Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-02-02
4 TRANSFER OF THE VALLEY OF
= VIRGINIA.


rbs subject of the annexation of all the
territory of Virginia West of the Blue Ridge
to the.state of West Virginin has been made
in the Legislature of the latter State
The modus IN quo proposed is to memoir
.l;.s the Congress of the United States to
submi. the question of the transfer to the
,sonle of the territory concerned; thus ignor-
ing wholly the existence of such State as
Virginia, and recognizing authority of
Congress, by process of partition, to divide
tbe unreconstructed States and bestow the
severed and disjointcd. parts on the loyal
members of our great political household
Should this attempt succeed, new feature
Will be grated on the novelties of the times
that Of endowing one portion of the coun.
try with the broken fragments of the other.
For, if it is in the power of the Federal
Government to lay hands on that portion of
the State of Virginia which is West of the
Blue Ridge and attach it to West Virginia
why cannot it transfer the remainder to the
State of Massachusetts,. Mere contiguity
does not modify or effect the principal involv-
ed. The rice fields of South Carolina, or the
cotton fields of Georgia or Alabama would
doubtless be as valuable to New Hampshire
or Connecticut as would the Valley of Vir>
GINA to West Virginia; and if, from dis
tance, it might be inconvenient to send rep
sesentatiyes from these outlying provinces of
the acquiring States, to Concord or Hartford,
the difficulty might be easily Obyiated. They
might send down proconsuls for Governors,
and abolish entirely the representative sys-
ten from the government of the annexed do
main. Such condition of things would be
nothing new to South Carolina, Georgia or
Alabama They have long since become ia
miliar with it.
It is true the proposition of annexation is,
10 form, made to depend upon the will Of the
people annexed but experience has furnished
US with formula to solve the problem how
many, or rather how few of them it will re-
auire. Here it is. IF it needed only 90 vo-
tiers to annex the county of Jefferson with
population of $4,000, how many will it re-
quire to annex the whole Valley of Virginia,
say with population of 10000 or 10000?
1he case Is one 10 WRlcn the rules VI Inc
exact sciences can be applied. We venture,
then, our reputation as prophet in the pre-
diction that, if Congress take cogni=ance Of
the matter, the necessary UOte trtH be found to
accomplish the design proposed. We do not
of course mean to intimate that the people Of
the Valley, gloomy as is the prospect of their
future in the Old Dominion, would rush into
the arms of West Virginia and seek to escape
their troubles in such refuge. But we do
mean to say that the same dexterOus manip-
ulation of the polls which has fulfilled the
purposes of the Radical party on other occa-
s;ors, will be resorted to now when this rich
and magnificent prize is dangled before the
eyes Of its managers, and is to be clutched by
an easy effort.
The finances of West Virginia are not 10
tie most fourishing condition. Last year,
we believe, the expenditures of the State gov
eminent exceeded the receipts; and if, by
the extension of the taxable basis, more money
for distribution among the cormorants who
are feeding on the vital5 of the people, can
be gathered into the treasury and thence into
their Voracious maws, great will be the re-
ioicing of the hungry flock.