New-York tribune., 1895-10-26
WEST VIRGINIA.
A RECORD OF LOYALTY.

Theodore F. Lang Major 9th west virginia pai."
Cavalry and Brevet Colonel Pp XIX. 49, Bai'-
more The Deutsch Publishing Company
Colonel Lang's book is In form history py
regiments and otherwise of the forces contrib
uted by West Virginia TO the War for the Union
But the mere stress Of circumstances makes II
much more than the annals OF group OF mill
tary rganizations. The author has to tell how
West Virginia which had hitherto been no more
than a geographical term. came TO act throush-
out the an independent poiitcai unit
and how II took its place as one of the states.
The narrative is unique In the history OF the
United States. 1t cannot be CLASSIFIED with
the struggle which ended in Virginia giving up
her claims 10 the Northwest Territory, nor YET
with the fighting protest of Ethan Allen ana
Vermont against the pretensions OF Newly orK
State The people of Western Virginia had hVeo
for many wears under the Constitution and their
discomfort had never yet gained suitable express
s.on The very means which the Constitution
provided for bringing this discomfort to the h'-
ace Of the general Government was really an
obstacle. Colonel Lang describes the secuonai
dispute as 1t was carried on for thirty years be-
fore the Rebellion. In AL that time the hope OF
the western part Of the state was for separation.
Not a candidate was elected 10 the Virginia Leg
,s,ature fror, the west who was not pledged. no
matter about his party affiliations. to labor for
a division Of the State
oo,ea Of closely this antagonism between
Eastern and Western Virginia is seen to have
zone back 10 the very beginnings of things. "rhe
men Of the west" says Colonel Lang, were
hardy frontersmen. a majority Of them soldiers
Of the Revolution and their immediate descend
ants. without estates, with little but the honor
able record OF patriotic service. and their own
strong arms for their fortunes. They had rev
slaves They had however. land patents. when
were certificates of patriotic service In the Revo-
lutionary War and they depended or their own
labor for new home in the wilderness pop
ulatiOn thus originating. community hus
founded was naturally uncongenal 10 the aris-
tocratic element OF the Old Dominion. BY 1880
the country west Of the Blue Ridge contained
majority of the white people Of Virginia. But
.yhile the nlanters of the east held nearly half a
niion Of slaves there were far less than hundred
thousand slaves in all the west. Moreover the
affiliations Of tS western part OF the state were
all with the North. 1t lay, as one OF Its own ora
tors in those days said. IKE wedge driven IN
between the State Of Ohio on one side ana the
States Of Pennsylvania and Maryland on the
other" It's whole trade was with these Sta'es'
or rather with the great towns, baltimore fi''s-
hug and Cincinnati With Easterl Virginia 1t
amounted to 1000 for ;he entire period between
,slo a,d ,seo II was felt too tina. tie connec-
,jon with the slaveholding portion Of the state
was the principal reason why the re 'ources OF
Western Virginia were rot developed THESE
,vera well known before the war Congress WIS
@old of the immense mineral wealth. OF the vast
forests that lay between tn, Blue Ridge and the
Ohio River II was told that there was coil
enough there TO supply the whole Union for LUZ
years.
In 1850 as Colonel Lang explains. the vexeo
\ question Of representation was compromised oy
an amendment 10 the State Constitution giving
the west a ma jority IN the House and the east
majority OF the Senate in the State Legislature.
Al the same time meagre tax was laid on slave
property which had hitherto been favored with
complete immunity. But the discrepancy be-
tween the burdens borne by the slaveholders ana
those borne by other freemen was stin glarlhs.
There were minor grievances but all grew out OF
these greater ones of unjust taxation and un-
equal representation. Thus within her own bor-
ders Virginia illustrated for generation and
more the growing difficulty which Lincoln en-
phaszei in the case OF the Nation at large-that
of existing half slave and half free. When threats
of rebellion were at last heard the oucry for Sc
cession found an echo in Western Virginia that
was as startling as II unwelcome TO the
politicians who hurrying Virginia out OF
the Union. In their haste the Union men OF the
western part Of the State were about to act tow
ard the official power Of the commonwealth just
es the latter finally acted toward the general
Government.
Colonel Iang's narrative shows how great the
provocation was The whole official system or
the State west as we'll east. was in the hands
Of men who were determined on secession Union
men VINO went from the west TO the convention
where secession was agreed upon were in danger
OF their lives. They returned home to hnd the
most active efforts on foot to carry the western
counties into the rebellion Meanwhile, to make
secession less unpalatable it was coupled with
fardy effort to eoualize taxation But as Colonel
Lang remarks THE triumph Of secession upon
the James naturally led to the triumph OF loyalty
among :he mountains The feeling of the time
was shown in the reply OF Mayor Andrew
Sweeney. OF Wheeling. when ordered by Governor
J.etcher to seize Government property in the name
OF the sovereign State Of Virginia. i nave
seized upon the custom house. the postoihce ana
all public buildings and documents. wrote the
Mavor 'In the name of Abraham Lincoln. Presi-
dent OF the United States whose property they
are" The people Of Western Virginia felt the
stress OF the conflict from the first In their own
neighborhoods and around their own hresides.
Colonel Langs home the city OF Clarksburg' was
the scene OF popular tumult For months TWO
armed companies one Of sece. sionists. the other
OF Union men. kept the town In turmoil
Eventually each Of these companies found Its way
70 war without shedding blood In quarres at
home. But 1t does not appear to have been an
easy thing to keep the peace
In the midst Of anxiety and excitement tnat
were universal the loyal men Of the state began
20 consider earnestly what was to be done besides
voting upon the Ordinance Of Secession. That
they must resist II undoubted. but they TOOK
time to consider the methods which they shorid
adop; The first opinion was that at least mem
OH he elected usual 10 60