The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-23

iod Of Special Interest and Intense
Anxiety 10 West ylrginians-HoW
the statehood Of the Young Com.
moawealth Hung in tho Balances.
Times that Truly Tried Mems Souls.
II was Just ~pondering oyer the stir
ring times Of thirty years ago, and what
momentous things hung in the balances
during the Christmas holidays of 1852
lust thirty years ago" said a prom.
inent citizen to an INrKIIioEScER re-
porter who had interrupted his reyerie
with the stereotyped inquiry OF "any.
thing new to-day"
.In what particular channel were
your able thoughts running?" asked
the reporter OF the silurian period,
ancient history being somewhat in his
line.
awell, they were not taking a very
cheerful course. Here, take seat and
a bad cigar and I'll tell You. Thirty
years does not seem a long time when
o pronounce It trippingly on the
tongue, but the thirty years past TO this
state have been more than a cycle, n
form an epoch in our history that every
citizen Of the commonwealth should be
familiar with. When you came in l
wasiust CHANGING backward in a retec-
tive mood and wondering how many
young meniof to-day were aware that
Christmas in 1862 was big with the fate
Of West Virginia-her statehood being
in serious doubt at that time. Not only
that, but the fate OF the Union was in
scales Of the most delicate balance,
which luct1ated by the addition OF q
hair. At that juncture the Union forces
under Burnside had met with q disas-
trous repulse at fredericksburg Com
gress was dissatisfied with some OF the
members of the cabinet and had even
gone so far as to vote a want OF conf.
dence in Secretary Seward. Other cab
met oficers were involved in the dis.
content, and President Lincoln was ex-
tremely hatassed."
sit was a sad Christmas that year in
the north, and there were many house
holds where no Christmas trees were
thought OF, and instead Of ringing
laughter and joyous smiles there were
fearful eyes and Iervent prayers for the
absent father, son or brother on the
field OF battle. The sweet bells that will
ring with glad voices this year Peace on
Earth, Good Will Toward Men were
then, indeed, tangled out OF tune, and
f~teonently tollinp q dirpe for some dead
hero who
Laylike a warrior taking bis rest
With his mLrtial cloak around him.
ttJust think Of it, young man" re-
marked the reminiscent citizen 70 the
historian Of the Palezoic age, who was
drinking in;the rather eloquent recital
with the thirst OF a dry elephant, "iust
think-andI am reliably informed that
you indulge in that luxury in your
lucid intervals-that the young fathers
OF to-day were not in existence then,
andIthat the flight Of time is marked by
the domestic milestone OF a generation.
The young men of to-day who as boys
have recited at school entertainments
Barbara Fritchie' and 'Sheridan's
Ride, were born outside the pale OF the
awful strife of the rebellion"
Tell me about this critical point IN
the states history you have referred
to- interrupted the repoEtorial audi
3ence.
eCrftical it was indeed" proceeded the
orator, with a new light shining in eyes
Inst dimming by tho ruthless touch OF
ages finger. "You know, or. ii you
don't know, it is a fact all the same,
that a bill for the creation OF q new
state had passed both houses OF Con.
rress, butt not without strong op.
position. In fact it was kicked
and bufieted about in the house OF its
supposed friends, having hurled against
It the eloquence of John S. Garlic, OF
Glarksburg, then a senator from the
PROFESSIONALS state Of West Virginia. His
course was remarkable and savored of a
certain transaction in which thirty
pieces o fsilver and a subsequent suicide
were involved. Garlic was a brilliant
man, and one OF the most eloquent
speakers of his day, but he was weak
kneed. He was afraid the Union was
about totterfng to its fall; and, indeed,
itlooked very dark then, and he was APP
prehensive that II the Confederacy con-
quered he would be hung as q traitor.
However, the Union patriots OF those
DAYS kept hammering at the doors OF
Congress audlthe white house for ad;
mission and shelter meath the folds OF
the stars and stripes. AS / said the bill
bad passed Congress, and the burning
question was, "Would the President
siri the bilt?" Some Of the friends OF
President Lincoln said that he would
not sign the bill, but allow the ten days
limit to elapse without a veto, thus per-
hitting the bill to become a law by
limitation. An anecdote related at that
time was that Senator Garlic visited
the President Immediately after the
passage Of the bill aud said: Now
Mr.. Lincoln, you must veto that bill
"tWelI,' said honest Abe, with the
least suspicion OF humor, IA toll you
whatTl III do. I'll split the difference and
say nothing moro about it Right neat
In the President, wasn't itp The peo-
pie OF the state wero confident that the
President would sign the bill on Christ
mas and by that act give the loyal West
yIrginians avery acceptable and sea.
sonable gift. But Christmas passed
rlo6mily without that expectation be-
ing realized. II was a inomentous time
To the people OF the state, and many
were fearful that the dreams Of a separ.
ate stale government would not be real.
fSad. The days rolled by Slow
" enough then in deep anxiety. New
Years 1868 dawned, and the sunset
81 that day was glorious indeed, for be-
fore the shadows began to deepen.the
49,