Year: 1862

I
that mathematical certainty is there


But my friend thinks If our special COM
missioners take the Constitution asiit is
with the mere absolute consent of the
Legislature in one hand and the informal
vote of a portion of our people on the free
State question in the other, and present
them to Congress, it will consent ana ad-
nit. Never For this reason; the mathe-
matical certainty is wanting, and the
natural inference to be drawn from the
facts would be, either that the people
did not want it, or else they did not have
the power and spirit to obtain it against
the scheming aud management of their
fogy leaders. Else why has the question


been before the people, the Conven-
ton and our own Legislature, and
all the progress the people have
made toward the mathematical GER
tatpty is the informal vote This is the
way It will be looked at by Congress-
With such show, can any one hope that
the present Congress (which was elected
while standing ON the Chicago platform
and beedu8e they stood there,) will consent
to place on the journal. "A consent to make
two slave States out of one-four slave
Senators in place of two-Rnd record a
precedent to justify any other slave State
cutting itself into ten (instead of twol
slave States and thereby increasing its
slave power in the Senate ten fold, When
we talk to them about what nCe are gOiRg to
do and be in future, they will remind us of
what we are. They will point US to Della.
ware WHICH during the last forty years has
bad less remnant of slavery than we
have, and to- the power that controls its
legislature and abortiTe attempt by that
body to institute a gradual extinction last
winter, They will point to Salisbury and
Bayard, as samples of the Senators, and
to the present Senators of Virginia elected
solely by our people. Besides is to be sup
posed for moment, that Messrs. Hall aud
Van Winkle of the present commission,
who are-opposed to a new State 10 any
form for the present at least, will ever
make such presentation And what
can Messrs' Paxton aud Caldwell-however
willing and able do in such q predica-
ment? Nothing. g.r ..


But I need not pursue this farther. It
is not only morally but mnthematically
certain that Congress will reject What
then2 Why the Convention will have to
be convened and as mere craftsmen, for its
members are nothing more-from5 so to CO.
in order to append the gradual Emancipation
clause. This will take at least a month
after the rejection by Congress, and cost
thousands of dollars. 1t will then have to
go before the people, which will take an
other month and cost thousands more.
Then the Legislature will have to be con-
vened las all the parties must consent to
the alteration) which will take another
month and cost thousands more, and by
this time Congress will certainly have adj
journed not to meet again till the first
Monday of December next. The same day
IN
representative from nearly all the
counties in the East. This Legisln-
ture will at once repeal and revoke the
consent given by the present Legislature.
What then? Why our fogy leaders will
proceed in triumph to Richmond, carrying
poor crushed and ruined Western Virginia,
as the trophy Of their labor, expecting to
receive the benediction from counterfeit
loyalty in that section, of "Well done good
and faithful servants" &c. This is no
fancy sketch, it is the reality that awaits
us If we take that course. But if we can
get the consent of Congress to the division
and admission. at its present session, sub
ject TO the condition that the people shall
ratity the clause eafterwards-the whole sub
ject is at once placed beyond the reach of
any unfriendly legislature, because another
party has become interested. But my
friends say, it willbe improper for the leg
islature to take the initiatOry step by Civ
ing its consent, subject to the condition
proposed, because that body has NO power
to add to the instrument. aver that the
people have the unjustifable right to ap-
point any body OF men, or individuals they
choose to be their craftsmen. The wish
and approval of the people is the only
thing that can give vitality. The members
of the Legislature nor knoIC what the de-
sire of the people is, and that it is the wish
of nine-tenths to haye the clause inserted.
Congress does NOT knolD this fact, aud il the
Legislature Immediately representing their
people shall take the initiatory step, Con-
gress will at once follow. Aud to say that
Congress will be Improperly dictatory by
SO doing, in thus securing that "mathemat-
ical certainty" which can alone justify and
which will go on the journal with its con-.
tents is too absurd to merit notice. The
consentof neither Legislature nor Congress
is absolute until the people, the life giving
party, shall have ratified, Nor does the
Legislature or Congress make any addition
to the Constitution, though either would


be competent to do SO if properly author
lied by the people. H...5 tltiak zss


These simply give q consent, which they
have the right to give, or withhold, at dis
cretion, upon the condition that the peo-
pie themselves shall make certain. speci-
he'd addition afterwards, which nine.tenths
ofthese very people have already declared
they desire to have added. 575-r


fear / have already extended my re-


marks. too far. l hope have made my
self Ineligible TO all miuds.a My heart,
yea; my whole being is filled with the i'm
portance and magnitude of the suject, as
relates to the present aud future Of West


Yirginia, and if fher loyal people, through a


want of manly spirit and heart, let her sink
int6 the g1lfof ruin her enemies have open
ed and seem eager to- pIuaGa ihtsr, / shall
have the consolation Of having used my fee


BILE Efforts 70 save her. tSEbes people should
instruct in every county, and If need be,


come mp to Wheeling in grand mass meet
ling, and thunder at the doom of the Capt.
ital Respeetsally'