March 25, 1861?
Public Meeting at Gilmer.
A large and respectable meeting was held at the Court house of Gilmer county on Wednesday, the 18th instant, irrespective of party, when John B. Townsend was called to the Chair, and H. Cain appointed Secretary.
The object of the meeting was explained by Mathew Holt, Esq., and on motion of John E. Hays, Esq., a committee was appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of the meeting.
The Chairman appointed the following gentlemen to draft suitable resolutions: John E. Hays, R. R. Turner, Hugh McNamar, Peter Fell, Charles S. Fisher and Mathew Holt, who, after a short absence, reported the following resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That this meeting endorse and approve the resolutions offered by Mr. Woods, the able representative from Barbour, as being the true doctrine of State Rights and State Sovereignty; that we believe in the right of a State to withdraw her allegiance from the Federal Government whenever she deems it her duty so to do.
Resolved, That Virginia, recognizing no authority in any Government to coerce a sister State into submission to Federal dictation, she will regard any such attempt as a declaration of war, and we will resist such, should it be made, to the last extremity.
Resolved, That the Convention now assembled in Richmond, has proven to be the vilest and most contemptible humbug of the present age:a Convention assembled for low party purposes:a Convention of galvanized Demagogues, preparing the machinery of party, to ride into office and power, and that we earnestly request our representative to withdraw from such a corrupt body, shaking the dust from his feet at its threshold.
Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting be signed by the President and Secretary, and copies sent to the "Barbour Jeffersonian," Richmond "Enquirer" and "Examiner" with a request to publish.
JOHN B. TOWNSEND, Cha'n.
H. CAIN, Sec'ry.
Timeline of West Virginia: Civil War and Statehood: March 1861