncss aud ruin. While Rome re.
mained pure, JUS, ind humane, she was pros
petan', powerful aud happy; but when she
became roluptutuf, Proud snd oppressive, her
sulw1rks begah dEenct 10 crur"ble to atoms
her foundations gave xay-liccn,iousness and
dcbauctery seized. hold y: hcf pcOrle--lissen.
sions, T4uarrci.iiss, chickering's. and endless
alterations sprung into existence Throughout
her Lchinions, aud The fearful result, by the
pen IF the historian, has been given to the
world, and her fearful doom should he $tant-
ing monument. iuiperrious to the tooth Of time
to give ligh, md warming to Ms who live in
this progressive Agc Of the world. Whilst the
jews were true to themselves true TO thu great
principles Of justice hcucv"lrncr and Tod.
they rruspcrcd and were HAPPY, and the sm'les
Of an TurProvin: Heaven descended 1pon
them; lint, alas!,, they grew rfdyid, became
naughty md .yrannicnl, and changed the
Truth of God into n lie, and thut moment they
began to decline, God Withdrew his protecting
care from them, and NON :aGy are scattered
amsHg all nat;onS, and are vagabonds and
t, wanderers upon the face Of the cn"if This
would no, have been, il could not have heen'
had this people maintained their ihtrgris! to
God, AMI viu,lcatcd and supported the great
principles Of love and humanity tn Man.
But we are wandering from our subject our
/ object being To call attention /" the sr:nI
epoch in the hist1Y .: pur nphl" little Su'c
Of West Virginia. .-.
She is Free! an epoch that will never hc
forgotten, but will live in the mcmNries Of her
loyal people ns long NJ there exists upon ler
soil yutary OF freedom. or a defender OF the
inaiennbiu rights Of man. She is Free
Thank God and good men tor this triumph OF
right over wrung--this overthrow Of harbar-
ism and cruelty, whici, has forever SET apart
her domain for the erection II the tcEIrlcS OF
liberty. We almos, envy the great and cool
men Gf our Legislature, who have had the
moral courage ~ consumnIaic - n"hlc, q"
just and 40 l;iYaaHc an act. We visa "ur
name stood side by side with these, the fear.
legs volarics Of freedom aud the rights Of men.
lIcnccfor,h the defenders AMI friends uf hu.
manly in crrry age, mid in every Cline, will
rise up and call them blessed, aud Nc doubt
not the bcncdiction Of an approving Heaven
will descend and rest upon them down Is the
latest Lour Of life, anl like the rays thrown
hack hE :hc setting sun, spreading out its
floods Of living light and glory over the
western SsSic:, gons after he has sunk benra,h
the horizon will this. the crowningact Of their
lives, live to bless and happily millions OF
Gods intelligent creation yet unborn. We
feel hat We live in 4 new err and another
world. We look upon il ~ triumph Of the
great principles .of the Christian religion.
40 more will tho slave pen or the auction
block, where human beings were kept and
sold like horses and hogs. aud whore the
sacred rights of humanity arc disrcgarded,
insuled' and tramplcd upon with IMMUNITY,
desecra,c her soil. No moro will the lush Of
the slave drivers whip cut the blood from, tho
ouivering flesh of the dcfenspless female:
No more will the shrieks and sroans Of the
victims OF man avarice and brutal passions,
bc heard in our land. No more shall prayers
ascend 70 :1,e God Of justice and mercy, from
souls struggling to be liberated from the
chains tGd thraklom which mans cupidily
and Unsuitable thir., for g6ll had fastened
upon them, that those chains and that ihral.
dom might lie rem0HGc. Liberty, religion,
education, and the arts and sciences will
have an open door before them, and VIC expect
to zee them march forward uuimpeded IN all
their greatness aud grandeur, blessing, and
ever 70 bless. o.. ". ". II. .
Wareh lsL 1865. ,..... $50. &c.. ..,.i
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