Cincinnati Daily Commercial, May 17, 1861

The secession of Virginia, although not yet consummated, has given a fresh impulse to a design long entertained by many of the most intelligent citizens of Western Virginia, to separate that section from the State. Aside from the manifest equity of commending to the lips of the secessionists the ingredients of their own chalice, this measure is capable of being supported on its own merits, by the most cogent reasons. In the first place, Western Virginia is, if not almost unanimously for the Union, at least so firmly attached to its authority and perpetuity as to render its loyalty certain—whatever the State may do.

In the second place, the geographical position of a large share of Western Virginia attaches it naturally to the North, while its commercial intercourse is almost wholly confined to regions outside of Virginia.

In the third place, the inhabitants of Western Virginia have little sympathy, either of blood, of institutions, or of occupation, with the Eastern and Southern portions. They are a hard working, mining, manufacturing and agricultural people—almost without slaves. They have little or none of the senseless pride of family of the effete race of F. F. V.'s, but are a vigorous, and industrious race, proud of labor, and hating the aristocrats who despise them in return.

In the fourth place, the people of Western Virginia have been always made the victims of the legislative favoritism in that State, taxing them enormously and disproportionately to build up local interests in Eastern Virginia, and neglecting wholly those of Western.

In the fifth place, the State is saddled with an enormous debt of almost fifty millions, and its credit is bankrupt—all owing to the mismanagement and down-hill policy of Eastern Virginians in office—while the young and vigorous West is left with the incubus upon it of having to foot the bills which it never contracted.

In the last place, comes the crowning injustice and infamy so long submitted to, of suffering slave-owning nabobs to escape taxation on the larger portion of their property, while the freemen of the West pay onerous taxes on every dollar they own.

On all these grounds, the people of the northwestern portion of Virginia, just in proportion to their intelligence, desire a peaceable separation from the rest of the State, and to work out the problem of public welfare in their own way. The late Wheeling Convention was the first important public demonstration designed to give expression to this feeling. Added to all the chronic causes of dissatisfaction, came now the pressure of immediate fear of invasion and subjugation by the soldiers of the Confederate usurpation.

In this situation of affairs, it is not surprising that the failure of the Convention to give its sanction to any positive or immediate plan of separation should disappoint many of the earnest friends of that measure. There appears to have been a very disproportionate amount of eloquence expended in the Convention upon the dangers which they would incur from committing treason. The number and variety of allusions in the speeches to hanging, halter and hemp, as the probable reward of exercising the bold resolve of recurring to their original rights, and throwing off all allegiance to the perjured and unconstitutional government at Richmond, is certainly surprising. That gentlemen should be so afraid of revolution, who have just been plunged by an utter usurpation, into a revolution the most stupendous and dangerous to their liberties, indicates a degree of tender-footedness which is not indicative of the highest qualities of courage. If the doing of that which all proclaim their wish to do, is treason and revolution, is not the mischief already done, and the guilt already incurred? It strikes us that the separationists of Western Virginia, by the very fact of their Convention, are in so far, that to return is no more easy than to go o'er.

"He either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts are small,
Who fears to put it to the touch,
To win or lose it all."

But we are well assured, that the Union men of Western Virginia will soon be, if they are not now, fully up to the mark of the action which their interests in the Union imperatively demand. We are assured that the mass of the Convention were in reality far ahead of most of the leaders, in the desire for prompt and decisive action. But they yielded a deference to the politicians and lawyers of the body, which is common with men who distrust their own knowledge, and are new in taking the responsibility of dealing with affairs of State.

It would appear to be a plain case, requiring no special logical acumen to perceive, or political sagacity to apply, that fidelity to the Government of the United States, in the present posture of affairs, is treason to the Government of Virginia—and vice versa. All that the men of Western Virginia have to determine is, whether they will prove faithful to the Union, or throw themselves into the arms of JEFF. DAVIS. Can there be the slightest doubt as to the determination of the question? And why should it be befogged with technicalities about treason, allegiance and the Constitution, when they are already plunged into the jaws of revolution—and when no revolution ever was or is expected to be constitutional[?]

A great people and worthy to be free will not fail to seize the tide in their affairs which bears on to fortune. They are daily awakening more and more to the importance of acting now; and it is to be hoped that the fuller canvass of the next three weeks, will eventuate in a much larger and more imposing representation in the Convention then to be chosen, and that they will not pause in their action, until the independence of Western Virginia within the Union is fully achieved.