The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-11-10
West Virginia.

AMONG the recent affective dispensations
which have visited the Radical party, there
IS none of such curious significance and
carrying such a refreshing moral with il as
the election in West Virginia The histo-
~ OF the formation of that State is suffi-
GENTLY familiar To- all, and there are few
Intelligent persons now, no matter what
their party affiliations may be, who will
not indOrse the verdict OF Missouri emf
nent statesman, Edward Bates. He was,
at the time, Attorney General of the
Cnited States, and in his capacity a. Con
stitUtional adviser of the President, and
legal counsellor of the government. OPP
posed the virtual act of secession which
divided Virginia and erected a separate
commonwealth ON this side of the Ale
ghanies. lie did not hesitate to pronounce
IL IAN original, Independent act of revolu-
ton, and no amount of SOphistical argyll
ment. or outside pressure from high quar-
tiers, was able Ia secure his sanction to
what he believed to be not only
great. but wholly unnecessary
wrong. OF course the pro-
test of Mr.. Bates was of no avail, for there
were two objects to be gained IN dividing
Nirgina-the one born of revenge and
the other of selfishneSS. The Old Domin-
ion had gone out Of the Union, and must
he punished therefor BY humiliation from
which she could never escape COnse-
qu ntly she was stripped of half her ter
ritOrv and shOrn of Il power which had
belonged to her from the earliest settle
menI OF the country But the principal
lnducement for the commission of this
outrage lay in quite a different direction.
Virginia would probably. in due course of
l,ss I.ef.l mi he MI
when there would he more than likely to
vote the Conservative ticket This weight
must be counterbalanccd by the admission
of another State which, from the very ma
ture of its construction, it was thought
would be forever Radical. SO West Nir-
vinia WAS built and launched under
most fiattering auspices, and has per
formed so we'll tor the last eight
years that political Calculators estimated
her loyalty to be - intense and persist
ent as that of Massachusetts, or New
hampshire. No one in the dominant par
Y, We presume, for Il moment suspected
that the new Commonwealth could be So
nnrraicful a. to forget those who lifted her
from the gall of bitterness and the bonds
of iniquity, and turn her back upon the
principles To which she owed her existence
A. a recognized member of the Federal
family. ! ct this j. precisely what West
Virginia he's done already and what there
y an encouraging prospect of her continue
INC to do hereafter Two years ago this
State gave General Grant over eight thou
sand maj ,rity. and elected Radical Gov
error by five thousand majority. Now ii
has gone heavily the other way; the
Democrats have gained their Con
greS>men in the first and third
districts. and have strength enough
III the Legislature To replace the pres
mt incumbent, Wiley, with Democratic
nitcd States Senator But this is not all.
An amendment 10 the State Constitution,
knoWnas the Flick amendment has been
adopted. BY its adoption the large class
Of citizens WHO have been DISTINGUISHED
since the war are restored To- their rights.
and their votes viii hcnccforth he thrown
into the Democratic side of the scale. This
accession of strength fixes the future polii-
zeal Status of West Virginia beyond any
reasonable Doubt. The good old fashioned
ieaven of Democracy. which has accomp-
Hshed - much under such diSadvanta@eous
circumstances. will now sp ediiy spread
through the whole mass and drive the last
p, lies of Radic1li>m from her borders
thus the invention returns to plague the
inventors, and the party which conceived
and executed an infamous fraud. has rcaped
on appropriate reward by contributing to
IT'S own downfall Missouri ReDDI}icg0.