The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-04

VISION taxes place, one ID 70 Do CtllIt
East and the other West, or one is I
be called Old Virginia and the othe
New, there might be less improperly i
1t, for then 1t would indicate o divisio
Of territory. But under any cirCun
stances Virginia Is to retain the NAME
They are 10 be Virginia, and We are I
be Little Virginia, or New Virginia, o
West Virginia, or some other snbrique
which Is TO degrade us in comparison
with them. That iswhat the gentlemen
are driving ut,
1t has been said that there Is to be
difficulty because we have county call
ed'KanRwha; that the State should no
be called by the same name; that Is uR
usual, think the gentleman who en-
ployed this argument is not correct y
this, There Is in the State OF New Yorl
the city and county OF New York,
think in the State OF Ohio an attemp
has been made to build Ohio City, some
where up towards the northwestern
portion OF the State, We have In
dianapolis, the capital OF Indiana; ant
the same thing has been done else
where. Further, that objection is moi
one OF sufficient Importance 10 govern
us in reference to this matter,
We are reminded OF historical assoCia
lions again. The gentleman from Mon
ongalia has told us 1t was the land oil
Washington and Henry, II the gentle
man il going to make point Of that, II
was Eastern Virginia that was the land
OF Washington and Henry; and up
prehend that Washington and Henry,
and that galaxy of patriots, at the same
time they are the most numerous ~ d
the brightest in the constellation that
enlightened our Revolution, arc not to
ho appropriated by Virginia Orany other
State as its exclusive property, These
names are national; they belong to the
Ulited States, OF which we are and will
be n part; and we can clQim MS our own,
and so may every citizen OF tho United
States, l trust, And us for historical
associations, 1t Is no wonder that this
part OF Virginia, u perfect wilderness at
the time these great names were max
ing, should not have produced Il portion
OF those men. But Il has Its ownNhis.
torical associations. II We refer Il think
to Mr.. JetIerson's Notes on Virginia, we
will sec that there are some historical
associations connected with tho valley
OF the Kanawha, (as We call 1t, but rs ho
spells 1t "Kanaway," with accent on the
"Kan" and "way,"
Yet how docs this affect the question
one way or another? Does either name,
or any name, perpetuate or make more
potent those historical associations, the
actions OF which we have all occasion to
be proudP Certainly not.
Hut to come down, now, to the bare
point OF getting a name, ! think 1t Is an
indication or evidence of tho poverty OF
the country to seek to avoid the rule that
has been adopted In naming States else
where. | do not mean poverty in tho
worlds goods, but In Its home literature
or local associations and resources. We
have the names OF all tho capitals in
Europe repeated in this country, some OF
them describing villages with q church, n
blacksmith shop and u dwelling, The
old Roman and classical names arc re.
peatGd In this country; ind such is the
dearth TINT wo huve them forty times
over. Look at the naming OF places, one
after another, Us II hos been exhibited In
this country. We have Springfield,
Mass, Springfield, town Of some note
in Ohio; Springfield, the capital OF Iii.
nois; Springfield, NO., aud so on. Again:
Charleston, s. O., Charleston, near Bos.
ton; Charlestown, in Jefferson county;
Charleston, on the Great Kanawha, aud
there is n little bit Of Charleston some.
where on the Missouri river. And when
you take up paper to read there arc 80
many places Of the same name you can.
not tell what you are reading about un.
til you see certain circumstances de-
tailed, and then you can give perhaps n
good guess that 1t Is not tho one you
Thought II was. Laughter.
This imputation doesn't apply to the
General Government In naming our
ships ofwar. Systems have been pur-
sued which have given them names that
always sound well when you hear them.
Tho ships Of tho limo, ! believe, are
named after the States. Tho frigates, or
another large class Of vessels are named
after tho rivers; and within q few days
We have heard OF tho "Wabash, y the
Niagara" and Others OF those beautiful
names taking their part In fighting the
battles OF the country.
Again, In naming States, new States
have almost always taken their
names from the territories christened by
Congress. A system has obtained, and
has been very regularly carried out, TO
name them from the principal river or
some other great natural feature.
The gentleman from Ohio Mr.. lamb
several OF those names, aud
they have been alluded to by others.
There are several such instances that
have not been mentioned by gentlemen
here. There Is Michigan named from
It's lake, Iowa and Minnesota, and M.
vada and Utah Territories from their
principal rivers. There is system,
then, that has been established, aud one
that has been admired, which gives you
a name that is simply name. II IL not
essential that name should have any
particular meaning attached to IT, It's
q name simply 10 be for use in referring
to, and SO on. We merely ask that the
State may be named, In accordance with
the system which has prevailed since
the formation OF the government, alter
It's principal river. 1t Is true We have n
part OF tue Monongahela> within our
borders, but that runs into Pennsylva.
mia. There may DO other rivers having
thor rise within our bounds, but do
not remember any considerable one.
There are no other rivers Of any magni.
tude entirely within the territory Of the
proposed State. AT the late convention,
In substitute that was offered, was the
name allegheny" The maine OF tho
mountain range was adopted, The sub.
stitute, however, rs a whole, was de-
feated, and when We came into commit
tee tho question was between Allegheny
and Kanawha; and I suppose ! may
state without violating any propriety)
on'aCcount OF the limits we were then
giving to tho boundary, In many places
not touching the mountains NJ all, II
was thought that name would no lppro.
pirate, aud by general consent Kama
VIVA, derived out Of tho general system
that had obtained In tho United Suites,
was adopted.
Idon't know that 1t Is worth while TO
dwell any longer on this subject. wish
II 10 be understood l have d positive OBJ.
lection 10 adoptinganythihg which com.
pols lis 10 attach q Virginia" TO " II
wo could have Virginia hy itself | would
take II and he thankful for II, but II we
must have West Virginia, or New w,
q IL 4 III aaN "A