The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-14
0heGntelEiQettfer
AND WEST VIRGINIA.

VIRGINIA AND WEST VIRGINIA.
A Letter from Hon. w. T. wiley, on
the RetIinteEration of Virginia.
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. 90, 1866.
To - -, Esq.
Dear Sir: have received the Alex
andria Journal which you sent to me,
containing Mr.. Woodson's resolutionsi in
the Virginia Legislature relating to the
reunion of East and West Virginia. 1
have also read the remarks of Mr.. Gar
nett in opposition to said resolutions.
You request my opinion of both the res
olutions and the speech. Having been
frequently solicited within the last two
months by gentlemen in each. of the
States to give them my views respecting
the premises, shall take the liberty OF
replying to you through the press, SO
thatif my opinion shall provo to be OF
any value, 1t may reach all who have
done me the honor to request it.
There seems to be misconception
prevalent in the country in relation to
the true cause of the division of Nirgin-
in and the erection of the new State of
West Virginia. Itis supposedly many
to have been simply and only 'a war
measure" Every intelligent citizen,
however, in either of the two States
knows that such is not the fact. He
knows that there has been perpetual
strife, between the respective sections
now composing the two States for the
last forty years, and that a division of
the State of Virginia has often been
suggested, and sometimes menaced, as
the only means of fquieting the conte9T
ton. The war, therefore, merely atlord-
ed an opportunity to the people of
West Virginia to carry into effect n long
cherished desire. If this division had
been solely "a war measure" there
would be some force in the suggestion
that now, when the war is over, the in
tegrity of the old State might be re-
stored.
But in reference to the propriety of
the reconciliation of the two States, /
suppose there can be no difference of
opinion among all well-informed and
well-disposed West Nirginians. Nor
do suppose, If the people of (old) Vir-
ginia would dismiss from their minds
the suggestions of passion and the in
fluences of STATE pride, and would calm
ly and nationally consider the question,
that they would desire n reunion of the
two States. Indeed, I happen to know
that many of them are decidedly op-
posed to it; not from any such yindic=
tive reasons as are assigned by Mr..
Garnett, but because they see that sep
aration is best for the interests of both
States.
I shall not have sufficient time Mt my
disposal to do more than suggest to you
very briefly some of the more promi-
nent considerations against reunion.
The two States are geographically
distinct. There never. has been, and
there never can be, any real, harmoni-
Gus, and profitable municipal union
between them. They are, and must
forever remain, physically separated.
To-day, if the people of three-fonrths
of West Virginia were desiruuS OF vis-
iting Richmond, the capital of the old
State, they would be compelled to pass
around through Maryland and the
District of Columbia to accomplish
their wish; and they would be indebted
to the enterprise of a foreign corpora
ton for tho means OF doing it.
There is little or no traffic or COM
merce betweenth two sections. There
has not been any since the system of
transportation by p1ck-horses and
pack- saddles has beenabandoned. Who
carries anything from west of the Allie
ghanies to eastern Virginia TO sell :?
Who brings anything from East Vir-
ginia to West Virginia to sell? There
are and have been almost literally no
business and no intercourse between
the two sections for twenty-five years,
excepting what was connected with
matters of revenue or legislation at
Richmond. There is no State in the
Union which has been admitted ten
years ago of which the people of East
Virginia know less than they do of
West Virginia; and, excepting the capi-
tai of tho State, the people of West
Virginia are equally unfamiliar with
East Virginia.
Let me direct your attention to an
other fact. Let me ask you to cast your
eve over the map of Virginia prior to
its division and see where her works of
{,,fn Inn 1nRatp6-hpF.
railways, canals, or any other character
of Improvement of extent and dignity
sufficient to claim title toa State work.
Where are they2 All east of the Ale
ghany mountains; all within the limits
of the old State. There you find all the
railroads; the Petersburg and Norfolk
railroad; the Petersburg apd Weldon;
the Richmond and Petersburg: the
York River;y the Richmond, Fredericks-
burg, and Potomac; the Orange and
Alexandria; the Virginia Central; the
Manassas Gap; the Richmond and Dan
vile; the Virginia and Tennessee; the
Petersburg and Lynchburg, and others
not necessary to mention, forming n
perfect network of railways all over
Tho old State. There, too, are the ca
mails, the, james River, Dismal Swamp,
.tSc.. the former of which has been like
an inveterate cancer on the revenues of
the Commonwealth for so many years.
AL tneSes improvements Will I!iuHS
others are entirely within the limits of
theold State. Now, what railways or
canals, built on State account, do you
| ind infWest Virginia? Not onet The
boundaries of West Virginia embrace
at least one-third of the whole area of
the old State. Yet we have not a foot
of completed railway or canal built on
State account within our borders. 1t is
well known that we had to petition the
Legislature of Virginia for many years
before We.succeeded in extorting from
it the naked right of way for foreign
enterprise and capital to construct the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad through
the northwest corner of the State; and
that road and the Northwestern rail-
road connected with it, leading from
Grafton to Parkersburg, constitute the
only worlSof Internal Improvement in
our State of any value or conside deration.
do not forget the Covington road.
But what of that Some years. ago
several hundred thousand dollars were
expended upon it in different places;
and, then it was Abandoned, :, before n
foot of it was completed within the
limits of West Virgfnia,l and the labor
and money expended were measurably
lost. Nor do i forget the Improvement
of the Kanawha river, ostensibly look
ing to connection with the James
river canal. these partial and un-
ayailing efforts in behalf of the conn
ties now in the southwest corner of our
State seem only to have been made to
silence our clamors for relief, and to
keep,us quiet while the grand system
of eastern railways, &c, was going on
TO completion. How will Mr.. Joynes,
and ,Woodson, and the members of the
Legislature of Virginia, who seem so
anxious for reunion, explain this
state Of the case? Will they admit
that it was owing to the jealous and