The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-07-17

at hand when the west would rise in
the majesty of its strength and repudi-
atlng its oppressors, would dissolve all
its civil and political connection with
tne east, and remain firmly under the
stars ana stripes.
A resolution of thanks to the men,
bers OF the convention from the county,
1or their hrmneSs, was passed; also that
IN the event of the passage of the ordi-
nance of secession, (which it appears
was not certainly known to have
passed, although SO reported,) the dele
gates be requested to propose division
of the State.
The citizens of Taylor county were
equally emphatic in their denuncia-
non of secession. On the 18th of April,
they resolved in a meeting at the court
mouse, after declaring in preamble,
that western Virginia had no interest
IN common with u government estab-
IiAhed for the sole purpose eofprotecting
ana ProPogating African slavery, that,
they did not recognize the right
OF, nor any present cause for
any State, on its own motion,
to secede from the Union; nor
any cause to justify revoluLion; that
the Government of the United States
ought 70 be maintained and all consti-
tutional laws enforced; and that, IL the
eastern portion of the State should se-
cede from or revolutioniZe the General
Government, they were in favor of es-
tablishing an independent State Gov
ernment lor the western portion of the
state, in which they could regulate their
own Internal affairs according to their
own interests. -.
Actuated by a similar desire and in
pursuance OF like spirit, the people
OF Wetzel county held a meeting, on
the "a OF April, and resolved that se-
cesSlon was no remedy for the evils
which envtroned the country; that they
pledged themselves to oppose any act
of secession which would sever them
from the Federal GoVefnment; that
they appealed to their fellow citizens to
uphold the national banner; and that
strong Ms were the ties that bound them
to Virginia, yet nevertheless, should
the convention by an ordinance of Sc
cesston lin consequence OF the conven-
ton being in secret session 10 was not
definitely known that it had passed, y
force them into connection with the
CUR States, as citizens of Western Vir-
glnia, they would deem it duty to
themselves and pos:erity, to adopt such
means and use such measures as
should result in division of the State.
AS yet no definite steps had been ta-
ken to secure such result by com
olned movement. But the remedy was
soon brought forward by the decided
action of large meeting of people at
meeting was held on the 22d of April,
under the auspices of the Hon. John 8.
'Carlile, the late delegate from that
county to the convention. It was at
tended by about twelve hundred peo-
pie. Alter reciting a long preamble,
declaring the means that had been re-
sorted to by the secessionists to trans
fer the State from allegiance to the
Federal Government to the so-called
Confederate States, without the consent
of the people as wholly unjustifiable,
and as having seized, without the au-
thority of those in whose name they
proiessed to act, the properly of the
Federal Government within the limits
OF the State, and thereby inaugurated
war, the meeting recommended to the
people in each and all of the counties
composing Northwestern Virginia, to
appoint not less than five delegates of
their wisest, best and discreetest men,
to meet in convention at Wheeling, on
the 18th day of May following, to con-
suit and determine upon such action as
the people of Northwestern Virginia
should take in the present fearful
emergency.
3 1t was, indeed, perilous hour; and
1t is not, perhaps, saying too much to
aver that, no other people but Ameri-
cans could have thus passed through
every shade of anarchy with SO great
violence and SO little bloodsned; as no
instances of death by violence, have
ever been authenticated. And it Is, like
wise. a valuable instance to the philo-
sophie statesman, of the superior dig
nifty of human nature when fostered
by the genial and ennobling influences
of republican institutions.
Lest however, all the enthusiasm
evoked by the nature of the crisis,
should exceed the bounds of that holy
patriotism in the name of which men
may, nay ought, TO purify an atmoS-
phere pestilen5 with the odor of treason
and tyranny, by acts justitiable in or
dinary times, but the non-perfOrmance
of which becomes criminal at others,
the really earnest and firm men of the
community, who felt the full force of
the tremendous issues involved, en-
rolled themselves into companies of
home guards. This step produced
something of order in the Immense
fragments of elementary power in
the country. Any attempts at law
lessness were promptly suppress
ed; the maliciously disposed, or
those who gave evidence of Ishmaei-
itish tendencies, and of which every
community has its representatives,
were taught to know that the cause for
which this people had risen, was the
cause of order and law, in opposition to
insurrection and rebellion; that the
faithful maintenance of law was the
life, breath, soul and immortaIity'of a
republic. 4 thJ3
While this was the condition of af-
fairs on the border and in what might
be termed Northwestern Virginia pro-
per, farther in the interior of what is
now the state of West Virginia, the
status was not so favorable to the Union
cause. There parties were more equal
ly balanced and consequently the con-
test became one of strategy as we'll as
actual conflict. In many of the coun-
ties the secessiouists had small major
tiles and claimed to act through the
legal authority of the State govern
ment.i Intimidation, therefore, became
the order of the day, and when this
failed, persecution sought to do what
arguments and threats failed TO accom-
plish. Being SO situated that troops
from the east soon found their way
into them, the Union people were forced
to remain quiet or betake themselves
to the mountains to escape the opera
which seemed to crush out everything
in its path. But whilst the spirit OF
the unlonists was awed, it was not
crushed, and many councils were held
far in the recesses of the mountains,
attended by sturdy band of patriots
who held their trusty rides in
their hands, whilst they deIiberated
related of such councils in the deep
wood, whilst the wary comrades stood
sentinel to warn of the approach of the
foe; incidents and SCIENCES which exceed
in dramatic interest the fanciful sketch-
es OF the novelist, and possess all the
charm and daring of a stern reality,
1t was at such meetings, ina number
OF instances when haunted by the
military and surrounded by the eSpion-
age of WatCaf1l and unralentinu, oiUII-