Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-05-13
West Virginia and Old Virginia.

West Virginia and Old Virginia.
Some days ago we noticed in our columns
a letter that had dappeared in the Richmond
Hhig from the Hon. Williams O. Wickham,
dated at Hanover Court House, April 2sd,
lin which letter allusion was made 10 sep
aratlon of West Virginia from the old
State, and in which also thelhope was ex.
pressed that Virginia in her entirety, as
she existed before the war, might be
brought back into the Union. Some wri.
ter in the Whig, who has since appeared.
has been answering and commenting on
different sections of Mr.. Wickham's letter,
and in his articles is showing up the histo.
ry of the restored, or Peirpoint govern
ment, and also the history of the West
Virginia separation. He is evidently a
gentleman of superior intelligence and
capacity as writer, and has been close
observer of Virginia and West Virginia
matters during the war. The following
is mis- letter in answer to that part of Mr..
WickhAm's letter relating to West Virgin
ia. 1t will be found Interesting:
To the Editor of tie Whig:
Mr.. Wickham expresses very strong
desire, accompanied by hope, that the
State may be restored with its original
limits; or, in other words, that the State of
West Virginia may lose its existence, or be
merged In the old State. PROPOSE now.
to examine this question candidly, in the
light of acknowledged facts. that We may
see what this would involve, and what We
may reasonably expect in relation to it,
said IN my last letter, that the State of
West Virginia was the child of the restored
government. It does not owe its existence
TO any reyolhtio6ary Sneasute, ,buEis q! le.
Igidmate preAuetiou, favin had ia origin,
in accordance With the constitutional bF6s
visions for making new State out Of q
portion of an existing State-the consent
of the Legislature of Virginia having been
first procured-the vote of the people taken
on its formation, and decided majority
found To be in favor of the measure;
the calling of q convention to form
q constitution for the proposed new State;
the adoption of that constitution when
formed by the people, and finally, the
admission of the State into the Unionl upon
the presentation of that constitution. and
application to Congress for admission; thus
fulfilling all the requirements of the con.
stitution, and making its creation an en-
tirely regular and legal proceeding. Again
it must be remembered that this PROPOSE.
tlon has received the assent of every de-.
partment of the Federal Government, It
received the Executive assent in the &C.
kuowledgement of the restored government
as the government o. YiLginiG, in the sum.
mer of 1861; and in the approval of the
act of admission of the new State of West
Virginia, in '63. 1t received the assent of
the legislative department in the admis-
sion of Senator Carlile and Wiley, who
were elected by the loyal Legislature, or
tie Legislature of Virginia, in '6l; aud in
the admission of the new State in '63; aud
of the judiciary department in the direc.
ton given by Chief Justice Chase, to the
call of the State of West Virginia, in call
ing 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, it's Legislature was competent 10
do anything that the Legislature of Vir-
ginis might do, even consent to the forma.
ton of q new, State, out of portion of it's
territory; and, ss We must now secure to
ourselves the protection of our Govern
ment, and of Law, by the extension of this
OF that class of our people who are willing
to- receive. the boon OF citizenship at the
hands of the. Federal Government, by re.
neWipg their allegiance thereto, under the
solemn sanction Of, an oath, we dare not
call in question any of the prior ac,s. of this
Government. that have thus received the
sanction of the Federal Government, in all
its coordinate departments. twill be re.
membered, also, that showed In my'last
that all the principles involved in the va.
+. lidity of this restored Government had re-.
ceived the sanction of the "Oonfederate
authorities" not less directly and uneouiv
ocally than that of the United States Gov.
ernment. a.@ .
These being thea facts in the case, thu
State of West Virginia could only be oblit.
Grated, if at all, by the act of the Legisla.
lures of fthe two States, frst, in giving th ell
assent, and then by theaction of the peo
ID pie Of West Virginia, in eIecting to be et
of Virginia, II % '..' : 90
presume it is to such an action as thiI
that Mr.. WickhRm looks for the consume
} ton of his ardent desire to see the Stat,
restored in it's, intiFety, ,as it was before
the war, as he says "the cause which led
to this separation having been removed, ,
he thinks the people of the new State viii
desire to come back .rt
I apprehend this view will be found Il
be very erroneous, as the desire of tn
people of West Virginia for q separat,
t State existence is not of recent origin
and may be very readily traced, anon
other thiugs, to causes that can never b.
removed by man, and that cannot even b
]. .obviated without great expense. aIlude
of course, to the complete geographica
isolation of the trans-Alleghany reeioI
: from the Eastern portion Of the State
The, mountain ranges. by which We ar
lsepArated have thus far proven an effsctu