Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-09-19
The MoundsvIlIe Convention.

Tention is 70 represent new aud better or
order of things in its meeting and organizs'
ton. We adverted yesterday to our CORES.
pondenee from Clarksburg rejecting very
consciously upon the style of appointing
delegates from that county. We sincerely
trust that such style is to meet with nc
general favor or endorsement in other
counties. 1t is such methods of doing bu-
siness that have in times past disguised
the people with the very name of oonven-
lions. They are now looked upon with
natural distrust, and We may say that the
coming Convention at MoundsyilIe has
been ncquiessed in only under the pressure
of an apprehended danger and not as a
thing of choice. We can conceive OF
nothing more derogstOry to the citi-
zen of a free country, in his chat
acter of a representative, than permit
ting himself to be made the machine of
some aspiraut for office in a nominating
Convention. If Conventions were mere
arenas in which certain partisan retainers
were to contest for the supremacy of some
patron to whom they were behoIden as the
followers of some Squire, then no one
could look for anything like moral man
hood, but simply for personal subserviency.
The Conventions of the past in this dis
trict, as in most others, have been of this
character. They were simply the packed
and suborued juries of certain were-puIl-
ing contestants, and the strife was to see
who could get not the people of county,
but the Court House clique of the county.
Aud this is why the whole usage became
SO odious and contemplate in the eyes of
the people. And is why there has been,
even in our present situation of doubt and
danger, SO much aversion to district
convention.
From the outset we have appealed to the
people, not the cliques. of each county, to
look we'll to the selection of delegates to
the Moundsvile Convention, because of its
Importance aud the peculiar necessity of
right steps at this crisis in our National
affairs. We believe there has been prev
aleut disposition in most of the counties to
select the very best men and we trust that
it will turn out when the convention meets
that 1t is composed of the best men in each
county of the district. Most assuredly the
best men of each county are not the bigot-
ed partiEans of the couuty-men Who are
the machines of some aspiraut and who
know nothing aud care nothing except for
his success. It Is satire on free institutions
and on anything like generous or noble
personal independence, to come together
in convention like the hireliugs and de-
pendants of some Shire Magnate, simply
to intrigue, and circumvent, aud forestalI,
and not in the capacity of intelligent free
men, approaching their surroundings and
DESTROYS and determined to do whatever
in them lies to promote the good of a great
cause.
Is it impossible to have a convention
made mp of men who will really represent
the indifference of the people to mere aspi'
rants2 who will come together determined
to do what is best for the good of the cause'
At such time as the present, if ever, We
ought to have such Convention. Mer
are nothing in this contest, and the either
who follows blindly some leader into 1
Convention, is unworthy TO be there. 70
our part we have determined to throw nj
FIRE brand into this canvass, but to sinl
all personal advocacy In the pursuit o
unity and harmony of action among loya
men. All the candidates have had exactl.
the same advantages 10 our columns an,
whatever they have had to say has bee
fettered or restricted by no comments @
ours. Both in the way OF candidacy an
advocacy, we have declined in the slight
est degree to jeopardi1e what We c0uceir
ed to be the paramount consideration d
I. this time-yiz-unity. With much reluc
lance we have suggested and advocated
Convention, and only from the firm cor
] victiou that with all its usual failipgs an
failures, it is q necessity in this crisis
But Convention will produce the de
sired end only in proportion as tn
people are satisfied that its organization
and nomination approximate a fair ex
preston Of the popular feeling. THICKER
will not reconcile old differences, but viii
Instead, producenew ones. Fair open actio
coupled with high exhibition of attach
ment to the good of the cause will find
response from the people after the adjourn
ment of the convention, but nothing els
will. No forestalling, like that reported
from Clarksburg, no juggelry in favor o
candidates, will keep down bad feeling
Therefore we appeal to the people ere ye
the convention assemblies to use every pre-
caution to make its assemblage success
for the cause. Send good men and good
men only and confde the largest discre-
-. 10 theIr indignant a. to the nhnins