| Show I t 1 Ii tHSTORC REMiNISCENCE t The Part Hon J B Blair of this City Played in Securing t the Admission of f West Virginia as a StateHis Final I Appeal to President I Lincoln Very few men In the United Staten have had tho varied experience In public pub-lic Hfo that has fallen to the lot of lion J B Blair Sure orGencral of t this State Some of his friends Jokingly Jok-ingly say that ho has held office since the foundation of the Government Born In Old Virginia Jn 1S21 hoI ho-I studied law and entered upon an active p public career even before he attained his majority lie was elected to various county and State offices in the early forties and has been a public servant 1 for almost sixty years He has served as State legislator I member of C9ngress < < United States as It pleased This latter contention was not relied on however Tho bill finally passed both houses and was sent to the President Just before be-fore tho adjournment for the Christmas Christ-mas holidays While I was a frequent caller at the White House and knew President Lincoln Lin-coln intimately ho had never in ajl the talks I had with him Intimated what he thought of the West Virginia proposition He would Joke with mo about it occasionally and suggest that I had a hard row to hoe but he did not say what he proposed to do with the bill when it reached him I felt confident however that he would approve I ap-prove it After tho bill had been sent over to I the White House 1 Availed a few days I c j < > J I 4i L V I > > t r I r V i > > I D J > > Ji r J i 1 I r 5r 5 J I f II Judge J B Blair t R J I t Photograph by Johnson Ministerto a foreign Government and I United States Judge besides holding I numerous minor offices under the State J and Nation both by appointment and I 1 election and today despite his long service and the weight of almost SO i years ho is one of the most vigorous I I r J officeholders In this State The Judge Is a most excellent storyteller I story-teller and when he Is In the mood and I relates some of his experiences he is I always the center of an Interested I P crowd of listeners It Is due to the efforts I ef-forts of Judge Blair In the main that I d West Virginia Is a State of the Union Not long since the Judge In reply I ito J i-to a question propounded by a friend gave a brief history of the creation of I O the Stat and the events which led up I i to its formation Ho said You see when the SLat of VIr I glnla seceded from the Union In 1SG1 I the people who resided In the western Q part of tho State remained loyal to I the old flag We called a convention oC I the loyal people In our portion of tho I J State at Wheeling The Legislature I I was convened or rather that portion of I the members who were loyal convened I and it was resolved to reorganize the State government The former Governor and most of I I tho State olllcers having gone with the ifJ I Bccedpra we proceeded on the same I I V theory as we would if all the State officers and suddenly died We reasoned j reas-oned that should such a strange calamity j ca-lamity befall a State the Legislature or lhat portion of It which was alive I I 1 would have the right to assemble and reorganize the State government JThat I In exactly what we did We set up a I J I loyal government of the State of Virginia 2 I Vir-ginia I Of course there was a Confederate p I Stale government over at Richmond J I but that was not considered by the 1 loyal peopleS people-S nator and Representatives from the State of Virginia were chosen and when they went to Washington as loyal I citizens of tho United States claiming to represent a sovereign State they were promptly admitted as members of the Senate and House I t I lor was one of the mombers of the HOUHO of Representatives from Virginia I Vir-ginia It had been one of the main > soC s-oC my platform on which I stood for election in those days every candidate I for olllco nfade his own platform and nominated himself that I should if poeslble secure a division of the State and out of the western portion which Was to ho cut off from the old domln Ion should be created the new State tJ1est Virginia I went to work upon my scheme as Roon as I entered Congress A bill was Introduced which was In harmony with a Petition from the people and Legis lature of tho State of Virginia praying that the State be divided alone a certain cer-tain line and that the western por tion bo erected into a new State to be called the State of West Virginia It was a Jong hard fight to procure pro-cure the passage of this bill by the senate and the House of Representatives I Representa-tives Several very able Senators and KcnrcsentatlvoH opposed the measure on 1 the ground of its constitutionality I The friends of the act met the argu meat against the constitutionality of J tho bill by insisting that Congress had a Perfect right to create a new State out of a portion of the territory of one of tho States of the Union provided the people of the original State through I too proper authorities gave their consent I con-sent That consent we claimed to nave from the only legally constituted State government In the State of Vlr Kinlo which was recognized by the1 4 Rational Administration and by Con Y KTCBS Some of tho friends of the division movement Insisted that the State of glnla having seceded from the Union had ceased to be a State and Was nlniply a Territory belonging to the I United States which 1 over Congress a < l absolute control lau could divide 1 i 1 and then called on Mr Lincoln Ho was very cordial told a number of stories and while 1 knew he could see how anxious I was about the bill I did not mention the natler thinking ho was trying to tease me I left without with-out saying a word about the bill Mr Lincoln walked with me to the door of his otllcc and as he shook my hand I noted a smile lurking around tho corners of his mouth as he said Blair I am glad you called come again soon just drop in any time when you are passing As I walked down the steps I I thought to myself Bless his old heart let him have some fun at my expense tho Lord knows he needs something to relieve his mind from the terrible anxiety he must suffer Tho Presidents cordal Invitation to call again reassured me I knew he would sign our bill in due time I called at tile White Ilouse two or three times during the next few days i but failed to see Mr Lincoln he was engaged each lime Finally during the afternoon of the day before New Years as I was walking walk-Ing down Piimsj hania avenue It suddenly sud-denly occurred to me thai the Vest Virginia bill would have to bo signed before midnight or It would fail to be como a law as the constitutional limit I of ten days would expire at that hour Congress not being in session when tho ten days limit expired ex-pired the bill would not become a law as would be the case If Congress was In session HI hastened to the White House and although It was after hours I was r admitted The doorkeepers all knew me I rushed up to the Presidents ofllce There was no one there that I part of the building seemed to be de sorted While I was standing In the hall debating what to do I saw Mr Lincoln come out of a room some distance dis-tance down the hall and cross over Into another room I did not hesitate a moment I followed him I found the door of the room ajar t entered and discovered Mr Lincoln sitting near a window with his back to me reading a little book T said Mr President I would like to speak to you Without I looking up he replied seemingly in an I absentminded way I wish you I wouldnt Then turning around he said Oh is that you Blair Sit down I have just received bad news from the front I begged pardon for disturbing him and then I explained how It would be I necessary for him to sign the West Virginia bill before midnight of that day else It would fail I told him that I feared he had forgotten it hence my great concern over the matter Mr Lincoln assured me that he had not forgotten the bill but on the contrary con-trary had given It very srlous consideration con-sideration then he said Blair I must settle two propositions to my satisfaction II satisfac-tion before I make that bill a law First is it constitutional and second is I it expedient ThiG was the first intimation that I had ever had that there was any doubt in the mind of Mr Lincoln in regard to this measure Without stopping to ask permission I entered upon a discussion of the con slltutlonality of the law also advancing I advanc-ing arguments as to its expediency I never spoke more earnestly In all my I life than I did on that occasion for I about fifteen minutes We were all alone Mr Lincoln and I It was late In the afternoon and tho rays of the setting sun came through the halfopen blind I remember as I noted the declining de-clining sun tho thought occurred lo mo that it was a bad omen but thinking that while there was life there was hope I spoke the more earnestly When 1 had finished Mr Lincoln I I arose and taking me by the hand ho walked with mo out Into the hall to I I the head of the stairs Someway I did not reel that I was rebuked or that he was turning me oul there was a I warmth In the grasp of his hand which gave me hope I At lie head of the stairs Mr Lincoln I r Lin-coln turned and said Blair come J around early tomorrow morning and I 1 will let you know what I have done with that bill I vent to my hotel but it was very little sleep I got lhat night I was up before 5 oclock the next morning had breakfast before C oclock read or tried lo read the paper and walked the streets to kill time until I thought It would he a seasonable hour to go to the White House It had heen my Intention to go lo see the President about 10 oclock but by n l oclock I could endure the sua penso no longer BO I walked over or t I rather 1 almost ran to get there When I arrived the doors were 1 closed and there was no one about I tried to attract the attentIon of someone some-one Inside by 1 rattling the doors but no one came At last I went to one of tIe windows by the side of the door and tried to raise It To my great delight it went up and I climbed through There was no oca in the lower hall so I hastened ur < < xalrs to the Presidents private ofllce 5 t I found him there with Secretary i Stanton I said Mr President you requested me to call early this morning I morn-Ing and I am here Without saying a I word Mr Lincoln arose and walked to 1 a high desk at the side of the room I lifted the lid and took out a folded 1 paper which he unfolded as he returned re-turned to me He held It out and I saw it was the engrossed copy of the West Virginia bill and at the bottom I road Approved A Lincoln All I could say was Thank you Mr President Then I started for the door Just as I was passing out Mr Lincoln called to me and said Blair that was a firstrate speech you made last night Again I said Thank you Mr President Presi-dent and then I Hew down the stairs about three steps at a jump and out Into the street to the nearest telegraph office where I sent a telegram to the Governor of Virginia In which I said West Virginia bill approved Let the i people rejoice |
