The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-02-05

But one of the main Interests to be
served by the location of the Capital oil
is the future extension of the territory
| the State. Under proper manageme mt
South West Virginia will eventually
come to US, and the location of the Cap
| ital at Charleston, q central position,
| will do much to accomplish this; and
the location of the Capital at the North
| West will retard if not entirely defeat
1t.
Southwest Virginia, embracing the
counties from the Blue Ridge summit
to the Tennessee line, Is in sympathy
| with West Virginia, and is a country Of
great wealth, in land, iron, copper, tin,
lead and salt. The kanawha and New
rivers locked and damned to the North
Carolina line, of which they are easily
susceptible, will afford transportation
by steam ana fiat boats, from the old
| North Carolina State to the Ohio and
Mississippi, and by this connection the
States OF Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia,
North Carolina and Tennessee, will be
| thrown into constant commercial inter-
course. And social prejudices under
| the influence of commerce, in the heart
OF the Union, would give way to sym
pathy, interest and nationality. Were
| there no other considerations in1luen-
cling US, is not this one grand design
enough to cOntrOle our action in this
matter? Wherever the New river and
| its waters run from its head branches
in North Carolina, the highest point in
| North America, TO its mouth al Point
| Pleasant, tbere is common sympathy
of mountain life, and these elements,
| form the sympathies of common Ea-
tionality. it Is the duty of every patriot
| to aid by every artificial means in his
power, and to neglect such an OppOrtu-
nifty is but to sin against our country.
From these stand points, with these
natural bonds of nationality in our
hands, poor as we are compared with
the cultivated sister States around us,
we can do much to give America that
perpetual union which secures TO her,
peace at home and power abroad. If
the Capital of the State is placed at
Charleston, that will do much to attract
the attention of capitalists to the ka-
nawha region, and their capital will
lock and dam the Kanawha and New
rivers under the charter you have
granted. 1t is the duty of the State TO
deyelope all her energies i'll all her
parts.
The northwest has already received
much aid from foreign capital AS to
place her in course of successful de-
Yelopment.
NV section and the section south of
me looking to Virginia since the for
nation OF that commonwealth, has liv.
ed TO meet regret and disappointment.
When we separated from the old State
we hoped for q change. Since the fOrma-
ton of this STATE tho Northwest has
had all the Offices both State and Fede-
raj. You have had also nll the public
buildings and public improvements,
such as the Penltentiary, the Lunatic
Asylum, the Agricultural College, the
Governors and high officials of the
State, and we rejoice that our brothers
of the Northwest were more worthy 10
fill the honors and Offices of the State
than we. But are your lands better
than ours? Where are your minerals?
Where is your iron, your extensive coal
fields, bituminous and camel? Where
are your salt works Your forests OF
white pine, your forests OF ship timber?
Where are your large rivers? l
invite you TO look upon ours! They
are not surpassed! VIII your sons
filling the Offices of the State and
nation overlook our claims? VIII
you? Will they continue to my
section the injustice we have suffered
from so long? Can you not raise your
minds above the smoke of your homes
TO an net of justice TO your whole State?
Are the lessons OF the legislative past
to be re. read TO us, and is it only to the
halls of legislation that we look for
wrongs2 l have nothing to say upon
this question of the claims of other sec.
tions. l urge the paramount claims OF
my own section; If they are stronger
than yours, duty, conscience, country,
every consideration that should move a
manly heart, compel you TO their nc-
ceptance. II convinced you vote against
your judgment, l must leave your &C
ton and your error TO that just criti-
clsm which will certainly OVertake you,
and criminate you at the bar OF your
State and your conscience. Do not think
by denying to my section their rights,
in
territory and natural resources, which
will attract population and wealth, TO
which if you engender HI entagOniSm
as wicked as it is foolish, ono day
your power i'll the counsels OF the Stale
must yield. Better TO do us justice
while we are weak, and SOW in
our minds the seeds OF a lasting graft
tude. There is nothing that so enkind-
les the permanent resentment of free
people as Legislative wrongs. And
nothing arOuses livelier gratitude in
a weak people than Legislative justice.
There is a latent fear in the minds of
our people, that you of the north h-west,
are combined against us. You have
now an opportunity to prove that this
fear has no just foundation. You boast
YOUR railroads; you stigmatiZe our neg
Iected region, TO whom do we owe our
misfortunes7 Will you perpetuate
them by the same course of legislation.
Has the page of history just been writ.
ten across the brow Ofthe old State; and
will you not profit by is teachings?
Was it not one of the grievances against
the old State that Richmond was not
central? Will you now renew that er-
ror? Past Legislatures have APP
preached this subject with timiutty
unworthy the people of this State. The
people demand that their Capital be To-
Gated and built. For five years you
have allowed your minds 10 be innu-
enced unintentionally by foreign causes
instead of the will of the people You
represent.
The people tell us to locate and build
their Capital. Baltimore and Wheeling
tell us TO stand still. Whom do we rep
resent on this floor? With whom are
we trillIng2 Every man here knows
this work ought to be done. l fear
some of us have not the courage so to
act as to do it. The location of the Cap
ital at Charleston will have its intlu-
ence upon the completion of the Chesa-
peake IL Ohio railroad, and when that
is made the connection between Graf
ton and Charleston will follow. Then
will dawn the day OF progress long de-
MED to West Virginia, and then will
the heart of every true son OF West
| Virginia be proud OF his State, now the
poorest, but eventually The richest,
among the sisters. HaVeyou no pride,
that YOU can look upon this picture OF
your State and not advocate it? Is It
not your true interest to be just to US?
II our country grow in wealth and pop
ulation will not your taxes be
decreased? If you grow ana we