The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-08-26
President w. X. Pendleton's Adj.
dress in Philadelphia Before
tho West Virginia Centennial
Cntftu1iSsiOuerS,h

Commissioners.
President W. K, Pendleton, Of Bethany
College, who was deputed to deliver an
address before the Centennial Commits
sionera for West Virginia, at Philadel-
phia, performed that duty on Thursday,
His address was mostly devoted to a
geological, neurological and agriculture
al review Of the resources Of tho State.
lie opened it by making the following
very apt scriptural quotation:
~ cannot better introduce 10 you the
State Of West Virginia than by adopting
the description OF Moses, the great law
givers to the Israelites, concerning the
land to which he was conducting them
blythe weary marches Of the wilderness:
at is a good land n land OF brooks OF
water, OF fountains and depths that
spring out OF valleys and hills; a
land ofwheat and barley, and vines, and
tigtrees, and pomegranates; a land oil
oil, olive and honey; land wherein
thou shalt cat bread without scarceness,
thou shalt not lack anything in il; land
whose stones are iron, and out Of whose
hills thou mayst dig brass" (DeutS 8. 10y.
This may seem like u poets ideal OF q
land fitted by nature for the home OF a
chosen people, but 1t was realized, we are
told, in the land Of promise, and, 1t is
wonderfully descriptive Of the young and
growing State which I am here to repre-
sent. t!IlG i4#H. ~ j 81
After an exhaustive review OF the re-
sources Of the State, President Pendleton
alluded to the backward condition Of
our manufacturing industries, saying,
among other things, that thus far
"more than 40 per cent Of all the reported
manufactured values Of the State arc
produced in the city OF Wheeling"
The close Of his address is devoted
chiefly to areview Of the political history
OF the State. From his remarks on this
branch OF his subject We make the follow
ing extracts:
tits not within the scope Of these ad.
dresses, as understand the wishes Of the
managers, to discuss the civil and polii-
cal history Of the State, and I must con-
tent myself with only so much as may be
necessary TO u just appreciation Of her
economical relations. She is, compare.
lively, q new State-the child Of revolu-
tion-the only good fruit Of secession.
We do not undertake to vindicate the
constitutionality OF the methods by which
her separation was effected. We recog.
niLe the fact and accept ia confirmation,
II not BY right Of legal forms, still by the
higher authority Of the will OF the people.
Great questions, for which the wisdom OF
human constitutions has provided no
tribunal, come, at last in case OF irrecon-
cilable conflict, to the arbitrament Of the
sword, and It's decision is supreme. So
on the ..
2QrH DAY OF JUNE, 1868,
West Virginia took her stand among the
States, a new member Of the greet sister
hood, with territory, such as we have
described, Of 10000 square miles and .
population, including Jefferson and
Berkely counties, afterwards added, OF
376,6SS souls, by the census OF 1860. The
preliminary steps to this Independent and
sovereign relation were few and rapid.
On the 10th OF April, 1851, the "Ordi-
nance Of Secession" was adopted by the
convention OF Virginia at Richmond.
April 22nd, 1861, a large and excited
meeting Of citizens convened in the Court
House at Clarksburg and adopted reso-
buttons denouncing the act Of the conven-
ton at Richmond, and recommending
and appointing counter convention of
"the people composing the counties OF
Northwestern Virinia," 10 be held at
Wheeling, May 18th, 1861. / In response
to this call, delegates from twenty-five
counties met on the day designated, and,
after due elaboration, appointed another
convention, to be: composed Of all the
counties ofVirginia adhering to the Ma
tional government to convene also at
Wheeling, June IL. Delegates from four
~ counties reported 10 this convention,
and by,it instituted what was called the
''ReorganiEed Government Of the State OF
Virginia" with Hon, +. II. Pier
point in the Executive chair. 1t
declared the SActs of the Virginia
Convention "without authority and
void" and vacated the Offices OF all
who adhered toit. These 40 counties con-
tanned but small part Of the population
OF the State Of Virginia, and the dele
gates from many Of them were in no true
sense elected by the people. Neyerthe-
less they were strong and fixed In their