An Inside View of the Formation of the State of West Virginia (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ... was tyrannical and oppressive; and he asks this House to interpose its shield between the outraged people of Virginia and this tyranny. A Constitutional Legislature who, by a constitutional act, authorized the people to vote for or against a Constitution framed by their own delegates to enable them, if they see fit, to organize for themselves a new State, and to petition the Congress of the United States for its admission into the Union, a. tyrannical body It is the first time I have ever heard a Representative upon this floor venture so far as to say that an act authorized by the Federal Constitution, and within the express reserved rights of the people of every State, is an act of tyranny. The gentleman says that in the Convention which convened the Legislature of Virginia, eleven of the counties within the proposed State were not represented. What of that? Does the gentleman mean to say that it makes invalid all that has been done under that Convention? Let him remember, if he pleases, when he makes an argument of that sort, that that Convention, which was an original act of sovereignty of the people themselves in Virginia, appointed the very Governor of Virginia under whose proclamation he ventured to become a candidate for a seat in this House, and under whose certifiqte he ventured to present himself here for admission. He cannot be allowed to blow hot and cold in this way upon a question of this sort. If the Convention was invalid, then their appointment of a Governor was invalid, and his proclamation for the election, under which the gentleman claims his seat, was also invalid. The election proclamation of Governor Pierpont, if I recollect the record aright, was issued before the people of Virginia were permitted to speak...