Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-08-21
Free Speech in Western Virginia.

Last week We published the proceedings
of meeting organizing Republican AS
soc;ation" in the City of Wheeling. To US
this vas not at all surprising, as We were,
credibly informed that WASHINGTON, JEF-
FERsoS and MADISON, had many true disci-
Piles in Ohio County. The came article also
annou need ihst the Association would meet
again on Friday evening. the 18th inst
The evening of the meeting arrived, and the
members of the association assembled in
the Melodeon Hall. together with a large
number of spectators. The Club, after
transacting some business connected with
their society, were addressed BY DR.. G. P.
SMITa, of South Wheeling, in an able
speech, on the causes which led to their or
ganization and the object TO be attained
BY it. We are Informed that there vas
nothing infammatory in the speech. what
ever, hnt, on the contrary, he occupied the
only conservative ground-ground that was
occupied BY statesmen to whom Virginia
chivalry of this day point as the real fathers
Of the Republic. During the deiverr o: the
speech, the speaker was frequently inter-
rupted by cries, groans and Kisses, evidently
intended to deter him from finishing his re-
marks. After the adjournment of he Club,
the mob collected in the stree. and when Dr..
SIXTH made his appearance they made 4
rush to get possession of bis person, for the
purpose, judging from their expressions, of
doing him some violence. His friends, how
ever, succeeded in protecting him until they
had arrived at some distance from the Hail.,
when they were jostlsd entirely away from
him, and he was left to their tender mercies.
He was caught by some men in the crowd,
and scufIie ensuing, he was thrown to the
ground, and as he rose he drew from his
pocket small pocket knile, and inflicted a
severe wound on the person OF one Of the
men who had hold of him. He also cut
another msn slightly in the hand. After
this he sueecedrd in reaching the McLure
where he was comparatively safe. In the
meantime one of his friends had procured a
police sficer, who locked him up in jail for
the aisht.
No demonstration was made on any other
member of the Association, although sew
eral of them were threatened. On Satur-
day when DR.. Smith sought to be released
from Jail he was compelled to give bond in
the sum of $500 for his appearance before
the magistrate. While he was in Jail, we
are told he received brutal treatment at
| the hand of all officer, whose name we for
bear giving, for the present.
The reports in circulation that the men,
bers Of the association deserted DR.. SMITH
when he was attacked, are without the
slightest foundation in fact, as is also the
report that certain gentleman from Ohio
was so closely pursued that he was COM
PEELED to take to the river and wade across.
The members Of the Club were with SMITH
until the trouble was entirely over, and he
was safe in Jail.
II may be very pleasant to these persons
in Wheeling who symp4thize with this law
less proceeding, to think that they sue eeded
in dispensing q peaceable company Of men,
whc were met together for lawful purpose,
and that they have to some ex:en: gagged
men in the expression of their honest opin-
ions but they will find that it will not in the
leas. raise the reputation of their city
abroad. But while there were some two or
three hundred persons in the mob, many Of
them prominent men in the city. we are
happy to know that the re silly solid men Of
Wheeling repudiste the whole proceeding,
and hesitate not to pronounce it the most
disgraceful occurrence that has ever happen.
ed there. This mob may, by virtue OF their
superior numbers, succeed in dispensing
meetings forcibly, and thus check the free
expression ofopinion, but the lesven is at
work, and all such attacks but increase the
numbers of those they seek to put down. I
The "Repub.ican Association" is formed
of men who know what they arc about, men
who deplore the further extension Of Slavery,
because they see the effect of its working
on the prosperity of their State. and the
minds Of the people who come in contac,
with it. All attempts to crush the men
the agitators, and Free Speech will event
ually triumph, in Western Virginia, at least.
We believe we have given plain stale
ment of the fact of the case, aJovt, if not
we will cheerfully right any wrong impress
sion they convey. We are thorough be-
liever in Free Speech, and believe that even
Error, itself, should be freely promulgated
where reason is left free to combat it, and
it lowers no man in our estimation if we
know that he honestly differs with US in
opinion. NIB law. and gags, however. will
not be submitted to in this part of the world.
TIE "Republican Association of Wheel
irg" will meet at the Melodeon Hall on
Friday evening next.
At the very organization Of this new par.
ty. Mr.. Seward in speech at Albany, Oct.
u, 1855, said:
"We want bold, out-spoken, free-spoken
organization cne that openly proclaims its
principles, its purposes and its objects-in
fear of God, and not of man like that army,
which Cromwell led. that established the |
Commonwealth of England. This is the
organization we wan."