Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-11-24

1
trodden down by the murderous soldiery
and fiery car of war sweeping over our
land; the temples of justice laid in ashes;
Iallthe horrors and desolations'of war upon
US; who but this convention will be beld
responsible for 1T, and who but him who
shall have given his, vote for this unWise
and ill.timed measure, as I honestly think
and believe, shall be held to strict account
| fnr ais Suicidal act by thu present genera
/ tio1, and probably cursed and execrated
by posterity for all coming time, for the
wide and desolatiug ruintthat will inevita-
bly, follow this act you now propose to-
perpetrateR a - ~
| TIN! NORTH BLAMELBss.
"Pause, / entreat you, aud consider for
| a moment what reasons you can give that
VIII even satisfy yourselves ia eaImer mo-
Iments-What reasons you can give to your
fellow sufferers in the calamity that it will
bring upon us. What reasons can you give
to the nations of the earth TO justify it p
They will be the calm and deliberate Judges
in the'case; aud what cause, or one overt
act can you nalae or point 70, on which TO
rest the plea of lnstifcationt What right
has the Moth assai1ed2 What interest of
the South has been invaded !? What just
ice has been denfed2 and what claim found A
ed in justice and right has been withheld
Can either of you to-day name one govern
mental act of wrong, deliberately and pur-
posely done by the government OF Wash
ipgton Of which the South has right to
complaint challenge the answer
While, on the other hand, let me show the
facts (and hslfeye me, gentlemen, am not.
here the advocate of the North; but am
here the friend, the firm friend and lover
of the South aud her institutions, and for
this reason / speak thus plainly and faith
fully for yours, mine, and every other
mans interest, the words Of truth and So
bernessl of which wish yon to judge, and
1 will only state facts which are clear and
undeniable, and which now stand as re-
cords authentic in The history of our coma
try.
s'When Ue of the South demanded the
slave trade, or the Importation of Africans
for the culture of oul lands, did they not
yield the right for twenty yearsf When
we asked q three-ifths representation in
Congress for our slaves, was it not grant.
ed? When we asked and demanded the
return of any fugitive from justice, OF the
recovery of those persons owing allegiance,i
- 1J~s.-S;A..tsp-,
and again ratified aud strengthened by the
Fugitive Llaye Saw of 1850? But do you.
reply that in many Instances they have
violated this compact, and have not
been faithful to their engagements AS
individual and local communities they may
have done so, butnot by the sanction of
l government, for that has always been true
to southern Interests. - 49,
tsAgain, gentlemen, look at another fact:
when we have asked that more territOry
should be added, that We might spread the
institution Of slavery, have they not yield
ed to orr demands in giving us Louisiana,
II Florida and Texas, out of which foRr states
have been carved, and ample territory for
four motstb be added in due time, if you,
lhy this unwise aud impolitic act, do not
destroy this hope, and perhaps by it lose
tall, and have your last slave WrenChed from
Eyou by stern military rule, as South Amer
lea and Mexico were; or by the vlndictive
q decree of universal emancipation, which
: may reasonably be expected to follow
9 WHAT THP SOUTH HAD M The UNION.
"But, again, gentlemen, what have we
: to gain by this proposed change of our
2 relation TO the general government We
4 have always bad the control, and can yet,
five remain in it and are as united as we
: have been. We have had q majority of the
Il Presidents chosen from the Sonth; as well
9 as the control and management of most OF
those chosen from the North. Wehave had
sixty years of southern presidents to their
twenty four, thus controlling the execu-
tive department So of the judges of sthe
Supreme Court. we have hid eighteen from
1 the South, and but eleven from the North;
although nearly four fifths of the judicial
business has'arisen in the free states, YET
q majority of the court has always been
,I from the South. This we have required,
) SO as to guard against any Interpretation
of the constitution unfayorable to us. In
like manner we have been equally watchs
tut 70 iguard oaF InteFvstsr ip the legislative
e branch of the government. In CHOOSING
the presiding presidents (pro te1s.l of the
Senate, We have had twenty four 10 their
? eleven. Speakers of the House, we have
had twenty three, and they twelve; While
the majority of the representatives, from
their greater population has always been
from the North, yet we have so generally
) secured the SPeakerI because he, TO a
. greater extent, shapes and. CONTROLS the
legislation of the country. iasf gftt
HNor hayewe had less control in every
1 other department of the genefaT govern.
ment.l Attorney generals We have, had
tourteeni while the North have had but
hve. Foreign ministers We have; aiPhty,,
SIX. and they but ffty-fonr. While three
j teurths of the business which demands din,
Iomatie agents abroad isBclearly tromsths;
!ree states, from their greater e6inmefeial
lnterests, yet we have had the principal
embassies, so as to secure the world mar
y kets for cotton. tobacco and sugar. ON he
hest possible farms. We hAse had q vast
majority Of the higher otiiees Of both ar INV
and navy, while a.largef proportional of The
y soldiers aud sailors were drawn from the
North Equally so of clerks, auditors ana
eompt filling the executive depart.
y ment, the recordslshnW for the last City
year that Of three Thousand thus employei
Ne have had more than tWosfhfrds iof. ne
]. ssms, while We have but oqe.third Of the
II "a rafns ioSI. ~ - 80
S e dTs sI.sL. IN which We have great