The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-11-21

misguided masses, and even many of
their nominal leaders. Eetus recaPitu-
late: lss1 ara l3lils
81. brigham and his associates are
living In open, defiant violation of tie
laws of the United States. - 14Cu1.
". They are teaching to their follow
ers intense hostility to our Government
and people, and the necessity and duty
of resisting by force of arms any at
tempt to make the law operative. ID r4i
Hs. They are drilling and arming the
entire people into a compact and eff
ctent military organization.
at.ti
speech Of Gen. II. M. Harris, of west
Virginia, 0t a Meeting in EASTERN
Virginia.
!, From 1he FretIericks6tlr6 Ne1g Efa.
- An unusually large crowd, we hear.
was present at Bowling Green on Mon
day last Gen. II. NJ. Harris, command
ing this district, made short address
IN the afternoon, the substance of which
we publish below: lfsi--r
= GENTLEMEN: l cannot but express
my qualification, not only at the mum
bers I lind here assembled on this beau
tiful day, but as well at the contented,
cheerful, happy countenances which t
see before me. This betokens an ac-
| quiescence in the results of the great
contest from which we have so recently
emerged, and a return to the habits and
feelings of a state of peace, and gives
good grounds to hope, also, for the re-
turn of prosperity. The people of Car
ioline had n deep pecuniary Interest in
the late contest, and accordingly, i un-
IiderstAnd, entered earnestly into the
war; but there is nothing in all this
that precludes the idea that they will
not now, that the war has proven fail
ure, become earnest and devoted friends
of the Union. On the contrary, these
are the very people from whom now
hope the most. 1t Is true, that YOU have
Suffered great losses, and that such ter
rible convulsions in the social condition
of the people of our State, must have
Brought, for the present, many and
serious embarrassments. Yet, must
tell you, that / look to the future with
great hope. Time Will remove many
of the evils that you are now suffering;
I and, my opinion is, that time and wise
| states1nanship will cure them all. a4,,
Could you have seen those mighty
lupheavals that now constitute our
mountains Immediately after those
amazing internal convulsions of nature
Ehad raised them to their present eleva-
tiOn,I noHdoubt the conclusion would
have been that order could never be
brought out of this confusion; but the
iihand of time and the action of the ele-
ments, have smoothed them off and
covered them with beauty and with
verdure, and we bless God for the noun
tainS.A EE Ef f'F-rs rf f.i7-r
His wisdom will yet be equally vim
dicated in the results of these terrible
social convulsiOns, and we shall yet see
reasons for praising Him, no doubt;
Ileven for our rdisappointments. Suppose
the South had succeeded in the estab-
lishment of the confederacy, which YOU
all had SO much at heart. The Yery
principle on which you started-the
tldoctrihe of SecesSion-mnst inevitably
have led to disintegration. Indeed,
think there Is good reason to conclude,
that nothing but the pressure of the
war, held some two or three States in
the confederacy, even for the short term
of four years; and i am sure, had the
South succeeded, there would have been
descriptions in other portions of our
Union. The result would have been,
THAT with the destruction of our nation-
atty, our greatness would haver been
sacrificed, and with it the cause of hui
man liberty and free government.
Mexico and South America present
us the living pictures of what must, in
that event, have been our condition. u ?.
10 Four millions of slaves have been
made free, however, by this war. This
is a stern and astounding fact, BY this,
4 the relations of labor and capital have
i been dislocated, and it is from this
cause, in part, that the evils of your
/ present condition arise. The thing that
lis needed is to render labor, as free
| labor, amenable to capital. This is the
| proper business of the State, and it will
be for your Legislature, when It shall
have assembled, to, address itself TO
this task. How important 1t is that,
| laying aside all unworthy prejudices,
/ that body shall meet the demands 81
the case in n spirit of wisdom, Justice
and mngnanimity.
The negroes, it is clear, must, for the
| present, exist amongst you as dis
tinet class. But you must never forget,
tl1tt they are free people, and you should
direct your policy to make the negro us
/ intelligent, moral, industrious and up-
right, as you can, because in this way
alone can you make him useful. SO, &
you do not take thought for the ne
4 groes' welfare, but are moved entirely
j by selfish pecunIary considerations.
| you must provide for his elevation.
4 There is no getting away from the fact,
/ 1t will lay with you to elect, whether
4 you will have four millions of ignorant,
L idle, vicious people, that will be bur-
I then upon society, or whether you will
make them useful class of people2
i It necessarily follows, also, that II the
4 negro Is Tree man, and has right to
/ make his own contracts, you must CON
q cede to him the right to appear as a wit
ness in your courts. I Know that this
] proposition has very strong prejudices
IbOieuSUuLOeES puJ. when you reueCJ I0al
courts and juries are the judges OF the
credibility of testimony what harm
4 can come of it? lfl5E 81 II 81
/ At present, the General Government,
through its military agency, is trying
to control rs well as protect these poor
people; but it is impossible that this
agency can discharge these duties in a
Il manner absolutely satisfactory. The
State must secure these ends by the
force of law. The negro must stand
Il equal before the law, and must be pro.
tected in all his rights. Justice, alone
requires this. But he must also bt
controlled, SO far as to compel him tC
live up to his contracts for labor when
made, and to prevent, by proper pun.
ishments, vagrancy, idleness and dis
honesty. lll ~
That all this can be done in time j
have NO doubt, and the negroes trans.
formed into the most useful lnborini
Ipeasantry in. the world. The State i
just now about to enter npon a new
course of policy, which, If wisely di
: rected, will conduce 20 a prosperity no
ibefore known. This policy should b,
directed to the development of all tn
resources OF the State; and she mus
Z not forget, that the most important anI
) valuable of these Is intellect. Let in
! telleet be developed wherever Il &
found. I hope shortlyto see my nativ
!, Stale restored to her proper relations il
the sisterhood Of States, and confident
I ly expect to see her people, by the mag
i TiaUfmftv and IyfadNm 0f fhfs NIL Inv :,