Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-09-24
From Forney's Press.
Wilson Reilly on the Stump.
BEpFoRp August 3I. Is

/ IN "A
+ BEDFORD August 81, 1853
I Understanding that the Hon Wilson Refill,
would address mass meeting of the Democrac,
OF this county, stolled into the court house tS
see and hear how things are said apd done BY
men of Mr.. Reilly's political course The meet
Ing was not large one for court week, because
OF tae absence of the president Judge; but il
was respectable in both plumbers aud enthusi-
asm An organization was effected with the
usual prelialinaries, and Committee on Reso-
lutions appointed. When the committee ro.
tired, Mr. Reilly was formally introduced to
the meeting by short but enthusiastic speech
from Maj. Samuel Fl. Tate. He was we'll re-
eelved, and spoke for about an hour on the sub
Jects of Kansas, the tariff, and the expenditures
OF the National Administration About one.
haii his time was occupied in an effort to iusti-
fy his recent vote in Congress on the Lecomr-
ton Constitution and the English BILL
de commenced wi,E the first Territorial
Legislature; and, assuming il to have been le-
gally elected, ccntended it had legal right to
call a constitutional convention; that the Le-
compton Convention was leg,l convention.
and had full powers to frame u Constitution;
that, having framed one, it was legal to submit
II to Congress for approval. without having
submitted the same 10 popular vote; and that
the Constitution, having been so submitted.
congress vas bound to accept il, there being
nothing in it to conflict with the Constitution
OF the United States. 6uoh was his logic and
mode of argument. He altogether denied the
fact of the fraudulent election of the first Ter
filorial Legislature, and totally ignored the
still greater fact that this same Iecomptop
Constitution had been repudiated by rnDjori-
y OF over ten thousand of tbe qualified voters
81 Kansas, and these same squatter soversigns
had disowned and protested against it in every
possible shape. lie commenced in the middle
OF Kansas history, and ended in the middle,
omitting the most important facts. "It was
the play of Hamlet, with Hamlet left Out - aDd
his great hobby was the legality OF that pre-
cious Leeompton document.
@ Shylock never contended for the sspound of,
hesh'' IN the bond with more perseverance, and
or EIfar IaIBods Ia
At the outset Of his remarks he confessed he
had at one time viewed the whole matter differ
emily, but that he had changed. lie promised,
before be closed, to ssiiye the reasons Of this
change, which promise be strangely and most
unfortunately omitted TO make good. 1t was
no doubt expected he would give some pretty
good reason why be had voted and spoken for
Lecompton after he had written out that cele-
brated strong speech against, aud shown it to
his friends, and sworn again and again hnstili-
ty TO the whole iniquity. But in this there
was al entire failure He labored bard in his
own defence, and was listened to with attentive
respect, but with most marked aud significant
silence. On the whole, we considered bis eff
fort complete failure, and the appreciation Of
his audience confirmed our individual impress
sions. After he got of the subject of Kansas,
be succeeded in again exciting some enthusiasm
among his hearers on other topics; but he is a
sanguiue man indeed if he has not discovered
that his pathway is beset with difficulties, and
that he has hard road to travel.
In concluding the Kansas portion of bis speech
Mr.. Reilly declared, if reelected, and Kansas
presented herself to Congress with another
Constitution, (she having rejected the English
bribe by vote of seven to one,) be would vote
for her admission But shall we believe him!
As Democrat, |, Cor one: will not ''lf mine
enemy says the Spanish proverb, ''deceive me
once, shame on ham; if he deceive me twice,
shame on me-" Wilson Reilly was popular
sovereignty Democrat before he went on to
Washington, and both in public and in private
s'swore terribly he never could be induced to
vote for the Lecompton swindle, or any other
instrument that bore upon its face such palpa-
BILE evidence of its being repugnant to large
majority. He wrote an anti-Lecompton speech
aud read it to Democrat, who is personal
friend of the writer of this; he declared in
Cbambersburg, in Harrisburg, and in Washing
ton, his abhorrence of the course of tue Ad-
ministration, in breaking the faith of the Dem
ocratic party, solemnly pledged in 1886, and
President Buchanan's declaration to the people
of Kansas, given through Gov. Walker. Yet,
afterwards, through Executive influence, or
through some other cause, he turned round and
voted for this very swiudle, aud is now engaged
in the miserable paltry undertaking of showing
its legality. -
A BUCHANAN DEMOCRAT IN 1886.