The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-10-15
Dismenbered virginia.

The Enquirer has an article on Virginia, as
it is, containing q historical reference to the
act of secession and the celebrated Wheeling
convention which divided the State and
whose unlawful acts were confirmed by an
unconstitutional measure of the Congress of
the United States. The facts alluded to and
the statement OF the present boundaries of the
two divisions are interesting as historical
events and should be made familiar to all, and
we condenSe the article for the benefit of our
readers
On the 18th Of April 1861, the Virginia
State Convention, passed the Ordinance of Sc
cessiol, subject to the popular ratification on
che 4th Thursday in May Against the rati-
6caton The Northwestern counties voted
Largely Although outvotetl by an immense
majority they rcpu,'iatcd the "voice of the
people ana reittsed TO acduiesce in its ex-
pressed decision. a convention was called
which lhet at Wheeling aud ordered an cleo
ton to he hrh! on the Sth of June of delegate
to a convention to assemble on the 14th. 1t
IlCb ANU VI 9dbtEttl IL S(-CJllSu Eoiale SONGtU-
ment ion Virginia. They declared it was not
their object to set up new government, or
separate from the one under which they bad
always lived. Notwithstanding this avowal,
they provided for dsllnon of the State. On
the goth of August an ordinance was passed
effectng this measure, The delegates elected
under it assembled st Wheeling on the 10th
of November, to determine limits and draft a
constitution for the proposed new State In
April 1862 the new constitution was submit
ted to the people and declared adopted. The
vote on the constitution was 10, 982 in favor
against GA opposed to ut, in territory which
gave in 1850 in the Presidential election,
44951 votes The so-called Legislature of
Virginia was called together by Governor
aud gave the consent of Virginia to the for
nation of the proposed new State. Ga the
31at OF December Congress ratified this act
with an abolition provso-and West Virginia
took rank as a State early in 1868. The
rape of Jefferson and Berkeley Counties was
subsequently, effected by the consent of the
Legislature and Governor Pierpont, by virtue
of an alleged election in which only hun
dred or two votes were given, the vote cast
in 1860 having been 3,706. The running of
the boundary line between the old and new
States, our authority remarks was one of the
greatest iniquities connected wIUn s1>;a- most
Southmput IN
was invaded and robbed Of nine counties, and
six counties was taken from the Vailey--nlak-
ing with the twenty five counties OF North
western Virginia, total Of fifty counties
Counties were included that never heard Of
the call for a vote on the question OF organi-
ling the new State, and the line WAS run
without reference to the wishes of the people
concerned. The new State has for its west
ern boundary, the Ohio river. Then south
wardly tie Sandy river from its mouth to
Panther creek then the latter to it's source
Commencing these, at the southern angle OF
Mcdowell county, the boundary is to be tra-
ced upon the lower lines of Mcdowell, Mer-
Ger, and Monroe counties, including them
within the new State. From Monroe the
boundary comedies with the Allegheny which
is here the eastern line of Greenbrier and Po-
cahontas countless likewise included within
the new State, to the southwark corner OF
Pendleun county. Hence it turns to the
east and runs SO as to include Pendleton
thence with the eastern lines OF Hardy and
Hampshire counties to the Morgan county
line There it turns east, to the Blue Ridge
aud then with that to the Potomac including
Morgan, Berkeley and Jefferson counties in the
new State The counties taken from tie Valley
are Morgan, Berkeley, Jefferson, Hampshire,
Hardy and Pendleton. And from Southwest
ern Virginia, Greenbrier, Fayette, Monroe,
Mercer, Raleigh, Boone, Logan, Wyoming
and Mcdowell. These make with the thirty
five of Northwestern Virginia, Fifty counties,
leaving to the Old Dominion one hundred
and three counties OF these forty ne are in
tide wafer Virginia, thitty-two ii Piedmont,
fourteen in the Valley, and sixteen in South
western Virginia
According to the census OF 1860 the popu-
latlops of the two States are IA follows, com
piled with care by the Enquirer
Whites. slaves in 1869 Free Cord
Va. proper. .69l, 7G2 472,4S4 $500
w. Va,,u.,,.,,,,3 1855 $40 1881 2'742
United Va. l,Ol7,4ll 49O,8C5 5s,o42
Virginia as now constituted contains :
NNlita 40, ECO ,,J,,ro1 s07 r94 +,t,,