Year: 1861

the Friends Of the Union.
i Previous notice having been given, large
and enthusiastic meeting Of the Union men
Of Preston county was held at the Court
House in Kingwood, on Saturday, the 4th
day Of May, 1861 About noon the people
came pouring into town from all quarters,
and Notwithstanding the disagreeable morn
ing, some six hundred Of the sturdy yeomanry
of the country were present. At about one
o'clock p. NJ a large delegation from District
No. on foot and horseback. headed BY Capt
Isaiah Kirk entered our town with martial
music and a beautiful flag with not a stripe
erased or polluted and not a single star robscur-
ed, and were joined in procession by. those
who had previously assembled and some Of
the citizens of the town, and after passing
through the principal streets, amid enthusi-
astic cheering from all quarters proceeded
to the Court House.


Col Charles Hooton called the meeting to
order, and the Rev. G. W. Arnold opened
with prayer.


On motion Samuel r. Trowbridge was call
cd to preside, assisted By VIM. Mckee and
William H. Grimes Isaac t. Painter and
John j. Brown were appointed secretaries


On motion committee Of five were appoint
ed by the chair to prepare business for the
consideration Of the meeting The commit
tee consisted Of Henry Clay Hagans, Col
Charles Hooton, William B. Zinn, John J.
Brown and John a. Ollie


In the absence Of the committee the meet
ing was addressed by our Delegates to the
Virginia Convention, Hon VIM. G. Brown
and James G. McGrew Esq


The committee returned and reported the
II, were adopted without single dissenting
voice


ResolrcR, That we have always entertained
the opinion and yet honestly believe that the
Government Of the United States as con
structed BY our fathers, was one Of the best
governments that ever was given to man, and
ought not to be abandoned by the friends Of
civil and religious liberty for causes short Of
absolute necessity.


Resolred, That whilst We have not at all
times been satisfied with the administration
Of the Federal Government. yet we never
have, nor do we now recognize any such ne
cessity, and we pledge ourselves to use all
honorable and peaceful measures to restore
peace to our distracted country and to recon
struct our once happy Union.


! Rcsolrd. That we arc unalterably opposed
ITO the ordinance Of secession passed By the
Virginia Convention, and that we will use
all honorable and fair means at the ballot box
to defeat said ordinance


+ Resolred, That when we elected Delegates
to the State Convention in February last we
never dreamed that the convention should
have, or exercise power to declare war, raise
armies, appropriate money, set aside our
election for representatives III Congress, or to
elect for Us delegates to the government Of the
Confederate States, or do anything that would
change our relations to the Federal Govern
ment without first giving the people the
right at the polls to decide these great ques
tions for themselves


Rcsolrca That if the manner Of clecting
! the first delegates to the Southern Congress
is a fair foretaste Of what the people who con
meet themselves with the new contederacy are
to enjoy. it is discouraging in the extreme to
the friends Of free elections.


II PcSolred. That we respond most heartily
to the professions Of friendship expressed BY
the people Of our neighboring county Of Fay
cite in the meeting lately held at Tniontown.
That we have always looked upon the citi-
zens Of all the States both North and South
as our fellow -countrymen, but with the peo-
pie Of Pennsylvania and the States north
west Of the Ohio we have been closely con
nected in trade and commerce, identified in
interest and above all allied By kindred and
affection, and any interruption Of our friend
II relations can never be brought about b. any
act Of ours


Rcsolred, That the course Of the metro
politan press apparently sanctioned, BY the
people Of Richmond and many Others during
the setting of the convention, toward the
faithful ard patriotic members Of the north
western counties of the State, has not done
much to strengthen the ties that have % long
bound us to our eastern brcthern


b Rcsolred That there is not and never can
be any identity Of material interest between
the Western and Eastern portions Of the State
Of Virginia that the people Of the two sec
! tions are separated from each other BY bar
riers erected by the God Of nature himself.
and which cannot be removed BY the hand Of
man, and that it IS therefore impossible for
them ever to become homogeneous people
j "a people with ike interests or pursuits.