The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-12
Froru the Pitsbtfirgh Chronicle.
The PAN Handle, Question,


We published a very significant item
in the department OF "Neighborhood
News" in yesterdays Chronicle. 1t was
copied from the Wheeling Register, and
it contained nothing less than the
avowed intention of the citizens of
Hancock, Brooke, and Ohio counties
in West Virginia to petition their Leg
islature to be struck off from the pres
ent government of that State, and to
become legally attached to the State of
Pennsylvania. A movement of such
moment deserves careful and candid
attention, and the legal propriety of
the acquisition of SO much and so desi-
rable a territory presents a fruitful
theme for the immediate and persist
ent investigation of our citizens. With
three counties, Astounding in agricul-
tural and mineral wealth, bordering
the Ohio river, and embracing -four
ishing towns and a city of no mean inn
portance, and all of large, susceptible
and already marked manufacturing
resources, the stake Will warrantIthe
closest scrutiny and the issue, we
doubt not, will justify the proposed ac-
ton of the citizens there, and assign
the disputed territory were il legally,
Ito Pennsylvania.
What is the tenure by which Virginia
originally, and now West Virginia.
claims the Pan Handler It is based
far back in the history of this country
on charter originally granted by the
King of England. Let US examine
this little, for if there be a shadow of
right, it is lodged here. Although five
different charters were made to the
London Company that negotiated for
the territory of the "Old Dominion"
there is but one, issued by the King of
England in 1909, that is generally adj
ducSd, as a proof of that right. And
-a that aharfnH ahar ufa III
begone ignorance of Geography, was
superseded by another in 1918, the old
one, however, remaining the basis of
the new. At the time the charter of
1919 was giysr, the impression prevail
ed universally in England that Ameri-
ca was narrow tract of land, in many
respects similar to the Isthmus OF Da-
rien, at which point Balboa had already
discovered the Pacific Ocean, after
crossing but q few miles comparatively.
The charter was issued investing the
company procuring 1t with the title to
all the lands from certain parallel on
the North, to certain parallel on the
South, substantially the same northern
and southern boundaries of the Fir-
ginias, while in Longitude II was to ex-
tend from sea to sea! Events which
occurred at its granting, and facts
which have since transpired, prove that
the impression of the grantor was that
the continent extended westward only
two hundred miles.
Eleven of the original thirteen of the
States laid claim at one time to what
WIS designated as the Northwest Ter
Titory," but the vehemence of Virginia
assertion, and her wonderful flourish
of charters, for the time, completely
dampened the ardor of her more re-
mote rivals, and her coniiguity TO the
disputed territory has ever since been
adduced as an argument in favor of
her understandable claims. The boun-
diaries OF the original grant, under
which she must hold her claim, If she
holds II at all, justly strike OF four
counties In West Virginia, and estab-
hsh the line along the southern border