Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-03-14
Democratio neeting.

House on Monday last to stratlty the &C
ton Of the Slaunton Convention, and TO
appoint delegates to Congressional Con-
yentiOn, should one be held"
Upon the assembling of the people, Hon.
@. S. Lewis addressed the meeting and
defined his position on the question of
Know Nolhingism. He said that he had
been classed by public prints at Richmond
and elsewhere, as sympathiser with the
principles if not member of that organi-
cation. and that he deemed it due to his
constituents and to himself that he should
ganization-neyer contemplated joiningit.
and that he never would. He said he was
suffering from one of the most severe colds
he had ever experienced, and was physi-
cally unable to fully discuss this question
now, Blu: would do SO during the canvass.
He was opposed to the order-opposed to
its secret feature as unnecessary and rep
rehensible in free country. That it was
intended as an instrument to break down
the Democratic party, and that he could
never betray his friends>and injure those
who had supported him. He could sup
port no organization contemplating. either
directly or indirectly, union OF Church
aud State, which the trainers of our gov
eminent had wisely separated. But NE
cannot give any thing like report of his
remarks. He. however. placed himself
right on the Know Nothing question. He
announced. the passage of the soldiers land
warrant bill, and said that he had yielded
to the solicitations of his friends, and was
again candidate for Congress. He then
reverted to our Democratic State ticket.
He spoke in glowing terms of Hon. Henry
A. Wise, and while speaking of his past
course, he was interrupted by some one
coming into the Court House and announ-
cling that Mr.. Wise had arrived.
Upon this announcement, Mr.. Lewis
said be was glad fit; that Mr.. Wise could
discuss these questions better than he
could, and closed his remarks, when the
meeting adjourned very Informally, every
body rushing out to greet tie distinguished
nominee Of the Democratic party. The
announcement was found to be false; the
report having undoubtedly been started
by some Know Nothing for the purpose oil
disturbing the meeting.
organization was made by calling THos
HICXMAN. Esq, TO the chair. and appoint,
ing ". p. Cooper Secretary.
Robert Johnston, Esq, arose for the pur-
pose of offering a series Of resolutions,
which had been prepared for the occasion.
but was unable to find them. He had laid
them upon the table used by the bar, up.
on the assembling of the meeting, but du-
! ring the confusion arising from the an
nouncement of Mr. Wise's arrival, they
had been stolen from the table.
Upon motion of w. P. Cooper, com
mittee of three were appointed to prepare
a new set of resolutions expressive Of the
sense of the meeting.
The chair appointed Mcssrs. VIM. P
Cooper, jeff. B. West and n. Lewis, zaid
committee.
The committee then retired and during
its absence, Mr.. Johnston addressed the
meeting in few able and pertinent re.
marks. He said that the people had mel
with grievous disappointment in coming
to hear Hon. Henry A Wise, who was
expected to address the people here to-
day but that perhaps he had paid us a
greater compliment by staying away thar
he would have paid US by coming. He may
have rightly considered that the scl
needed tie physician and not the whole
Ihat this county was Suppo. ed to be
friendly to him, which he believed TO bt
lrue-Ilat indeed. lie knew OF no Democrat
who had kept the t"ith or any Wing. rs
such. who was opposed to him. He was
aware that there was. in this community
a secret political association, which was
industriOuSly engaged in the work Of be.
getting opposition and sowing the seeds o
dIsaffection, to Mr.. Wise. Their number.
perhaps the more terrible on that account
alone, as mystery always excites the i'm.
aginauiOn. He denounced Know Nothing
ism US contrary to the spirit Of the age and
country in which we live. That its Sc,
cret feature was dangerous, as avoiding
the restraints Of public opinion so salutary
in guiding and controlling man in the af
fairs Of life that its religious intolerance
was subversive of the fundamental prin,
ciples of our government, and antagonis
tic to the act establishing religious liberty
in Virginia. He quoted from and com.
mented upon that act, the authorship o.
which WAS matter of so much pride
to Thos. Jefferson, man Of SO many IT,
ties to fame, that he deemed it ono o.
three things alone worthy of being EN-
braced in his epitaph. He spoke Of the
object of the order being to change the
venue of the elective franchise from before
the people to the secret Council chamber o.
that association. He compared the
order to the Jacobin Clubs of France, and
briefly traced the history of those clubs
showing conclusiYely that secret political
associations could only result in evil
The committee here returned and re
ported the following resolutions. TIL.
vote was first taken upon the FIRST six re-
solutions which were unanimously adopt
ed. After which, the vote was taken or
the two last resolutions. which were alsC
! i