Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1865-01-13


souri,, has given over his opposition of last
session. 1t is gratifying to thus see
changes coming from the border slave
States. Itthows that those who are chan
ging are discovering the handwriting on
the wall, and are placing themselves right
on the record while yet there is time. Our
neighbors just across the river here must
feel mortified in view of such changes, to
see their representative (White) speaking
against the amendment. They certainly
ought to congratulate themselves that they
will get rid of such representative after
the 4th of March, and get back again in his
place the man who was once and will be
again a representative for a loyal constit-
uency to be proud of.
Mr.. Odell, of New York, "a democrat
who favored the amendment before, made
a strong speech in it's favor on Tuesday.
He said:
If the people shall endorse the proposed
amendment 1t will give to four millions of
human beings now held in bondage the
blessings of freedom. Its influence will
not only be felt for good now and hereaf-
ter, bat both the black and the white raoes
will participate in its blessings. It will
be beneficial to the non-slaVeholders of the
North, who will no longer struggle with
and be degraded by contact with slave la
Dor. They will share in the blessings en-
joyed by the honest workingmen OF the
North. Let the evil of slavery be removed
by constitutional amendment. Let it be
done efeCtuRlly and legally, 80 as to com.
- 20
the civilized world. We of the democratic
party have stood by the South in all their
troubles, and have yielded our prejudices
to them in our national conventions only to
submit to new demands to extend their
system of slavery. The South did not re-
gard this as an evil to be temporarily en-
dured, but to be continued throughout all
time. But 1, in common with the North,
have always believed slavery to be wrong
aud an evil which ought to be abolished.
With this conviction of right, when my
name is called shall vote in favor of the
resolution. The South have absolved the
North from all obligations to support its
chief corner stone-slavery. The rebel
leaders are placing negroes in the field for
our destruction, and have declared their
Willingness to abolish slavery in order to
receive the recognition of foreign powers.
1t were better, therefore, for US to break
down the physical forces used in the re-
bellion. Slavery has lifted it's hydra head
above the country. The time has como
selves from its influence. We should turn
our backs on the dark past and our eyes on
the bright future.
Both Messrs. Blair and Whaley of this
State voted for the amendment at the last
session, and We presume will this time
Mr.. Brown is not recorded on either side.
We trust he will be in his seat this time.
The facts and the prospects above set
forth ought to have weight with all those
calling themselves Opposition" to the adj
ministration anti-sIavery policy. If the
signs OF the times indicate any future status
of parties at all in this country, they point
out the almost certain defeat of any organ
iZatiOn that attempts to hold on to pro-
slaVeryism, even in Watered and reduced
form. The anti-slavery sentiment of the
land is How unmistakabIy dominant, and
Increasingly SO. The people have determ-
ined that the institution shall vex US no
more for ever, and that it shall not exiat
on one foot Of our soil Those who call
themselves democrats" may as we'll recog-
nize this fact. If their democracy" con-
sists whOlIyi in being pro. slavery aiders
and abetters, and if they have nothing
worthy Of the name outside of sympathy
with slavery, they might as we'll arrange
for funeral obseeuies and be buried out of
the public sight. The people now couple
sympathy with slavery and sympathy with
the rebellion together, and they remark the
fact that the advocates of the one are the
apOlogists of the other. Hopeless defeat
therefore awaits those who either covertly
or OVERLY attempt to save remnant of
slavery alive.