The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-10-04

for after reaching the Blue Ridge, some.
where near Christiansburg, in Montgom-
cry county, there it stopped, although its
continuance promised a greater amount
of wealth and rapid extension Of trade
than all the other improvements Of tina,
day put together. Many persons hold.
inig rigid South side views may cay, How
was it possible all these things could have
been done in one generation of men ?
The answer could he given-iu the same
way as it was done in Ohio and Penn.
sylvania. Yes, but those we're free
States. All there's the bitch ! On this
han gs the secret. Now the apathy or
Indifference which the eastcru politicians
(who really held the reias of Govern.
ment in their own hands, treated the
nuded Interests Of tho western counties
was long considered uni lust, and some
tunes considered tyranuical, for tho west.
ern men, being in the minority, were
powcrlcss and could not help themselves;
it was, therefore, but natural conten-
tious feeling should arise amongst them.
Thus matters stood, if We arc correctly
Informed. about the year 1913, when a
desire became prevalent for q separation
Of the State, making the Allegheny range
the line of division ; the project, how
ever, met with no support outside of the
western counties, and, moreover, was vi.
olcn,ly opposed by the slaveholdIns por'
ton Of those who lived within them
1t is not reasonable to suppose that the
liberal minded men Of the country, men
whose views were for progress and civil.
iza,ion, men who watched and saw. year
after year, the adjoining free State of
Ohio growing in wculth and opulencc,
with one. halfthe natural resources that
that bad at command, should fret and
chafo under the bondage they were held
10 BY their fellow citizens in power; but
50 it was, aud the only consolation they
had was to patiently wait "the good
tune coming" This, in course Of years,
came at last but it cume with such q
dreadful tempest Of human passions that
shook the nation to its very centre. In
April, 1861, Old Virginia seeded from
the Union; its Legislators argued and
tried to convince the people that they
had a perfect right TO DO so; the ordi.
nance was passed, and FROM that day dis.
integration became the order of the day.
The western men, being now left CON-
paratively free to act for themselves, took
up the same line Of argument 80 sedu-
lousy promulgated BY their eastern
brethren, and decided that if the State
of Virginia had right to secede from
the Union, they, the western counties,
by the same rule, had an inherent right
to seccde from the State. The concep.
ton was a bold one, and they did secede
they founded Government Of their own l.,
but their counsels were conducted with
wisdom. They struck out line Of pol.
icy that is to endure for all time. No
secret conclave darkens the 6rst page of
their annals. 1t was clean sheet, with
the plain matter Of fact heading, Know
all yc men by these presents" Although
the first offspring of the revolution, its
people coalesced not With the revolution.
lists. They pcrtiuaciously clave to tho
good old Government Of their common
country, that Government which now
proclaims "equal rights to all citizens,
whatever be their caste or color" Look
at the terrible ordeal through which they
have passed. Four years Of deso1atiug
war neyer dampened tue, ardour Of this
people for single day; they perI'vered,
they fought and conquered but ere the
boom Of their cannon had ceased to re-
vertebrate amongst their rest.clad
mountains their loudest aspiration, wore
realized; they were masters Of the stu.
alton, and they had the proud astisfac-
ton Of beholding their 6rst banner
thrown to the breeze, bearing tho soul
inspiring inscription, The Free State
of West Virgins" Such is brief oOt
line Of the history of tho past, We will
now take view of her
pREsESr pRosrEcTs.-West Virginh
may Justly be called land of bills and
valleys, for there is scarcely I plain one
mile iu width throughout the State it
is, therefore, not al agricultural country,
although many part, are susceptible Of
conversion into extensive grazing dis.
tricts, on which large herds Of. cattle esn
be and are pduccd. Its chief wealth
lies in the abundance of its Minerals
There arc ten prominent rivers intersect
the State; all Of these dov into the Ohio
which forms its western boundary; they
are the Cheat River, Tygarts Valley
River, the West Fork Of the Mononga
hela, Little Kauswha. Elk, Big Kanaw.
ha, Gauley, Coal River, the Guy.u, and
the Big Sandy, the latter dividing the
State from Kentucky. The counties Dor.
dering each Of these streams differ some
what in their respective products and
commercial aspects. The Choat, TJgarts
aud West Fork, which are but large
branches Of the Moneugshels, = river
whose union With tho Ailegaay forms
the noble Ohio, contribute their coal
and iron ores to supply the great iron.
works of Pittsburg;:i. some Of these