Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-09-01
of Colors to the 18th
Regiment at Camp Wiley.
Speeches by r. O. Holiday, Esq,
we'll, Esq, and Major PeirpOInt.


in order 10 the middle of the grounds fac
ing the stand used by speakers on such oc-
casions and those who cast their eyes over
them as they stood there i'll close column
with new clean uniforms, proudly erect,
| will agree that no finer regiment ever en-
encamped in the Fair Grounds.
The presentation speech was made by
r. C. Holiday, Esq, of Moundsville, and
responded to on behalf of the regiment by
Lieut.. Col. Northcott, tue agreeable duty
having been deVolVed upon that officer by
Col. kiunk.
Mr.. Holiday was brought forward and
introduced TO the regiment by Col. Klunk.
Mr.. Holiday said:
Soldiers Of The Republic: when the As
syrian empire was totteriug to its deepest
| foundations. Beleses asked those that
stood around about him, "Do we stand
in Assyria's farthest hour?" And o,
with what solemn import might we each
and all address TO ourselves to this evening
the inquiry. Do we stand in the Republics
! farthest hour2 Does the civil war which
now RACES all over the length and breadth
of this land and the internal commissions
which agitate it, from its centre to its cir
conference, portend that we stand in the
Republics farthest hour2
Constitutions and constitutional govern
ment are sought to be overthrow by pop
ular breath and influence. The wild sys-
tenn of anarchy and resistance to the SOW
ereignty of the constitutional government
of the land has spread itself all over it,
from the east TO the west. Where is our
people? The arlizan has left behind him
the employment of his trade. The hus
bandman has gathered up the early ears of
his rich harvest and stored them hastily in
his graners, as before the approach of the
~, l.. I.,E,
tleir homes, and see them here to-day.
The spectacle which is this evening pre-.
sented to US is but the reiteration of what
has been exhibited during the past year
and third. The wild cry went over this
land. A band OF armed rebels confederated
together against the constitutional govern
ment of the country is seeking its destruc-
ton. They fired into the Star of the West
away down yonder in Southern waters
, The public mind had scarcely recovered
. itself from the shock until there went over
the land in its length and breadth with
lightning speed the electrifYing intelligence
of the firing upon Fort Sumter, with An
derson and his seventy starving men within
it. The firing upon the Star of the West
being the national emblem was regarded
and taken up as n challenge by the men OF
the West. The woodman laid down his
} axe, and the husbaudman left his pillow
, standing in the furrow; and they COM
menced armiug themselves and coming up
to the defence of their government, They
came up singing their wild war cry as they
: came, AT you get there before do, tell
l them | Gm coming too"
The great leading lines ofrailway stretch
ing from the Chesapeake 10 the great rivers
of the West, across half a continent built
by the capital and enterprise and industry
: of the nation in more happy aud peaceful
days, soon were made tributary to the great
demands of the country and wants of its
armies. The iron chariots came thunder
ing through your mountains and over your
plains bearing upon them not as in other
} days, the peaceful commerce and travel of
of the land but loaded with legions of arm
ed men, gathered to the battle. These
men were coming up, not for lucre or gain,
but in response TO their country's call in
r its dark and evil days. They were coming
, up to fight the great battle for Constitu-
tional freedom and for national unity, both
of which were imperilled. Wars do not
D originate unless from some definite and
a specific cause. The war of the Revolution
! originated from the imposition of tax up.
on tea and other articles. The war of 1872
originated from the right claimed and at.
t tempted to be exercised by the British gov.
s ernnent of searching our merchantmen
n upon the high seas in time of peace. The
Crimean war was caused by the aim of Rus
: sia to extend its empire over Turkey to the
Dardanelles. And this war has also as
a every other modern war of a national char
I acter has had definite and specific origin.
From the adoption of our present constitu-
tional form of government then existed
8 without it two distinct aud hostile elements.
: These elements were free labor aud servile
i labor, To suppose that these elements ever
harmonized together is an error of fact.
9 ServiIe labor placed its footprints on the
I banks of the Chesapeake and it at once
: started southwark, over the Potomac, over
, the James, over the Carolinas, over Flori-
da and over tho Gulf to the Mexican line,
absorbing Texas. The other the principle
4 | of free labor turned its face to the bleak
h mountains, and the cold lakes of the North
and it travelled onward and still onward
looking steadily and ever to the great green,
far stretching plains of the West onward
3 still onward in eItenSo as the theatre of its
. future empire and greatness
In the fourth of q century, although
originally agreeing like Lot and Abraham
on the plains of the East, to separate and
} travel on opposite directions, they came
, together in 1920 upon the prairies of Mis-
souri,. They came together not as friends
they came together as the separators-as
enemies and when they met face to face
they at once engaged in deadly conflict
| which eonvulsed the nation to its center.
, The pure patriot and intellectual giant,
Henry Clay, by his compromise measures
of that date stepped between the belliger-
cuts and commanded peace. They were
} separated but not reeonciled. When anoth-
er generation had died, and with it the
men who ruled the storm of 1920, they
met again face to face upon the plains of
Kansas. They met as they parted in 81,
and as they met again on the plains of
Missouri in 1920, face to face as deadly
enemies, and conflict at once ensued and
human blood was spilled.
From that poiut eliminated the present
} existing rebellion and civil war. The hia-