The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1865-01-19
OUR TERMS.
WEST VIRGINIA SLAVERY.

Constitution reads as iollows:
"The children of slaves born within
the limits OF this State after the fourth
dsyolIuly, eighteen hundred and Elk
ty-three, shall be free; aud all slaves
within the said State who shall, at the
time aforesaid, be under the ogo of ten
years, shall be free when they arrive at
the age Of twenty-onO years; and all
slaves over ten and under twenty 'ons
years, shall be free when they Orrive at
the age Of twenty five years and no slave
shall be permitted to come ioto the
Stale for permanent residence therein"
We submit 10 the consideration Of the
Legislature just convOning, whether
the stale of the coon,ty has not 20 chan.
ged since the adoption Of our New State
Constitution, rs 10 do mand the immrdi
ate passage Of n statute declaring The
tothl and immsdisle pbohuon Of the
remnants Of slavery lett us BY the fun
damsutal law. The Constitution SO
far abolished slavery 10 this State, as
10 render for US. tho institution under
existing circumstances, not only pro.
ftsss but burdCnsome. We have
noW-lhe shadow without the substance
the name without the advanwges for.
merly attaching 10 the institution. AS
the case now stands, we hold en- anama.
lous poSition-our State is nsither free
nor slave State, Unforlunately,w we have
juat enough of the institution remain
ing to clogg the wheels ofOur advance
menl as a free State, without any com
pepsatiOg advantages. Ii is notorious
that no adult slave remains in our State
except VI choice. The belisf is unirsr
sal with all old enough to comprehend
the situation OF affairs caused by the war. ,
that they are in fact free, and can leave
their masters if they prefer 10 do SO. -
AS matter of fact, thousands that were
at the adoption Of our Constitution. e.
gally held as slaves, have, in defiance
Of the authority both Of their masters
and the organic law, become to all in
tents and purposes, absolutely free. In
some instances they remain with their
owners at certain stipulated wages; but,
in most cases, have abandoned home and
its associations and fed 10 Ohio. We
have never yetheari Of a sim gle instance
Of their forcble return to their owners,
either when remaining in the ncighboT.
hood or when abandoning the Stale
1t is thus oppareut,that both the organ.
10 aud statute laws leyolizing and en-.
forcing slavery, have become totally in.
operative dead.
Now, viewing these things as above
s'ated--and none can deny their truth
what is the part of wisdom for the
people through their agent-tbe Lrgis.
lature-to do? We hold it an indispu'
table fact that any aud oil laws tia, ate
suffered to remain dead letter upon
our statute book, are inherently demon.
INTERPRETATIONS. Such disregard to
known law, breeds contempt for all law,
and such laws are, therefore, TO be de-
precated, and their enforcement or abro
CATION is imperatively demanded by the
best interests Of society, But not for
that reason alone, or chiefly, do we
urge the nterposition Of legislative
action to remedy the evil,
Notwithstanding the immense drain
caused by the war upon The abIo,bodied
male population Of the loyal States, it is
an unquestioned fact, that there never
has been a period during our history oI
a nation, when the tide orW Western. bound
emigration was as largc as since the be
ginning sad progress Of this eigan,i,
civil war ye. for some cause this cur
rent Of hardy yeomanry, has not beef
DETECTED 10 ana Into this New stOle,-.
Why do these hundreds Of Thousands o
thrifty farmers and artizanS pass thi
virgin State which lays just on the con
6nos oftbOirgreat highwOy westward ant
a.nk ruLure homes 10 Q far West, thou