Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-22

students wear a uniform Of gray
and have regulation drills and
equipment.
Those were stirring times. when
the pioneer of the "war. born State"
were at work and those so directly
concerned In the movement did not
seem to have realized they were
making history, tor the chronicler
In his researches does not find more
than the bare records and to little
of the human interests" touches
although there was of human IT.
terests, SO called In an abundance.
It took mental and physical
courage to evolve West Virginia
out of the throes of war. There
were conflicts of opinion among
those at the helm and there were
rebel spirits even In Wheeling, the
center of action, as shown by tie
number of citIzeus who voted for
the Virginia ordinance ofsecession.
Succeeding years are heaping hon
ors on the brave men who gathered
In this city In the preliminary con-
ventions at Washington Hall, since
destroyed by fire, and In the Linsly
Institute tor the first legislative
sessions.
Lincoln Settled Question
June 20, 1861, just exactly two
years previous to the admission OF
the new State, there was organized
In Wheeling the Restored Gov
eminent of Virginia" by delegates
from the western counties regularly
elected at the biennial Virginia
election. 1t was held that as Viz
einia had seeded from the Union,
| Its government ceased to exist.
Francis H. Pierpont Of Fairmont
was elected Governor of Virginia
at the Wheeling assembly, which
became the Virginia Legislature.
This body gave the consent requtr-
ed by the Federal Constitution to
the formation of a new State, to be
known as West Virginia. Wheeling
was then for a time the capital seat
of Virginia, as 1t later became that
of West Virginia. In 1868 Govern
or Plerpoint moved with his ar
chives to Alexandria, within the
Federal army lines, after the war
moved to Richmond.
President Lincoln's cabinet was
equally divided on the legality OF
admitting West Virginia into the
sisterhood of states, but the Great
Commoner settled the matter
while the midnight bells were
ringing out the old year, De-
cember 81, 1862, when under the
familiar and immortal signature OF
A. Lincoln he wrote: without
Drawing absurd conclusions, we
cannot deny that the body which
consents to the admission OF West
Virginia Is the Legislature of Viz
ginia." His proclamation was IS.
sued April 20, 1868, and 90 days
later the new State came Into be.
Ing.
The strain of years was relieved.
There was great rejoicing In Wheel
Ing and everywhere throughout the
new States domain except. of
course, among the the minority of
Confederate sympathizers and those
to whom the name of Virginia was
hallowed. For many years later
In interior counties, particularly
those bordering the Old Dominion,
there were men who refused to
give their address as West Vir.
ginla," sticking to "Virginia," alone
In defiance ofthe postal regulations.
But the pride In the New Domin-
lon has grown equally strong and
nearly all the old hatred has died
away.
Legislature Then and Now.
Of the 20 members of the Senate
and 81 members of the House that
composed the first Legislature of
West Virginia, which met In the
Linsly Institute just 40 yeas ago,
4S were Virginians, three were
sons of Maryland and none OF the
rest was born south of Mason &
Dlxon's line, while 80 were farmers
and only six lawyers. A striking
contrast Is shown at the sessions
nowadays at Charleston where
the lawyers have monopoly.
While the Linsly Institute was
used for a capitol, school was held
In the Odd Fellows hall. For a
subsequent period the capitol was
on wheels, being removed from