Thursday, January 17, 2013

1863 January 1 Washington, D. C.

                               Washington City
                                    Jany 1, 1863

J. w. Paxton Esq.
            Dear Sir,  The "agony is over"
at last; as you will have learned
by Telegram to Gov. Pierpoint.  The
President has signed the Bill admit-
ting West Virginia, after long hesita-
tion, and much importunity.  At his
request Messrs Brown, Blair & myself
again waited on him last night &
were with him several hours.  His
cabinet (excepting Mr. Smith) had
filed written opinions, being re-
quired to do so by the President.
To add to the embarrasment of the
President, three of these opinions
were for admission & three against
it.  He read these opinions to us,
withholding the names of the authors;
but from previous interviews etc,
I know that, Seward, Stanton & Chase

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were for us, and Wells, Bates &
Blair against us--You see we
had the brains on our side.
 I suppose the Commissioners will
instantly proceed to convince the
convention --- not, I trust, without
as far as possible, having elections
in the counties where delegates
were not heretofore appointed, in
delegates therein.
  I feel a great relief that
our work in Congress is done.
Only those who preformed it, are
prepared to appreciate the diffi-
culties we have encountered, &
the amount of labor, forbearance,
and discretion that were requi-
site to accomplish the end.
   Wishing you a happy New
Year, with many returns of
the season, I am
Yours Truly,
                       W. T. Willey

Waitman T. Willey, 1811-1900, 1st Senator from West Virginia

MSS 15234

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