Governor Pierpoint of Virginia asked the legislature to pass a law authorizing the arrests of distinguished secessionists and Southern sympathizers to be held as hostages for civilians seized from Western Virginia. The legislature instead called on Lincoln to make such arrests. No one can tell what will happen; some are leaving the state. Whelan does not think he will be arrested, but he sends his second protest, to be published, with the first, in case he is arrested. But it is not necessary to wait results to speak of the seizures of those nonresistants who were pledged protection and security by the government, through its military agent. Their charter election was held last Monday, Dr. George Baird, a professed Unionist W _____ W. Shrives, the abolitionist candidate. The abolition newspaper called those who should vote for Baird traitors and secessionists. They were determined, however, to have a full and free vote, for the purpose of securing such a vote when the State question came up. Whelan was the first one to cast a vote that day. The separation of western Virginia will prove one of the most serious obstacles to an early peace. The mountains of western Virginia would prove a shelter to all the dissatisfied Negroes. Virginia will not agree to the separation, and the Confederacy will back her in this. The United States will gain only two abolitionist senators of the meanest class and traitors against the state, whose aims will be to prevent peace and whose domination at home will be harsh and tyrannical because of the base means by which they gained power. The Northern newspapers can do much to bring about a free vote, denounce intimidation, and request information so that the North may know whether it is to be accomplished by fraud. ` A.L.S. 4pp. 12mo. ` The Enclosure: ` "Protest of Bishop R.V. Whelan" Against his arrest. Bishop Whelan protests the action of the Northern government in arresting him and detaining him as hostage for the safety of active participants in the Civil War, since his position as Catholic bishop has barred him from bearing arms and his sense of propriety has kept him out of politics all his life. He protests against his detention as unjust, for both the National Government at Washington and the State Government at Wheeling have Constitutions admitting the liberties of opinion and speech. His detention violates the established rules of civilized warfare, which forbid molesting non-combatants. It violates also General McClellan's pledge to the West Virginians, in which he promised protection and security to all who would remain at their homes. Bishop Whelan further protests the exacting of an oath as an arbitrary and despotic act and a violation of General McClellan's pledge, and he protests especially the oath proposed, which involved perjury in its terms, since the "Reorganized Government of Virginia" is revolutionary in character and in no sense represents the "Government of Virginia," and since it does not fairly represent the people in the western part of the state. Bishop Whelan calls upon all who feel as he does to demand that the United States government live up to its pledges of security to non-combatants. He shall take no oath, and give no pledge except that which he has given already that, while residing under the protection of a government, he will not use his liberty to injure the government illegally. While his imprisonment lasts it will be an enduring protest against the tyranny and perfidy of those who imprisoned him; and will proclaim to all lovers of liberty the disregard of the Washington Administration for rights and truths. Regarding the fact that he is being held as hostage, Bishop Whelan relieves the Richmond authorities of all responsibility toward him, charging them to treat their prisoners with justice and discretion. He himself is a non-combatant and non-resistant, and arraigns himself before the tribunal of the civilized world as well as before the elements of honor and decency in the North, defying the malignity of the Administration at Washington. :: I-1-m A.L. 3pp. 8vo.