The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-06-24
REPLY 10 THE ABOVE.

REPLY 10 THE ABOVE.
John s. s. Her, Esq.
DEAR sIR:-I would be glad to write
something esteemed worthy Of preserva.
tion in the corner stone Of your new
building, and had l received your invita-.
tion earlier might have hoped to do So
The charter Of one Of the colonies Of our
country was preserved in the hollow Of a
tree, and why might not some portion at
less. Of the history Of State Of the
Union be appropriately embalned in the
solid rock Of Masonry-an ancient hislor.
ical order, whose rolls and scrolls are a
part Of history itseli, and one that has kept
watch for hundreds Of years over the rise
and fall of States.
1t would be no light task to write such
history Of wes. Va. as would be worth
preserving in your corner stone for
future generations to read. Ishallnever
forget s remark by john P. Hale, when
with others was before the United States
Senate Committee on Territories, of which
he was a member, urging that Committee
to report fsvOrably on behalf Of the ap-
plication Of our people for a new State.
He said that it was indeed 3 memorable
event to see a people taking such a step,
and spoke OF it as something that excited
his admiration and that must always
possess great historical interest. 1t was
the first and i. still the only event Of the
kind that haJ ever eurred in American
history. Nor is /. likely that such an event
will ever again occur, owing to the ieal.
ousy that prevails against increased rep.
resentation in the Senate.
The great argument that carried
through the new state was the antici-
psted etf.ct Of the measure on the Union
cause. l remember a strong appeal by
Gov. Peirpoint on this behalf to Mr.. Lin
coin when the bill was pending before
the Cabinet. l wrote as strong letter
as could on the same behalf TO Mr.. Sew
ard, TO be submitted to the Cabinet. BE
wa. our friend all the time, as was Mr.
Lincoln, and also Secretaries Chase and
Stanton. Montgomery Blair and Attor-
ney General Bates were hotly opposed to
US. It was greatly feared that their op'
position nigh. prevail with the Cabinet
and it Ss, only when Gov. Peirpoint re;
ceived the news on New Years day, 1858
10 the eject that the President had made
us great New Years gift, that the earn
est friends Of the movement were relieved
Of their apptebensiOns. The 1sTEIII
GEscrR issued the news at noon that day
| in an extra under the flaming heading o.
"Glona ia E1eelsis"
wha, gave original strength to the new
State movement among thousands Of oul
people was the possibility that the wal
nigh. not result in the destruction o.
slavery, aud that We would still be left, a
before, the unnatural appendage OF Vir
ginia, with whose people We had neither
lot nor part by reason Of geOgraphiea
location or the character oi our institu
,ions. The new State movement there
fore gave them two objects 10 hope fol
and fight for, viz: the preservation ofth'
Union and Of the prospective new State
There wa. widespread belief, and one
that had been growing for generation
that slavery was a curse to WIT Virgin
ia. The famous Ruffner pamphlet had
educated the public mind TO this end, a
also had the separation Of the Methodist
Church in 1874 on the slavery issue. The
Inequalities which Wet Virginia had
suffered at the hands Of The old State had
been portrayed in the dsblte1 Of the Con
yentious Of 1920 80 and OF 1S5O.5l. Al
this see had taken root aud borne fruit
The ultimate fruit wss the new State
movemen, and 'he enliLm-ut Of 5000
soldiers in the U"ion aFu,y.
No history Of West Virginia that neg
lscts to make prominent mention o
Grafton, and the par, that she played ii
the great struggle, would be worthy Of
place in your corner stone. l have otter
thought Of the day when Col. Latham
who was publishing a strong Union papel
there at the outbreak Of the war, came Il
Wheeling along 9Th VIM. G. Brown, o
Preston, and other prominent citizens o
the interior, to confer with our leading
Union men upon the exigencies OF tn
crisis. ave have come from the noun
tains," said they, Ito see what the men o
Wheeling are going to do" Al that tint
Col. Porter6eld was acting uudsl
orders from Richmond TO hold Graf
ton as a stragetical point ant
Ess gathering 8 force 10 Barbour
Harrison, Taylor and Marion with
that view, It wss seen on both sides tha
Grafton was the key to West Va. Had
Porterfeld b:sn able to hold it the new
State would never have had being. Tc
drive him away at the earliest moment
and get the start oil the secession senti-
ment in West Va, which was the sg-
gressive sentiment, wrsa matter Of th'
hrst concern to the Union people every,
where. To that end Gen. Kelly Ws1 dis
patched with s regiment Of raw troop
from this city by Gen. Mcclellan, and tc
their arrival, first al the "Burnt Bridge
and soon afterwards at Grafton, We may
attribute in a large measure the turning
} oi the tide that made the Union element
the sggressivs element in at least 81
counties Of this State.
happened TO be at Grafton the day
before the battle Of Phillip. When The
/. troops moved that Sunday Afternoon
there was great excitement, Battles wsrt
then unknown. and the rumor. Of an an