Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-07-19

ted who would have voted for Bell and
Everett had they been squarely supported,
with reasonable prospect of success, but
who revolt al the idea Of being drawn af-
ter the car Of the head breaker of the
Missouri Compromise, and thus thrust in
to the Democratic ranks Three-fourths
of those in our city who supported Mr..
Fillmore in 1856, utterly refuse to vote for
Douglas: most of them are already deci-
dedly for Lincoln: and the rest are coming
along. Read the report of the meeting
last mighty. /. Tribune, yesterday
in the report OF the meeting we fnd
, great..number Of excellent letters from such
distinguished conservatives as Truman
Smith, once - [. 5. Senator: Hon. Roger
S. Baldwin: Hon. James Putnam Hon.
Willis Hall, and vas, number of other
celebrities, who never up to the present
have acted with the Republican par
II. Il may be interesting TO readers here,
who up TO Ihis time. and even yet. do not
cooperate with the Republicans, to know
what has Influenced these many Intelligent
gentlemen TO go for Lincoln and Hamlin
this year Hon. Truman Smith says that
he fully believes that were Henry Clay
now living. he would. N some marked
form, assert the principles and maintain
the cause which you yourselves propose to
assert and maintain by sustaining Mr..
Lincoln for the Presidency"
The letter Of the Hon. James Putnam is
longer than Mr.. Smiths and gives more
his reasons IN detail, and many of them
are SO good that we quote at greater
length.
! He says:
] Now, let me ask, why should we not
vote for Lincoln. and sustain the Repub-
lican policy? First-Whnt is that policy
in regard to the leading issue of the day?
This and nothing more, as l understand
it: To preserve to freedom Territories
now free. Loud and continued ap-
piause. In other words, to adhere to
the principles OF Mr.. Clay, as declared by
him IN his memorable speech of 1850.
1t makes no retrograde movement in all
thst pertains to human progress. 1t does
not propose to interfere with Slavery in
Wig 1 bSF but B 5Rs contrary 1t has some
lition party, and from the strong couser-
vatiYe element in it, can no more become
SO than can the Baltimore Union party.
Every liberal-minded man knows this.
If it is sectional, because its ticket is
made from the North, and its main sun
port is in the North, the responsibility
Of this lies at the door of the Democrat
&c party, for it has established reign of
terror all over the South which renders
1T unsafe for man to cooperate with the
organization.
Now who, and what, is Mr. Lincoln. that
Conservative men shauld shrink from him
rs from contugion? have read him care
fully, and have not been able to find a
sentiment in all his frank, unrescrved dis
cuSsions, which does not accord with what
Mr. Clay has uttered over and over again.
lie is opposed to making free territory
slave. So was MIR. Clay He looks hone
fully to the extinction of the institution.
aud the substitution of a more humane
and Just relation of labor to capital, and
that by the parties interested, and in law
full and proper ways. SO did Mr.. Clay.
He is no fanatic, b0wling after equal social
and political rights for the negro with
the white race. Read his debate with
Senator Douglas for the most sound and
co;nmon-sensc views on all this class of
questions. He does believe the negro to
be man, and not thing, and that tho
broad humanity of our Declaration of In
dependence, which declares that all men
are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit
OF happiness, as the free gift Of God is u
universal principle as good at the tropics
as IN the temperate ATTITUDES. Renewed
applause. Did Mr.. Clay think otherwise ?
| see nothing in Mr.. Lincoln's political
character which repels me from his sun.
port.
In his personal character find much
that is attractive. 1t is the universal
testimony, it comes from political Zoe
and friend alike, who know him, that he
has kept his heart sound in ali his life
battle So pre-cmincnt is his integrity.
SO deep rooted is his justice in public
confidence, that his familiar appellatiop
is So6Tiquet indicative of that confidence.
Few men win this in any country. Aris-
tides did, and he was baniShcd from Athens
because he was ''honest"
We not immaculate. but do mot
oelIeve we are yet prepared to Danish our
Arlstldcs because he is called .the just. >
Very respectfully, JAMES o. PUTNAM.
We regret that the crowded state of our
first page to-day compels us to curtail our
extracts from the interesting proceedings
of this great conservative meeting.
In conclusion we notice that Mr. Spaul-
ding read the following resolutions:
HhercQs, Presidential election once
more approaches, whereof the issue is al
already manifest; therefore. 81
Resoi"ed, That the election of Abraham
Lincoln to the Presidency, now morally
certain, will fifty close an era of prodica-
Iity, imbecility, and sectional discord. and
usher in the rule of integrity, economy,
and nationality, restoring the golden age
of the Republic ~
Eesotred, That we call upon our citizens
without distikction of party to rally round
the standard of Lincoln and Hanli1 FIonT
appiausel, in full assurance atthcir cleo
ton will insure renewed and most neednll