The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1871-08-03
To the Voters of Mason County.

To the Voters of Mason County.
| Gentlemen: Before take final leave Of
the subject to which I have hitherto called
your attention, wish to place before you
another reason or two, why | think that
the present constitution ought to bc wiped
out; and Ihavc waited thus long to SEQ, il
any ofthc papers Of the State would men
/ ton them; but l believe that neither Of
them have been advcrted to by the papers!
On the 18th day Of April, 1861, the or
dinanco of secession was passed by tho So
cesson convention then sitting at Rich
mond. This ordinance was submitted to
the popular vote Of, the then, common.
wealth Of Virginia, on tho fourth Thurs
day Of May then next following, viz: on
the 23d day Of May, 1861, md was sus.
tained by very nearly ono hundred thous.
and majority Of votes in tho whole State Of
Virginia. On tho 18th Of June, 1861
just three weeks after tho vote was taken
on the question Of secession; small body
Of men met at the City Of Wheeling, and
resolved themselves into convention with
A. |. Boreman at their head! Why con.
gregate at tho city Of Wheeling in prefer
cnco to oil other places in this region?-
Would not Parkcrsburg have been more
nearly central9 Could not Parkersburg
have accommodated such a mere handful
Of men? Surely it could have done so,
but Parkersburg had no convenient avenue
Of escape to tho State Of Ohio, like the
Wheeling bridge; and then in addition to
that asylum of safety, to usurpers, there
was tho contiguity Of tho State Of Penn
svlvania, neither Of which these much COW
eted conveniencies existed at Parkersburg.
Well they met. viii the greatest admi-
rer Of the present constitution?-will the
most bitter opponent to tho call Of con-
stitutional reform convention, please tel!us
who sent them there for any such purpose,
or any other purpose whatever? Was it
not mere usurping body Of men, met for
the purpose Of usurping the power Of in
culcating State division md State secess-
ion; under the promise expressed or impli.
cd, Of protection Of Ohio bayonets9 Where,
when aud how, and by what authority,
were elections held to.elses thsm;sor. .shat
legally authorized budy appointed ,houR =
Well they met, and amongst other ordin.
ances on the Goth Of August, 1861, they
! passed an ordinance stating that ''it is rep
resented to bo the desire ftho people, in.
habiting the counties hereinafter mention.
cd, TO bo separated from THIS COMMON
WEALTH; and to be erected into separate
State" There were but tlirty-ninc couu-
ties named in said ordinance.
On the 10Th day Of June, 1861, this
self-appointcd and usurping body Of mon,
actually appointed the members Of our AS
sembly to meet in Wheeling on the LIST
day Of July, 1861, and to bind you BY the
laws that they should pass They met on
the LIST Of July, 1861, and on the 25th
day Of July, 1861, appropriated $4,000
to pay the expense Of a covention to meet
on tho first Tuesday in August. 1861;
though by the ordinance Of the 2Oth Of
August, SBl, (see "a, section
ofp. IS, oftho appendix to the Acts oftho
session Of July 1st, 1861 the members Of
the convention were not to be elected until
tho fourth Thursday in October, 1861
The body Of men who formed the present
constitution met on the Goth OF November,
1861, and formed q constitution not ac-
ceptable to the powers at Washington city;
and it was referred back to the convention,
to ezpurgato the Objectionable matter, to
suit the views Of the Washington radicals;
and the very particular taste Of their nor
thern co.laborers, in the to them holy @
work, they had on hand to perform, which
expurgation being performed; it by special
allouance became the constitution, by the
votes, Of those that were allowed to vote,
for it; for those opposed to it, in seven out
Of every ten cases, were excluded ffom yo-
ting against it.
A constitution, TO which radicalism
clings with so much loving tenacity, may
emphatically be called constitution cary
n.