The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-08-15
1S6l-lS7l.



Onor about the iirst day Of February,
1861, the leaders oil the aristOcracy Of Viz
ginia, for the ostensible purpose Of deter
mining the position Of Virginia on the Sc
cessiOn question, but in reality TO commit
the State to acquiescencs in the gen
eral sentiment Of rebellion then pervading
the South, issued a confidential circular
to men Of that ilk throughout this part Of
the State, to secure their cooperation in
the movement then projected. The cir
cular was rs follows:
"iOur presence ispartiCularly requested
at Richmond, on the 10th day OF April,
1861, TO consult with the friends OF South
ern Rights as To the course which Virginia
should pursue in the present emergency
please bring with you, or send a luli
delegation, Of TRUE and Reliable
men from your own county, and, II con-
yenient, mid the same object in the sur
rounding counties. -, ,,,,,.
GOu arriving At Richmond, report your.
self and companions to Nat lyler AZ
SpottswOOd Hotel,
"SAMUEL WOODs, q! Barbour.
JoUN r. CHAMBf iss, of Greenville,
CnARLEsF CCLLIER, oil Petersburg
Ions A. HAPLAN, OF Augusta.
ugNRY A. WISE, OF Princess Anne.
ions 4. ANDERSON, of BOtetOurt.
WILLIAM H. GORDON, Of Albemarle.
Tu0s. j. RANDOLPH, OfAlbemarle.
JAMES W. SHEBPEY, Of Smyth."
That caucus met, and Virginia was
soon engulphed in the general whirlpool
of secessiOn-furnishing troops, ammuni-
ton and means to the support Of the Con.
federacy. The UniOn.loving people of
Western Virginia did not acquiesce In the
action Of the "true" and "reliablsn men at
Richmond, nor did they appreciate the
position in which they found themselves,
"in the present emergency" And they
accordingly inaugurated a movement by
which the ultimate division Of the State
was accomplished, and the new andsepa.
rate State Of West Virginia established.
This did not suit the views OF the chival-
ry; II did not accord with their sentiments
to have the State remain loyal to the gov.
eminent, and ultimately adopt q
mode Of government which, In COM
position and operation, was in con.
tlict with aristOcracy. And it has
been their constant aim TO return the
State 10 its former political position. 1t
suits them better To have strong grip
upon the throats of the poor men Of the
country, and to DO possessed Of power to
enslavO them to ignorance and practical
serIdom. Coming out of the war van
Quished, and with their power broken,
they Immediately set about regaining
their lost ground In some States the
means resOrted To consist OF all sorts Of
hinhnlRm--iBstanccn and OvidOnocn of
which, as enacted In the more Southern
States, appear in an article elsewhere
in this paper. But in all the States, the
most persistent and direct frauds COnsti-
tute the means employed, and In West
Virginia the case Is not dlssimilar TO that
OF other States. The history Of our own
immediate affairs Is known TO our readers.
Bylraud and corrupt means the democracy
succeeded in obtaining control Of the
Legislature; and that body being manipu.
lated by the X.cOnfederates, tho first thing
done was 80 issue q call for o Constitu.
tinnal Convention, This Convention call
was then, and Is now, under the control
of those men whose war record places
them on the same platform with Gen.
Beauregard, the man who ordered the
MOultrie guns to he fred on Sumter in
1861; with such men as Gov. II. A. Wise,
and Others WHO controlled Virginia and
forced her into secession. These men
stand at the head OF the Democratic party
In this State; and by and through the
Convention they hope to control the poll.
ties Of the State to their own profit. 1t Is
not enough that they be privileged to take
their chances with others, on the same
fnniinS. II dUes not SUIT their aristOcratic
ideas TO do this Besides, politics are
always treacherOus, and that course might
be unsafe, And they contend for a law
which will, OF itself, perpetuate them in
power, without giving the voters right
10 exercise II choice. They failed in
1851, rs the result proved they will fail
in 1871.