Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-01-01
OUR COUNTY STATUS.


OUR COUNTY STATUS.
The Wheeling Rcyister-which, by the
way, is one of our most valuable contempo-
raries-has taken the occasion of the service
Of the writ, of the U. S. Supreme Court at the
suit of Virginia VS.. West Virginia, on Gov
ernor Boreman and Attorney General Max
well, to indulge in some words of caution 10
the new State. It frankly says thatits State
is in somedanser of losing two ricl and pop
ufous counties and Jefferson; and
advises its State government to look the mat
ter fairly in the face; and prepare to meet the
issue. Irpubiishes the bill filed by Judge
Curtis and, in calm and temperate notice of
the points raised therein, says that if the
facts set forth by Virginia eau be proved,
they present some ugly looking barriers to, tire
claim of West Virginia.
We assure our friends of the Register. that
there is not one single statement made in
Judge Curtis's bill that is not absolutely true,
and capable of being sustained by indisputa>
bic evidence-unless it be, that Gov PIER
pont was imposed upon by "falsc representa-
tions and suggestions" This is the Govern
or's view of the case; and is, probably, to be
taken as correct; but we incline to the opin-
ion that the Governor was not imposed upon,
but was we'll aware of the fraud which was
committed. Certain it is that his course sub
sequent to his certifying the election as cor
rect, and according to law, has been such as
to convince the most sceptical amongst us that
his most ardent desire was to see this county
and Berkeley detached from the old State,
with which he has not the slightest affinity
not even that of residence, and added to the
territory ofthe new State as the richest Jewels
In its-crown. BE the fact, however, as it may,
the value of the point is not Affected
Whether Gov. Pierpont was imposed upon by
false suggestions, or was a particcps crinainis
in the fraud, will not alter the point immedi-
ately involved. No expression of the sense
of the voters of the county was ever had, as
was required by the originating law. Ind, cd
those are facts not mentioned in the bill filed
iHthe Supreme Court which could be proved
and which would convince any fair and unpo-
litical tribunal on Garth that this whole trans
fermas conceived in fraud, carried on in fraud.
and brought forth in fraud At Harper's
Ferry, one of the two precincts, at which
polls were opened, out Of the eight in the
county, we are assured that there was not
even semblance of fair election; that the
federal soldiers there stationed-not residents
either of county or State, voted as they chose,
and that the polls were actually in tLcir mill
tary possession for a time during tho day of
election. And''at Shepherdstown, the only
other election precinct at which there was
any poll orany notice of election, there was the
- merest farce played by those who had the
swlndle III their safe>keeping. There were
two men conducting the polls. and neither of
these were frce-hOlcIcrS, as the law required
them to be. During the day, ''betwecn the
hours of sunrise and sunset" as the law also
requires, there were but eighteen votes pollcd
giving majority of sixteen for the trans
fer, 1t is true, that after night, the polls
we're re-opened at the postoffice, where some
forty odd votes were cast in the dark for the
transfer
Yet with all these manifest violations of the
law, bbthgeueraI and special, there were ac
cordlng to the Baltimore american of that
date, but ninetyone votes cast in favor of the
transfer in the whole county, county capa-
BILE of voting upwards of eighteen hundred
As an Offset to this less than hundred votes.
there were last year, over twelve hundred
voters petitioning Congress not to sanction
the transfer; and we are satisfied that this
number, although it is about two thirds of the
voters of the county, can be increased two or
three hundred. In other words, the great
mass of the voters of Jefferson is strongly
and earnestly opposed to " the deep damma-
ton eSt their taking off," is willing to accept
the lOFof Virginia, no matter how bitter and
humiliating that may be made by the intense
radicalsm of the present Congress, and those
party leaders who are aiding it in its effort to
assume the imperial purple.
- Several prominent Democrats, imelMd-
ing Charles O'Conner, Amasa j. Parker.
RSobor5 0'Gorr,o, ouJ oil o.. oolIo,l ,,,,,,