The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-23
FORMATION or WEST VIRGINIA.
seer ia,y Stward's Desire TO Cat Wiz.
ginIa In TwO

seer lazy Stewards Desire TO Cut Wiz.
ginIa In Two.
Alocal writer in enc Of the Washington,
d. C., journals thus tells how the State Of
West Virginia happened to be created. He
says:
In 1862, after the battle Of Cbancellon;
vile, the C~oniederacy was at It's best, and
Mr.. Seward was informed BY his contiden:
tial agents In France and England, and
also by the Roman Catholic Archbishop
Hughes, (who, at Mr.. l.incoln's request,
had made a visit to the Holy Father at
Rome for the purpose Of enlisting his pow.
eriul influence in favor OF the North, that
there was o very strong and rapidly grow
ing sentiment In England and France in
favor Of the recognition OF the Southern
C%onicderacy, aud, in fact, 1t seemed that II
might 0 occur. Louis Napoleon openly
favored II, and sent q special ~envoy-ihe
Duke de Morny-to the Euglish Premier,
Lord PalmerStop, TO urges Cannon action,
When Mr.. Seward learned this he was very
much troubled. He sent for John MinOl
Bolts and other prominent Virginians, and
ksaid:
We must cut Virginia in two and make
a new State out OF tire western part Of it
II the Southern C%onfederacy dos succeed.
the State OF Virginia, as il is now consti'
tuttd geographically will belong to the
southern Confedracy, and in that case il
would almost cut the North in two"
"Why, how is that?" said one Of Mr.,
Stewards listeners.
"I.ook at this map" he replied, with {
great map OF the United States btfore hin
on the wall. "Don'tyOu see that from tht
extreme northwestern point in Virgins
to the great lakes it Ia only about ninety
mil0s?"
Yes, they saw it.
swell, then, don't you STE what / mean
We must take measures at once to make {
new State out oil the northwestern part O.
Virginia, and maintain 1t at all hszudI
against the control OF the rebels. We need
two loyal Senators anyhow, and We can il
this way get them from West Virginia"
That evening Mr.. Seward went over to
the White House and saw Mr.. Lincoln,
He Immediately explained his project. Mr.
Lincoln WAS at once deeply interested. He
saw the force OF Stewards argument, and
while lie did not believe the C%ontederaCy
would succeed, he realized the wisdom oil
foreseeing a possible evil and taking the
necessary precautions against It. In short,
he ordered immediate steps to be taken to
create the new State and have it admitted
into the Federal Union. The military
commanders OF that territory were in
structed to aid in the matter, and the re-
sult was that the new Slate was formed and
| admitted intO the Union.
In Richmond, at first, no n could quite
comprehend what it vas all about. But
one day, in a conversation with Hon. j,
W. Ospertou, oil West Virginia, Mr.. Ben.
jamln's acute Intellect evolved the real
reason. 1.-THE Washington government is
scared" said he, "sud thinks We are going
to succeed. That is why they are 81 anx.
ious about this new State. Why, the Con.
federacy will almost bisect the Northern
Republic il this ia not DONE" He went
directly to Mr.. Davis and explained the
matter, and Mr.. Davis concurred with him
that he had the real reason.