New-York tribune., 1884-01-14
THE PARrITION OF VIRGINIA..
EARLY HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT.

TFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rEIBUSEl
WHEELING, w. Va Jan. IL" was living
IN the toynof Paramount when the Virginia convention
na,Sed the ordinance Of secession in 1851, sdd e1uoF
ernor Francis H. PierpOnt TO THE IIBUNLs coiIeSpou
ont the other day had been Union man from the
start and there were others there who Thought a. u
but the situation was fnll OF perpexlty
Those who favored the ordinance were already armhg
and organizing at Wheeling Paramount and other points
along the railroad. Friends among them came To me
and represented what they termed the folly OF our resist
ING the decision Of the people OF Virginia as declared ny
chosen representatives at Richmond Union men came
10 me in despair as what their course o. action SHOULD
he A movement to form a government OF cOuhues ~
Western Virginia where the Union sentiment predom-
mated had been talked about hut there were no au-
thortes or precedens for such action the plan wac de-
nouueed as double treason by those opposed TO 1t
treason to the State Of Virginia aud to tue
United states-and the only recourse Heeheu
to be TO submit TO the authority OF
the Iteer Government wait for its overthrow by the
Federal arms In this extremity went into my Office one
dav and ricked up copy OF the Constitution OF the
limited States which was lying the table. opened al
the beginning and began to read 1t mechanically read
on section by section. until came to the clause "hich
guaranteed the States republican form OF govern
mont and rave TO the United states the power to SUP
press armed nsurrection aud rebellion As by lnspra-
tion light which would guide out Of our difficulties
flashed upon NJ 70 and the whole plan O reOrsanzed
Government Of the state subsequently presentedtood
ont before almost perfectly as though 1t had Deeh
written ont on paper down to its mnutcst detail J0hn
Letcher and his coadiutors had practically aDhcated
their Offices by giving in their allegiance TO foreign ana
hostile power What was to hinder the people OF the
state who remained loyal to the Union from reorsanzng
the state Government IN unison with the Federal author
ity.i
"Op May II following there was spontaneous gather
In OF Uuionists al Wheeling which asked the people to
send delegates to convention al the same place in June
went to these conventions and similar ones which fol-
lowed them. found leaders there like the Hon John =
Clrla ellently Senator from West Virginia firmly
welded 10 the idea OF erecting separate State Govern
mcut at once and unwilling to consider any other propo-
sition. such time was of the essence. re-
member speaking nearly the whole OF one day TO Staye
o a vote on Carlc's proposition, and when my voice
failed me- getting floor for OF my supporters. eX-
Congressman Brown Of tie Kingwood District on tue
ground that he held the views myself ana coud
finish nv speech for Finally. rs q sor' % compro-
mi-e, had nv resolutions eneratcl upon 9ltets Whc4
epres ntCd the of the convention, and tie plan
Tne subsequent history OF the movement is tOlarably
familiar. elected Governor Of The TeOrganZed state
appointed June, 1861. AT the next spring election
reelected by popular vote and two wears aerWard
again in the way 10 the office for
tiro, n 70 1875 Meanwhj.e by the adj of Federal
troops had trouble in protecting the loyal people
OF lie forty odd counties which included in the
oroniled Governmrn Of the state The new state move
mcnt again taken up The Legislature of the reor
ganizcd Government of Virginia its consent 10 the
formation Of the state of West Virginia from the territory
inclued in the boundaries OF the old state, AMI after
conforming the conditions imposed by Congress. the
present state OF West Virginia declared to be fully
admitted a separate state in the Union in the spring
OF 1868 and transferred the seat Of government OF
Virginia 10 Alexandria, and subsequently 10 Richmond
The report that Junk dealers IN Philadelphia had re-
Gently offered to sell TO the State authorities Of West Nr
gna the archives OF the restored Government of Virginia
under the Pierpont administration was mentioned.
1t is probably lie, SAID the Ex-Governor That Is 10
saw probably true that anybody has the records
OF Tie reOrganiZed Government Of Virginia for sale some
tIcfnay have stolen some o them and may nave tried TO
ind purchaser for them, but all the papers OF my ad
miGstrljiOn properly lrd IN the office OF the Secre
try or the state OF Virginia, at Richmond, and believe
they are there still"