Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1909-02-20
IINCOLN'SGI
TO ". VA. PEOPLE
Bill Creating State of West gif-
ginia Signed in 1863
WAS GWEN AS
NEW YEARS PRESENT

Much Anxiety Felt Throughout the
Proposed State When Bill Was Sent
to President FOR His Signature 10
1s62.--opponents made Fight to
Have Bill Vetoed.
In the winter 81 1862 when the bin
creating the state Of West Virginia
had been passed by congress and had
gone through to President Lincoln for
his signature there much anxiety Eas
felt throughout the boundaries Of
the proposed state. Great pposition
had developed against the bill and
its opponents were making The fight
to have the president veto II.
During the nine days II which the
bill was being considered by Mr., In
coin and his cabinet excitement was
nj high pitch and many thought Mr..
Lincoln would veto the measure On
the grounds Of expedlency or eo1sti-
tutionality But all this anxiety was
dispeiled on New Years day 1858
when the news was wired to Wheel
ing, Fairmont and other portions Of
the state that Mr.. Lincoln had signed
the bill as New Years gift 10 the
loyal Virginians.
SO great had been the worry on the
part OF Governor Pierpoint and other
leaders that James w. Paxton, Ed
ward Nh Norton and A. w. Campbell
went to Governor Pierpoint about the
last days Of December TO confer with
him on the situation. At this time the
governor had his office in the custom
house at Wheeling and it was at this
place that the conference was held.
1t was agreed that the governor
should send Mr.. Lincoln a wire urg-
ing him to sign the bill Mr.. Camp
bell sat down at the table and wrote
the message. agreed upon
Many years later--in 1897 to be
exact--Governor Pierpoint said that
Mr. Lincoln had told him that this
message had decided him TO sign the
bill. The message however, has never
been found, and a copy OF 1t would be
OF unusual interest to West virginians
A number OF state historians have at
tempted 70 locate the message in the
papers OF Mr.. Lincoln. Among these
were Granville Davission Hail. who
in his book The Rending Virginia"
says that Mr. John G. Nicolay, one
of Lincolns assistants and collabora-
tor with Col. Hay in the valuable
Lincoln history, wrote him to the
effect that Governor Pierpoint's rec
election must have been at fault If
he stated that President Lincoln
signed the West Virginia bill merely
because Of the governors request.
Not feeling convinced by Mr. Mic
olay's conclusion, Mr. Hail tells of
making an inquiry regarding the mat
ter Of Mrs. Anie Siviter, formerly Of
Fairmont, but now Of Pittsburg. who
made the following statement:
Fathers memory was absolutely
faultless to the day o his death
except a few weeks at the b. ginning
Of his illness at Fairmont: and | have
heard him tell the story many times
substantially as you tell ii and know
1t was true, The only point am not
certain OF is whether it was letter
or a telegram that was sent. Ny
brother wsn in the room at the time
that the conversation took place be
tween my father and MIR. Campbell
in 1897 concerning the sending Of tho
telegram and Mr. Campbell as well
as my father remembered the occur
renee This adds Mr. Campbells evil
dence to my fathers that such a mes
sage was sent But even If | had
not heard either of them make this
statement | would know it was true
from conversation mad WITH
Senator Wiley the day after my
fathers funeral, in March. 1899 He
told me the whole history of Presi
dent Lincoln's signing the bill Mr.
Wiley was intensely aXious TO OBJ
tain the presidents signature at once
and visited the White House in com
pany with other gentlemen. The pres
ident asked them to see the different
members Of the cabinet and return
to him the following morning tpossi
bly, a day later( when he would make
known his decision. They went t
see the cabinet and on the day Sc
went to the White House so early
that the servants were stiT cleaning