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

ms having secured an appropriation o.
a few thousand dollars to aid in the con,
struction of a mud pike, thought him.
self entitled to the civic wreath, and or
the highway to popular favor and es.
teem; although in thus procuring q
miserable bounty for his section, he
had to combine with eastern members,
and vote magnificent sums to cherish.
ed schemes OF eastern ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
l. These things had been a matter OF
great irritation to the people of the
west. The public temper was in nc
\ am1able mood; the bearing of the east
towards the west was always of an af-
fected, supercilious superiority, and
had been carried SO far that they had in
lcontemptuous derision denominated
the citizens of the latter as, s'the peas.
antry of the west" Smarting under
these accumulated grievances, it is not
dih1cult to account for the storm of op-
position that swelled up from the peo-
| Ples when their faithful deputies to the
Richmond convention, returned one by
one In rapid succession to their several
counties, bearing in their pale, discon-
solate countenances the marks of the
| terrible struggle through which thew
| had passed. When too, they listened
to their stories of fraud and violence
and heard in detail the means by which
u was designed to transfer them to the
horrld embrace ola government found
ed upon an institution which had for
three generations ground them beneath
ltS iron heel, all the remembFances OF
their past wrongs rose like a torrent OF
their mountains long pent up, and over
!eaping every Obstruction, burst forth
In one prolonged shout OF defiance.
As yet it was not understood in what
mannerthe Federal government would
aid loyal citizen in States or
parts of States assuming to act un-
der secession; still the determine
tiOn OF this people was to resist the se-
cession movement of Virginia, against
the whole power of the Confederate
States; and failing in this, they would
gather up the wrecks of their fortunes
and their household gods, and aban-
doning every other interest, and seek
distant homes in the wiIds of the far
west, away from the hated influence of
their lifelong foe. Loyalty to the gov
ernment of their fathers was deeply
Implanted in their breasts, and they
turned toward the old flag with a glow
Ing pride in its memories, instinctively
divining that beneath its folds liberty
dwelt in conscious strength and re-
pose.
They early gave an indication of the
state of their feelings upon the ques-
tions which began to agitate the coun-
try after the election in November
1860. The first meeting that was held
to express the sentiments ofthe people,
took place in Preston county, on the
18th day of November, 1850, Men of
all parties participated in the proceed
ingss The partizans of the two Demo-
cratic candidates, who had waged a
furious warfare but one short week
previously, met in honest and earnest
council to give expression TO their views
upon the result of the late election, and
the questions that were rapidly assum-
ing dangerous tendency hereunder.
The supporters of the Bell and Everett
ticket Joined in the deliberations, and
the few but independent and active adj
herents OF the successful party added
their voice. After little delay and no
discussion, so unanimous were men of
all parties, that they passed a series of
resolutions strongly opposing secession,
and declaring that any attempt upon
the part of the State to secede, would
meet with the unqualified disappraba-
ton of the people of the county. A
meeting was held in Harrison county
on the 24th of November, under like
circumstances, which declared that the
people would first exhaust all constitu-
tional remedies for redress before they
would resort to any violent measures !;
that the ballot box was the only medi-
um known to the constitution for re-
dress of grievances, and to it alone
would they appeal; thatit was the duty
of all citizens to uphold and support
An, assemblage of people at the Court
House of Monongalia county on the
26th of November, in which the ac-
knowledged leaders of all parties took
part, unanimously resolved that, the
election of the candidates of the Repub-
lican party, did not Justify secession,
and that the Union of the States was
| the best guarantee for the present and
future welfare of the people.
The people of Taylorcounty, at their
| Court House, on the Sd of December
following, resolved that they were OPP
posed to taking any steps looking to n
dissolution of the Union for existing
causes. A large meeting of citizens in
| Wheeling, on the 14th of the same
month, passed resolutions of,like i'm
| port and Significance. Indeed, through
out the western counties, such meetings
were generally held, and subsequent
events proved that they were not the
ordinary concomitants of political or
partizan machinery, but they were the
expressions of a people with whom
| fealty, in a republican government,
meant an aequiescence in the will OF
/ the majority, wheE that will was ascer-
tanned in the mode prescribed by the
organic law, and on the maintenance OF
which principle the whole structure
was founded.
When, therefore, it became no longer
a matter of doubt, that the convention
had passed an ordinance of secession,
and the people were forced to choose
their position; when actual hostilities
i had commenced, and words of depre-
cation and resolutions declaratory ol
4 sentiments were no longer available,
| there came over the people that feeling
4 which generation experiences but
once, and few centuries have ever seen
repeated. II was that grand upheaval
of all that is good and evil in mankind,
so strangely intermingled that none
can tell where one begins and the other
| ends, as The radiant beams OF setting
4 sun falling athwart passing angry
| cloud i1umines the whole in indetin-
Il able mRgnihcence. Men looked in each
others faces for confidence and direc-
ton, and found only those indications
which were the mirror of their own
I breasts. But high over all and written
Il on every countenance was the spirit OF
| determined resistance to the action OF
the convention.
1t was then that series of meetings
commenced, which has had no parallel
In history, except the almost continual
! sessions OF the citizen assemblies dur
ing the early part of the French Revo-
lutionj and this too, in a sparsely settled
country, where facilities for conyening
were of the most primitive character.
/ The earliest and first of these meetings
was held at MOrgantown, on the night
of the 17th OF April, 1901, the day the
ordinance, Of secession passed. The
temper of the people was not 10 be mis-
taken; the most violent sentiments OF
4 the orators were the most Vehemently
/ lapplauded. The meeting solemnly re-
solved that, the time had come when
every friend of the Union should rally
to the support of the aag ofhfS country
and maintain II under the most adverse