Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-01-24

VI .tti tue men whose names are now pre-
sentcd to the American people by the DEM
Eocracy with regard to the next presidency,
that would not see any one attain that
high position sooner than John c. Breckin-
ridge, of Kentucky.
.s4a EQUAL RIGHTS.
But, gentlemen, neither Gev.AIagoffin nor
Senator Breckenridge arc infallible, and,
here tonight, humble as may be, union
ored as ain by having these doors closed
upon me, a native of kentucky and man
that belongs toyone of the great parties of
the United States, 1 mean to be the peer of
the gentleman in every respect so far as man
is equal to man. God knows do not de-
tract from, nor do / envy the honors oftllese
distinguished gentlemen, for whatever else
can be said of them, it cannot be denied that
they wear their hOnors gracefully and with.
becoming humility. ltE
We must recOllect that in this Commons
wealth we stand on n broad basis of equal
ity, and that. Whatever other. people may!
think, | have just as muclrright to be heard
here and nov as other men, Let my opin<
ions be whit they. may those opinions ought
to be fairly canvassed, md if they are good,
you should fvindicate them by carrying them
into practice, and if they be bad, then it is
your duty to reject them and take those
that are BETTER VI l -5!8
IL SINCERELY yAN'EMANcIPAT1oNIsT. AN
As 1 said in the beginning. Gibbon says
of the two greatest virtues, sincerityis one.
This, gentlemen, whatever may be my
shortcomings with regard to courage, be-
lieve my sincerity and love of truth have
not been questioned, and although am here
alone. one amOng-n million, differing frGm
you, it possibly may be, l knew that you
will credit that believe that wiichal say
l believe. do not deny that following tho
faith of our fathers, | am an emancipation
iSt. How would l commend myself, then,
TO you, if, having made this avowal every
where within the limits Of the Comm"n-
wealth, should conceal or deny my seuti-
mcmts? He is MT n dangerous man that
gncs about openly AID above beard, avowilg
what his sentiments arc, hut he is tie Ga!I-
g"rous lnan who having sentiments, denies
them, ana You ali knew and feel ikis ilttIi.
and therefore it is because you believe
have been true III my uttUraHce, THAI Lave
been able to stand comparatively alone i
The State. telling these things. l am. upcn
ibis sui iact Ut emancipation, Just Where l
Always was. But co not Eow irtcHd 10
niScuss Ills subject. DC not now propose
TO enter into =, ';cbate as 10 whether We
should, by gradual, aud distant, al.dIfcs-
pcctivc mans, get clear III StaVe;T. That
in every county in this Commonwealth,
again ard ng;:ili. Ila5 Is not tie ncstnt
issue. 1t ca1nUt be doI.icd. ard you all
know it. that lave always stctd family and
squarcly upon TIC CONSTITUTION aud the laws,
that lave ever been Cbcdicnt to law, u
law and oIdtr man.
THE M-rIsoN COUNTY MONS.
Now, gentlemen. for few personal cx-
plantations, LcicIc / enter upon the NiTGica-
tiUn of the Republican party. Allow me
here 10 state what has been and what yet
is my position in my own county. There
arc distinguished gentlemen ere, members
of the Legislature, and outside OF the legis-
lative body, of Madison, and they know that
that which shall say is so, is truth. al
lude TO the expulsion Of the Rev. John G.
Fec, of Kentucky, and some nineteen other
citizens Of the Commonwealth by birth and
choice, from thcir homes; and their depar-
turc into exile. -.
Some three ye0rs since, on the Fourth OF
July. when Mr. Fee returned again to the
State after a temporary absence, he took
the ground Of what may be called the rad
ical abolition party, that as q citizen of the
commonwealth. lie owed no allegiance to the
constitution and laws adopted and enacted
on the subject of Slavery, and that he plant-
cd himself on the higher law Of natural
right Although ! accorded to him, that
which now believe and still assert, that he
was honcst-tiat he was pure in his pur-
pose, that lie was actuated by the highest
love of Christian charity, yctit was not the
ground upon which / stood, as l was con-
stitution and law loving man, argued to
him that could not and should no longer
stand by him, that / owed it TO myself and
owed it to those laboring men of the country
who held no slaves, whose cause pleaded,
and who confidcd in my leadership, to say
to them that his was nm unsafe and untena-
bic position, and one which no man can
hold; that it would Immediately bring them
into conflict with the laws of the country,
and that that position, no matter by whom
strengthened. could not be maintained.
That is what told him and them. We! now,
l am no Don Quixotc to go forward and fight
the battles of every man who may venture
an opinion upon the subject Of slavery; ard
an / to be accus d rs scditious man and
denounced by others as a bully because l
was willing to stand by those men who took
and maintained the gronnd that had taught
them 10 stand upon? ] put it TO every man
that hears me if it would not have been base
in me- after | had persuaded men cOmpala-
lively ignorant to come out and take ground
against slavery, if had deserted them!
Although love life as much as any man,
and have perhaps as much TO 1--we lor, MS
any man, would die ten, thonsand deaths
before would be guilty of such base in
gratitude. l say this that wherever man,
planting himself on the broad constitutional
ground of our fathers of rs, follows nc, VIII
stand by and defend lin 10 the best OF my
ability and give lin such protection as /
can when tie laws of'the couniry refuse to
give him what the Constitution. guarantees
/ Ia Kim as his right. Therefore could not
stand By Fee and his associates l believe