Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-06-10

you will nominate here for the Presidency
of the United States, aud ruler of q great
people In aIgreRt crisis, 10 Just De certain
suppose TO become that ruler as any
thing under heaven is certain before Il is
done. Prolonged cheering. And, more
over, you will allow me to say, though per.
haps it 10 hardly strictly proper that
should-but as far as Ikn0w your opiu.
ions suppose It is just as certain now
before you utter it whose name you will
utter, and which will be responded to
from one end to the other Of this nation,
as It will be after it has been uttered and
recorded by your Secretary. Does any
man doubt that this Convention ou Intends to
say that Abraham Lincoln shall be the
nominee2 [Great applause What wish,
however, to call your attention to is the
grandeur Of the mission upon which you
are met, and therefore the dignity and SOL
emnttyS eafnestneSs and epnscientiousness
rhiehi sseaIi69 onslof the great.
est and certainly ona Of the first people Of
the world, you ought TO discharge these
duties. GApplause. Nl- d. az
Now, besides the nomination of Presi.
dent and Vice President, in regard to which
second office will say nothing, because
know there is more or less difference Of
opinion among you; but, besides these
nominations, you have other most solemn
duties TO perform. You have to organise
this party thoroughly throughout the
United States. You have to put 1t in what.
ever form your wisdom will suggest that
will unite ell your wisdom, energy and dc.
termination to gain the victory which
have already said wsSin our power. More
than that, you have tOlay down with clear
ness and precision the principles on which
you intend to carry on this great political
contest and prosecute the war which is Rn-
derneath them, and the glory of the coun-
try which lies before us if we succeed
Plainly, not in q double senss-brieAy,
not in treatise, with the dignity and pre-.
cision of great people to utter, by its
representatives, the political principles by
which they intend to live, and for the sake
Of which they are willing to die. So that
all men everywhere may understand pre-
cisely what we mean, and lay that farroW
so deeply and clearly that while every man
who is worthy to.assoeiate with freemen
may see it and pass over it, every man who
is unworthy may be either unable TO pass
it or may be driven far from US. We want
none but those who are like as to be with
Us. CApplause.1 s
Now, among these principles, if you will
allow me to say 1t, the first aud most
distinct is, that We do not intend to permit
this nation to be destroyed. EApplause I
We are natiou-no doubt peculiar one
"a nation formed Of States, and no nation
except as these States form It. And these
States are no States except 90 they are
States in that nation. They had no more
right to repudiate the nation than the ma
tion has to repudiate them. None of them
had even the shadow Of right to do this,
and God helping us, We will Vindicate that
truth so that it shall lsEer be-; disputed
eng -'Nt0 10 ht8luoFld. 4 AnnIause.1 e
q fearful alternative EhaA-is soe +boNOFsRg,
but there are great comp ~ lions for IT,
Those of you who have aillded 70 this 6uh-
ieet know, or ought to know, that from tho
foundation of the present Government, be-
fore aud since our present Constitution
was formed, there have always been par.
ties that had no faith iu our Government.
The men that formed It were doubtful OF
its success, aud The men that opposed its
formation did not desire its success. Aud
l am bold to say, without OBTAINING you on
this subject, that With all the outcry about
our violations of the Constitution, this
present living generation and this present
Union party are more thoroughly devoted
to that Constitution than any generation
that has ever lived under it. CApplause.1
u W mic say IuAtI huu 6OlemQIy D6ll6No
it, and believe tits capable of the strong
est proof, may also add that it is q great
error, which is being propagated in our
land, to say that our nstiouaI life depends
merely upon the sustaining of that Consti-
tuition. Our fathers made it, aud we love
it. He intended to maintain it. But if it
suits US to change 1t we can do go. APP
plause. And when il suits us to change
it we will change it. Applause. If it
were torn into ten thousand pieces the ma
ton would be as much nation as 1t was
before the Constitution was made-R ma.
tion always that declared its independence
as united people, and lived as q united
people until nova nation independent of
all particular Institutions under which
they lived, and capable Of modelling them
precisely as their interests require. We
ought to have it distinctly understood by
friends and enemies that while We love
that instrument We will maintain it, and
will, with undoubted certainty, put to death
friend or foe who undertakes to trample 1t
under foot; yet, beyond doubt, We will
reserve the right to altar it to suit ourselves
from time to time and from generation 70
\ generation. ApplAuso.
One more idea on thaE9ubject. We have
Incorporated in that initrument the right
! of revolulion, which giges us, without a
doubt, The right 70 ehaogeit. Il never ex-
isted beIofe the, AmoHcan States, aud by
the right 70 change there is no need of re-
bellion, insurrection Y civil war, except
upon q denial of the fundamental princi-
Piles Of all free govornnenta-that the ma
jor part must rule; ani there Is no other
method Of carrying or society, except that
the will OF the msi rig shall be the will OF
the whole-Or thGIi tie will OF the miuor-
in one word, TO deny De principles have
tried to state is 70, mike dogmatic as
sertiou that the Only brm, of government
that is possible With perfect liberty and
ackuo oWledged by God 10 GPare snd abso.
Iute despolism. Tbs5prineiples therefore
4 which am trying 70 tlAts before you are
principles which, Il Ih.E be not true, free
dom is impossible, ahe no government but
one of pure force ,caa exist or ought to
= n . q