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A LETTER

HON. W. T. WILLEY,

THE REDINTEGRATION OF VIRGINIA.

CITY OP WASHINGTON: 1866.

LETTER.

Washington City, January 20, 1866.
To  , Esq.
Dear Sib: I have received the Alexandria
Journal which you sent to me, containing Mr.
Woodson's resolutions in the Virginia Legisla
ture relating to the reunion of East and West
Virginia. I have also read the remarks of Mr.
Garnett in opposition to said resolutions. You
request my opinion of both the resolutions and
the speech. Having been frequently solicited
within the last two months by gentlemen in each
of the States to give to them my views respect
ing the premises, I shall take the liberty of re
plying to you through the press, so that if my
opinion shall prove to be of any value, it may
reach all who have done me the honor to re
quest it.
There seems to be a misconception prevalent
in the country in relation to the true cause of the
division of Virginia, and the erection of the new
State of West Virginia. It is supposed by many
to have been simply and only "a war meas
ure." Every intelligent citizen, however, in
either of the two States knows that such is not
the fact. He knows that there has been per
petual strife between the respective sections
now composing the two States for the last forty
years, and that a division of the State of Vir
ginia has often been suggested, and sometimes
menaced, as the only means of quieting the con
tention. The war, therefore, merely afforded an
opportunity to the people of West Virginia to
carryinto effect a long cherished desire. If this
division had been solely ' ' a war measure, ' ' there
would be some force in the suggestion that
now, when the war is over, the integrity of the
old State might be restored.
But in reference to the propriety of the re-
consolidation of the two States, I suppose there
can be no difference of opinion among all well-
informed and well-disposed West Virginians.
Nor do I suppose, if thepeople of (old) Virginia
would dismiss from their minds the suggestions

of passion and the influences of State pride, and
would calmly and rationally consider the ques
tion, that they would desire a reunion of the
two States. Indeed, I happen to know that
many of them are decidedly opposed to it ; not
from any such vindictive reasons as are assigned
by Mr. Garnett, but because; they see that sep
aration is best for the interests of both States.
I shall not have sufficient time at my disposal
to do more than suggest to you very briefly some
of the more prominent considerations against
a reunion. The two States are geographically distinct.
There never has been, and there never can be,
any real, harmonious, and profitable municipal
union between them. They are, and must for
ever remain, physically separated. To-day, if
the people of three fourths of West Virginia
were desirous of visiting Richmond, the capital
of the old State, they would be compelled to
pass around through Maryland and the District
of Columbia to accomplish their wish ; and they
would be indebted to the enterprise of a foreign
corporation for the means of doing it.
There is little or no traffic or commerce be
tween the two sections. There has not been
any since the system of transportation by pack-
horses and pack-saddles has been abandoned.
Who carries anything from west of the Allegha-
nies to eastern Virginia to sell? Who brings
anything from East Virginia to WesJ. Virginia
to sell? There are and have been almost lit
erally no business and no intercourse between
the two sections for twenty-five years, excepting
what was connected with matters of revenue
or legislation at Richmond. There is no State
in the Union which has been admitted ten years
ago of which the people of East Virginia know
less than they do of West Virginia ; and, ex
cepting the capital of the State, the people of
West Virginia are equally unfamiliar with East.
Virginia. Let me direct your attention to another fact.

Let me ask you to cast your eye over the map
of Virginia prior to its division and see where
her works of internal improvement are located
— her railways, canals, or any other character
of improvement of extent and dignity sufficient
to claim title to a State work. Where are
they? All east of the Alleghany mountains ;
all within the limits of the old State. There
you find all the railroads ; the Petersburg and
Norfolk railroad ; the Petersburg and Weldon ;
the Richmond and Petersburg ; the York River ;
the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac ;
the Orange and Alexandria ; the Virginia Cen
tral ; the Manassas Gap ; the Richmond and
Danville ; the Virginia and Tennessee ; the-
Petersburg and Lynchburg, and others not ne
cessary to mention, forming a perfect net- work
of railways all over the old State. There, too,
are the canals, the James River, Dismal Swamp,
&c, the former of which has been like an in
veterate cancer on the revenues of the Common
wealth for so many years. All these improve
ments with many others are entirely within the
limits of the old State. Now, what railways or
canals, built on State account, do you find in
West Virginia? Not one! The boundaries of
West Virginia embrace at least one third of the
whole area of the old State. Yet we have not
a foot of completed railway' or canal built on
State account within our borders.: It is well
known that w-e had to petition the Legislature
of Virginia for many years before we succeeded
in extorting from it the naked right of way for
foreign enterprise and capital to construct the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad through the north
west corner of the State ; and that road and the
Northwestern railroad connected with it, lead
ing from Grafton to Parkersburg, constitute the
only work of internal improvement in our State
of any value or consideration. I do not forget
the Covington road. But what of that? Some
years ago several hundred thousand dollars were
expended upon it in different places ; and then
it was abandoned, before a foot of it was com
pleted within the limits of West Virginia, and
the labor and money expended were measura
bly lost. Nor do I forget the improvement of the
Kanawha river, ostensibly looking to a connec
tion with the James river canal. But thesepartial
and unavailing efforts in behalf of the counties
now in the southwest corner of our State seem
only to have been made to silence our clamors
for relief, and to keep us quiet while the grand
system of eastern railways, &c. , was going on to
completion. How will Mr. Joynes, and Wood
son, and the members of the Legislature of
Virginia, who seem so anxious for reunion,
explain this state of the case? Will they ad
mit that it was owing to the jealous and un
friendly legislation of the eastern part of the
State, which feared that the development of the
immeasurable natural resources of the west, and
the consequent increase of wealth and popula-
t:ou, would transfer the political power of the

State to the west? They know very well that
complaint to this effect had long ago and fre
quently been madei They know that these
complaints on the part of the people of Western
Virginia have been the source of bickering and
bitter strife for thirty or forty years, frequently
menacing the integrity of the State, long before
the late rebellion.
Are they willing at last to admit the justice
of this complaint? They will hardly venture to
deny it altogether. But may they not find a
more worthy and creditable apology for this neg
lect, in physical causes, and the insuperable
difficulties growing out of our geographical
position, of carrying- any improvements into
West Virginia which would at the same time
be of any utility to themselves? I think so.
West Virginia lies on the western slope of the
Alleghanies. It properly belongs to the valley
of the Mississippi. All, or nearly all, of its
streams flow thitherward. Its natural outlets
to market, and all its available 'commercial con
nections, are diverse from Virginia — south and
west with Cincinnati and the Gulfof Mexico;
north with Pittsburg and the lakes ; east with •
Baltimore and Philadelphia. The markets in
East Virginia are" not our markets ; and if they
were, it would be difficult if not impossible to
reach them from the larger- partof West Vir
ginia by any direct or convenient means of
access. We are cut off from East Virginia by)
the almost impassible barriers of the Alleghany.
mountains. With the present crushing public
debt of Virginia resting upon her, she would1
not, even if reunited with us, be able for ages
to come to construct,at such heavy cost as must.
be necessary to accomplish it, any road or other
available means of travel and transportation
through those mountains into our midst, so as
to connect us with the' sea^boardor any impor
tant place of trade or commerce within her bor
ders. Besides, if she had both the will and the
ability thus to accommodate us, anysuch work,.
when constructed, would only carry us beyond1
the nearer andbetter markets already indicat
ed. Any such work, too, would therefore be
unprofitable and difficult to sustain'; and' this
fact would necessarily preclude the hope of de
riving any aid from the investment of foreign
capital in its construction. To go back-to Vir
ginia would, therefore, in my opinion, result
in the perpetuation of our past and present
impoverished and undeveloped condition. It
would leave our incalculable mineral, agricul
tural, and manufacturing resources to slumber
for all time to come, as they have done in all
past time, in our valleys, hills, and mountains,
without any practical value either to ourselves
or to others. We should remain hereafter, as
we have remained heretofore, "the hewers of
wood and drawers of water" to a sectionalmia-
jority, which, even if it had the inclination,
would never have the power, to rescue us from
our inevitable degradation.

Will it be urged that we may .reasonably ex
pect 'a. more liberal .policy in. the future if we
were reunited, and that hereafter we. might be
aliowed to construct, without reference to any
connection with the remainder- of the State,
such improvements; in such directions ,as would
subserve our local int'erests? Uponwhatgvounds
can we justly predicate any such anticipation?
Will it be said that slavery being destroyed,: the
antagonism heretofore arising, between the two
sections in consequence of the distrust of .the
eastern slaveholder growing out of the existence.
of slavery inthe East, and the non-existence of
it inthe West, would necessarily cease.?. The
truth is, no real antagonism ever did exist ;on
this account. There is not. in all our history,
a single, fact which would warrant any just; ap
prehension on the part of eastern alarmists in
this. respect. I think I may challenge the bold
est, accuser of western fidelity to the laws and
constitution of the State-to fu-rnishan instance
of bad faith, on the part of West Virginia, in
dicating any purpose of disregarding or com
promising the lawful rights of the eastern
slaveholder. On tjie contrary, our legislative
annals furnish too much evidence of discredit
able subserviency andtoadyism toward .the im
perious demands of eastern slaveholders. No,
their assumed distrust was a. mere pretext. They
knew it was unfounded. They -had, submitted
our fidelity to the severest testa; When real
dangers assailed them ; when the British, inthe
war of 1812, were carrying off their negroes and
pillaging their property, they did not hesitate to
cry to us for help,;, and. with the echo of their
call, coming back, from our mountains, was min
gled, the roll of the western drum_on their own
Capitol square. With such alacrity did we ' fly
to their rescue ; and our true men stood where
their own men had not dared to stand, alone, on
their own shores, between, them and the foe ;
and' many a brave fellow from our hills fell in
defense of th.eir firesides. I confess, that I am.
unable to^suppress expressions of indignation
when I remember the long, loud, and persistent
clamors with which they impeach.ed.our integrity.
and' loyalty to the rights, of the slaveholder. It
was a mere subterfuge, under which they hoped
to cover up their, neglect of our section. This
by the way, however.
» I must judge of tbe future by the past. Look
at the facts. . There is eastern Virginia, oovered
all over with railways, canals, &c.,- furnishing
every needful facility for developing that part
of the State and for trade and transportation.
In West Virginia, comprising one third of the
territory of the State and containing vastly
greater mineral wealth and natural resources,
we have none of those facilities excepting the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, built by a foreign
corporation, a few sections; of macadamised
roads, a few miles of imperfect slack-water nav
igation, and some dilapidated "mud-pikes.
In large and important sections of our State.

even these- cheap facilities are entirely wanting.,
I reppat the question, why is this, so? If the
reasons I have assigned are. not satisfactory, I
confess I am unable to give any better.
And what is there in the horoscope of .the.
future to indicate, relations between the two
sections, if they are consolidated, more friendly
and just than have heretofore existed? Cer
tainly nothing, for many generations to come.
Standing as we now do, with hands stained with
each other's blood, , shed in the late rebellion,
it could hardly be expected that our joint coun
sels, would, exhibit any increase., of < harmony,
liberality; and good feeling. However we may
regret, this, hostility, we cannot deny the fact
that, it exists. It may be .wrong, but still it does
exist. We must, recognize, the fact. It is an
inveterate, hostility,', increased, and intensified
by recent events. Would it be.wise.to attempt
to reunite such hostile, elements, in the same mu
nicipal, organization , in , the absence of some
potent and overruling necessity? It would be
wise, I admit, to remove the cause of disagree
ment. Can anything accomplish, that desirable
result, short- of a separate, municipal existence?
While the same cause, remains the same effect,
will follow it. , And if my view of, the diffi
culties in the way be correct, it is no figure of
speech, to say, that, this inveterate hostility,
founded on the antagonism of irreconcilable in
terests, is as immovable as the Alleghany mount
ains ; for while those mountains stand in the
way.there.canibe no, practical identification of
interests, pursuits, State improvements, or com
mercial relations.
My conclusion is, therefore, that, the peace
and prosperity of both sideswill be best pro
moted by their remaining separate.
But there are many other considerations lead
ing my mind to the same conclusion. The two
States are separated not only by insuperable
physical barriers, but they are really, and I
might say radically, different, in the. manners,
customs, education, habits; . and feelings of the
people. This, has been obvious to the most
casual observer. I mention one illustration, for
instance. In eastern Virginia, labor— especially
manual labor — is not respectable ; that is to say,
it excludes the laborer from what they call
society. He may be respected, if otherwise
worthy of respect. But so was their faithful
negro servant ; but he dpes not ela^m spcial
equality with those who "own labor." It is
true that labor is no longer to be "owned"
there. Slavery is extinct ; but its effects on the
character of the people will long exist. Iu,
West Virginia, thank God 1 there has.never been
any such unworthy discriminafjom. There per
sonal industry is honorable ;, and when accom
panied by intelligence and integrity, it enhances
the respectability, and standing of the man.
Who that is' old enough to remember it does
not recall the indignation with which he read,
the speech of the justly celebrated Benjamin

6

Watkins Leigh, delivered in the constitutional
convention of 1829, in which he exclaimed,
while resisting the extension of the right of suf
frage to the western laborer : ' ' What real share,
so far as mind is concerned, does any man sup
pose the peasantry of the West" * * *
" can or will take in the affairs of State ?' ' We
could hardly expect harmony to exist between
a people who cherish such a sentiment as that
and the people of West Virginia. The one sec
tion is thoroughly democratic ; the other is aris
tocratic. There could be no peaceable political
fellowship between them in the same munici
pality. I beg to refer you to another consideration
which the people of West Virginia will do well
to observe. Look at the condition in which the
war has left Virginia— her desolated fields and
farms and villages ; her depleted and bankrupt .
treasury ; her wasted resources ; her decimated
population. West Virginia, though by no means
exempt from similar injuries, is, nevertheless,
comparatively free from them. She is crippled
to some extent, but by no means exhausted.
She is ready and able still to march straight
and steadily forward in the new career of de
velopment and prosperity which has been
opened before her. In this condition of the
Stat s it is proposed to unite their forturies for
the future. In suggesting this thought to Gen
eral Harris the other day, he enforced it by a
homelybut apt illustration. "Yes," saidhe, "it
is as if there were two owners of contermin
ous farms. One of them had been provident,
industrious, and discreet. His farm is in tol
erably good repair, well stocked, productive,
and profitable. The other has been reckless,
thriftless, and neglectful. His farm is dilapi
dated, the fences are gone, the barns are burned,
his stock is destroyed, and his means are all
wasted. He says to the former, ' Come, let us
unite our farms into one. While we are re
pairing mine we can use yours, and when mine
is repaired, restored, and replenished, we will
have a nice farm indeed. ' " Such, in fact, is the
proposition which East Virginia makes to West
Virginia. She proposes to avail herself of the
benefits of our prudence and providence to re
pair and supply her want of them. I shall be
greatly surprised if the people of West Virginia
are willing to enter into any such bargain ; and
when they remember that these melancholy
desolations of East Virginia are not the result
of accident or misfortune, but the legitimate
consequences of wicked and unjustifiable re
bellion against the most benign Government
"the sun ever shone upon," and especially
when they remember the vigorous and vindic
tive efforts made to drag them also into the
same vortex of ruin and rebellion, I imagine
their disposition to accede to the proposition
will in nowise be increased. They will most
probably consider that it was enough to have
given the lives of their fathers, sons, and broth

ers to repel the aggression without contribut
ing of their means to restore the losses of the
aggressor. Moreover, a reunion of the States would doubt
less result in the surrender of those fundamental
reforms inaugurated under our new constitu
tion, and the laws made by our Legislature in
accordance therewith. It would restore the old
county courts. It would surrender our system
of free schools and popular education, just going
into effect. It would destroy our improved
organizations of county police, townships, &c.
It would remove our constitutional protection
against the creation of burdensomepublic debts,
and place us back again under the domination
of a sectional political majority which would go
on, in all probability, in the future as it has
done in the past, in enlarging our public debt
for internal improvements, none of which would
ever or could ever find their way into Western
Virginia. In short, it would ruin us. Nor may
we forget the probable confusion which would
ensue in the necessary effort which must follow
to reconcile and harmonize the different sys
tems of judicial proceedings, modes of record
ing title-papers, probates of jivills, and granting
letters of administration, &c, growing out of
the new order of things in West Virginia. i
But I must forbear this multiplication of rea
sons adverse to the propriety of reuniting the
two States. Many more equally, and perhaps
more, cogent must suggest themselves to your
own mind.
If you had not requested it I should hardly
have deemed it necessary to notice the extra
ordinary remarks of Mr. Garnett. They were
undoubtedly made without consideration, and
under the influence of passion. Here they are,
as contained in the Journal :
" Mr. Garnett moved the indefinite postponement
of the above preamble and resolutions. He was op
posed to the proposed reunion. The people of West
Virginia had voluntarily withdrawn, and he was will
ing to let them choose for themselves in this matter.
Under the circumstances of their desertion, he could
not consent to invite them back." * * * *
"Mr. Garnett again addressed the House on the
subject. If a simple resolution of inquiry on the sub
ject had been introduced, he did not know that he
should have offered any opposition to it ; but look at
the preamble I The gentleman from Rockingham had
gone too far on this question. We did not drive West
Virginia off, nor had she any good or sufficient rea
sons for the step she has taken. He alluded to the
course of East Virginia in giving her such improve
ments as she desired, while East Virginia had to be
taxed to pay for those improvements. ' In view of the
past, he thought West Virginia had exhibited a want
of gratitude by voluntarily severing the connection.
We did not drive her off— and he should not be the
nrst to mvite her back."
Highly complimentary, indeed ! ' ' Under the
circumstances of their desertion," quoth he.
Does he mean that we ever went into the re
bellion with him, and then deserted ? He can
not mean that. He knows that West Virginia
never faltered in her fealty to the Union. He
must mean, if his words mean anything, that
we refused to follow Virginia into treason and

rebellion. Virginia deserted us. She was the
traitor ; not we.
" He alluded to the course of East Virginia in giving
lier[ West Virginia] such improvenents as she desired,
'while East Virginia had to be taxed topayfor those im
provements." That was the ' ' unkindest cut of all I " What
improvements does Mr. Garnett allude to?
Where are they ? If Mr. Garnett was not jesting,
he is cerl ainly ignorant of the boundaries of West
Virginia ; or else he has laid himself liable to
be suspected of an effort to deceive. Does he
refer to any railway ? If so, what is it ? Where
is it? To any canal? Where is that? Or was
it the Northwestern Turnpike road ? We make
our acknowledgments for this small boon, al
beit such antiquated improvements are at this
day of comparatively little value. Perhaps he
had the Kanawha improvement — promising a
connection with the James river canal — or the
Guyandotte improvement in his mind. Still
*we are ' ' thankful for small favors. ' ' . Or was it
our "mud-pikes," as being peculiarly suited to
"the peasantry of the west," and*fully equal
to their deserts?- For these, too, we are grate
ful. But what do they all amount to in com
parison with the railways traversing every sec
tion of East Virginia?
I have no recent official statistics at hand,
showing what the State of Virginia has contrib
uted to works of internal improvement, by sub
scriptions, loans, and appropriations. I do hap
pen to have, however, the report of J. Brown,
jr., second auditor of. Virginia, bringing these
down to the 30th of September, 1850, in which
he distinguishes the amounts appropriated in
each of the four grand divisions of the State.
They are as follows :
In the first grand division, from the sea-board
to the head of tide- water, $793,323 78.
In the second grand division, from the head
of tide-water to the Blue Ridge mountains,
$7,445,585 77.
In the third grand division, from the Blue
Bidge mountains to the Alleghany mountains,
$2,115,763 85.
In> the fourth grand division, from the Alle-
ghanymountainstothe Ohio river,$l, 504,098 60
—in all $11,858,772.
But it must be remembered that there are
fifteen counties in the said fourth grand division
which are not embraced in West Virginia, to
wit: Wythe, Wise,Washington,Tazewell,Smyth,
Scott,Russell,Pulaski,Montgomery,Floyd, Car
roll, Buchanan, Grayson, Lee, and Giles ; while
only six counties of the third grand division
are included in West Virginia, namely: Jeffer
son, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire, Hardy, and
Pendleton — leaving nine counties less in West
Virginia than are included in the fourth grand
division aforesaid. We may, therefore, fairly
deduct one sixth of the foregoing appropria
tions in the said fourth grand division, i.e.,
$250,683 10; leaving the sum appropriated

within the limits of West Virginia to be
$1,253,415 50.
Since I wrote the foregoing, I have received
the Wheeling Register of January 15, contain
ing what Seems to be a carefully prepared com
munication from William E. Arnold, Esq., of
Weston, West Virginia, from which I make the
following extracts. The facts appear to be
compiled from official documents, and are,
doubtless, correctly stated:
"Anterior to 1858 the sum of #22,841,474 04 had been
expended by the State of Virginia for internal im
provements. To railroads  813,369,127 50
Navigation companies  4,749,666 30
Plank roads  396,456 44
Turnpikes  2,229,714 13
Bridges  133,100 00
State roads  1,778,906 61
"At the session of 1858 the additional sum of
$5,917,000 was appropriated, and since paid.
To railroads  $4,664,000
Navigation companies  :.... 647,000
Turnpike companies  166,000
And to this sum may be added $3,351,000, appropri
ated to works of internal improvement prior there
to, and not heretofore called for, but since organized,
and which may, and doubtless have been, demanded—
making in the aggregate the total sum of $3i;609,474 04
paid by the State for works of internal improvement.
"By an examination of the report of J. M. Bennett,
Esq., late auditor of public accounts of Virginia, un
der date of December 10, 1860, it will be seen that the
outstanding publie debt of Virginia, estimated to the
1st of January, 1861, was $32,188,067 32; that the un
funded debt of the State was about $5,000,000, and that
by estimating the back interest it would swell the pub
lic debt of Virginia in roundnumbers to $47,000,000.
" There may exist in the minds of some a difficulty
in reconcilingthe deficiency between the $47,000,000 of
public debt and the $31,609,471 04 expended for inter-
nalimprovements. Butwhen it willbe recollected that
much of the public debt of Virginia is made up of in
terest compounded and converted into principal, we
apprehend the difficulty will be easily solved. Take,
for example, the James River and Kanawha canal.
The original principal of her debt did not exceed
$4,000,000; but by the process of conversion and fund
ing, the principle is now $16,000,000, upon which the
State pays the interest."
What proportion of the expenditures since
1850, which have thus swelled the debt of Vir
ginia to such enormous proportions, has been
made for internal improvements within the lim
its of West Virginia I have no means of ascer
taining; but when we^ remember that most of
the railroads of Virginia have either been wholly
built or finally completed since 1850, none of
which are within West Virginia, we may reason
ably infer that the proportion of appropriation
for the benefit of West Virginia has been smaller
than it was prior to that time. I think I might
say that the total amount of appropriations ex
pended for internal improvements within the
limits of the new State, from the beginning of
the Commonwealth to the year 1861, does not
exceed $3,000,000— does not exceed one tenth,
perhaps not one fifteenth of the whole amount.
And yet West Virginia contains one third of the
whole territory -of the old State.
I do not forget the apology frequently offered
to excuse this fact, namely, that we paid but a

8

small-portion of the taxes of the Commonwealth,
and were, therefore, entitled to but small ap
propriations in return. This complaint only
adds insult to injury. We are reproached with
our poverty, which is the result of the policy
which impoverished us. " Go, thereforet now,.
and work ; for there shall no straw be given
you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks."
History often repeats itself. Pharoah still lives
in the spirit of his successors. But what are
the facts in this respect ? The amount of taxes
assessed on lands, lots, and all other subjects of
taxation, excepting licenses, in the entire State
of Virginia for the year 1859 was $2,608,051 49.
Of this sum $522,863 25 were assessed on the
counties embraced within the limits of West
Virginia^ being about one fifth of the whole
amount. She embraces one third of the terri
tory, and paid one fifth of thetaxes. The taxes
which the counties in West Virginia paid into
the treasury, of Virginia in 1860 were $630,726.
1 After all, the difference-is not so great. What
proportion of our taxes has been returned to us
in the way of improvements we have already
seen. But Mr. Garnett continues his complaint.
He says:
"Inview' of tile past, he thought West Virginia had
exhibited a want of gratitude by voluntarily severing
the connection."
This, to any person familiar with the consti
tutional and legislative history of Virginia, is
an astonishing assertion. It required ho small
amount of audacity to make it. What would a
"view of the past," if I had any disposition to
revert to it, unfold ? I had rather forget it than
prolong the bitterness of its memories. But for
thirty years or more western Virginia has been
petitioning and strugglingfor a redress of griev
ances. It has been asking for aid to develop
its resources, and receiving none. It has been
asking for bread and receiving stones.. It has
been remonstrating against inequality of repre
sentation and inequality of taxation ; against
Srinciples and policies involving the personal
egradation of its citizens ; against insult and
contumely. It were easy to verify all these
allegations, as Mr. Garnett knows 'very well.
Did he not know that down to the breaking out
of the war all the negro slaves of eastern Vir- .
ginia under twelve years of age were exempt
from all taxation, while every pig and colt and
calf of western Virginia was taxed to its utmost
value ? That slaves' over tivelve years of age
were Only taxed at the average nominal1 Value
of $'300 each, while their real average-value was
upward of $600 each ? Does he not know that
representation' was based, not on ^population or
suffrage, but 6n taxes and population combined,
so 'as virtually to clothe a property :holding mi
nority with political power over a popular ma
jority? Does he not know that at the forma

tion of the constitution of Virginia, in force -at
the time she seceded, there was a majority of
white inhabitants west of the Blue Ridge ex
ceeding ninety thousand, and yet that the basis
of representation was so adjusted as to give
the minority east of the ridge the control of
the Legislature ? Does he not know that west
ern white men were taxed to pay for negro
slaves executed for crime? Does he not know
all this and much more that was equally unjust
and derogatory to the rights and feelings of west
Virginia ? And yet he denounces ' ' her ingrat
itude by voluntarily severing the connection" —
ingratitude for refusing to follow east Virginia
into the folly and crimes of treason and rebel
lion, to suffer the sorrows, disasters, and dis
honor which have overtaken her.
But I will not further pursue this theme.
Sincerely believing that the separate existence
of the two States will best promote the har
mony, happiness,: and prosperity of both, I
would gladly bury the differences of the pas£
and if we are to. have any future rivalry, let it
be for thl#Lprecedence; within our respective
spheres, of progress; and development in all
that can make a State distinguished and hon
orable. No person wiU rejoice' more sincerely
than I shall at the prosperity of east Virginia.
And w'ith her aniple sea-board and magnificent
harbors; with her. tide- water rivers arid other
natural outlets ; with her central and most fa
vorable geographical position ; with her vast
system of railways, only needing to be repaired ;
with her rich soil and genial climate ; with her
varied and valuable elements of wealth and
power, what is there to hinder her rapid ad
vancement to a preeminent rank among the
States of the Union ? Why should she seek to
disturb us in our humble homes beyond the
mountains? As to the validity of the proceedings erecting
the new State of West Virginia, you need.give
yourself no uneasiness. She is a fixed fact.
Her legitimate existence as a State in the Union,
entitled to all the rights and respect of any other
State, is beyond all controversy. , She has been
recognized, and fully and formally recognized,
by every department of the Govemment-vex-
ecntive, legislative, and judicial. The ' ' flings' '
made- in the Virginia Legislature, to which 'you
allude, are the result of either ill nature or
ignorance. No power can send us back to the
old State but the power which gave- us 'our
existence as a State. The two ¦ States .can be
reunited only by an act of the Legislature of
each of the States respectively, and an act, of
the Congress of the United States, giving the
consent of each to, it. This being the case,
you may reasonably conclude, I think, that the
redintegration" of Virginia is remote.
Very truly, yours,
W. T. WILLEY.

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