The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-10-20
Grand Ra||yat the Court House.
TIE PEOPLE AROUSED
s,..cbes Of Col. b. III. s"i'"
and Col. j. G. Lane
. sp1ENDID DEMoNsTRAri

I Campaign. AT an early hour the Dulid
ing was crowded by one of the larges
and best audiences it ever received
and the arrival of the "True Boys Il
Blue" who were out in force, swelle'
the throng to magnificent dimensions
The turnout was splendid compli
ment to the veteran orator of the even
ing, who is now con cluding one of tn
most arduous and are confident, one o
the most successful canvasses which thi
State has ever witnessed. All presen
seemed to appreciate with gratitude
Colonel Smiths earnest and untiring eff
forts in behalf of the cause of truth ant
law, and the enthusiastic applause
with which he was received, showed
how completely the speaker and his
mission have taken hold of the popula,
heart. -...-r..-
The meeting was organized by the
appointment of Daniel Lamb, Esquire,
as President snd George r. Tingle, Esq,
Secretary. The chair introduced Col
fonel B. H.. Smith, of Kanawha, who was
greeted by the audience in the warmest
and heartiest manner.
COLONEL SMITHS SPEECH.
After congratulating the meeting up
on the cheering prospects of success at
the coming election, Colonel Smith
stated that he made no claims to powers
of oratOry OF defamation, but that he
designed to discuss in calm and dis
passionate manner the subjects to which
he should call their attention. He pro-
posed to discuss the questions ut issue
between the President and Congress,
aud would examine their respective
plans of action with regard the States
! lately in rebellion to their relations to
the Federal Government. Referring to
the subject of secession, Colonel Smith
declared the doctrine of the Constitu
| tiOn to be that no State could leave this
Union. Every State was designed to
remain in the Union perpetually, and
by no act fits own could it sever its re-
lations to the Government. Revolution,
if successful in fact, and so acknowl-
edged by the Government, would sep
arate the States, but to declare that re-
belliOn defeated was secession accom-
plished, was a monstrOus and senseless
heresy. Congress, however, held that
the States had cut loose from the Gov
ernment by their rebellion, and were
held as subjugatcd territory conquered
by the Federal armies, having no rights
under the Government, being mere de-
Tendencies, at the mercy and control of
| the victOrs. The President, on the other
hand, maintained that whenever the
people in rebellion laid down their arms
and submitted to the Constitution and
the laws, the State, still retaining its
position within the Union and its rela-
ton to the Government remaining un-
altered, was entitled to all the rights
arising out of that relation, and guaran-
teed by the Constitution, So long as
the relation of a State to the Govern
ment remained unchanged, it was en-
titled to the rights of any other
State, the right of repre-
sentation. Such had been the doc
trine of all parties during the
war; such indeed had been the
theory of Congress itself from the
commencement to the close of the re-
bellion. The impression sought to be
produced that Johnson had abandoned
| the Union party was mistaken and
false. The President adhered to the
doctrine that the Union was indivisible
and the right of representation indie
structible, and the radicals in abandon
ing this platform of the Union party
and declaring the Government dissolved
had simply succeeded the secessionlsts
and adopted the theory of the rebels.
| Referring to the record, Colonel Smith
read the resolutions defining the object
of the war, passed by both houses OF
Congress, in July, 1861. Those resolu-
tions declared that the war was waged
on the part of the Government for no
purpose of subiugatiOn, but to preserve
the Union. to vindicate the supremacy
of the constitution and to preserve the
dignity, rights and equality of all the
States. The Republican members OF
Congress voted almost unanimously for
those resolutions, and in now aSsailing
the rights, dignity and equality of the
States, they gave the lie to their own
record. and abandoned the principles
they themselves had endorsed. Upon
these Crittenden and johnson resolu.
tions our armies had been raised and
the means to support them supplied.
Volunteers had enlisted in the service OF
the country, and men of wealth had
furnished money to the Government
upon the understanding that the pur-
poses of the war thus set forth
would be adhered TO strictly and
in good faith. The President now
insists that the faith of the Government
thus pledged must be maintained, that
the war must close, and that after the
suppression of the rebellion in arms
hostilities must not he continued against
the rights of the States. These resolu'
tions conformed strictly to the constitu'
ton and embodied the only principles
J upon which war could legally be waged
against our own people. But Congress
contends that we fought, not to restore
the Union, but to destroy 1t; not to
maintain the constitution, but to over
throw il; not to preserve the rights Of
the States. but to assail them. Colonel
Smith here alluded to Mr.. Bingham, oi
Ohio. who had voted for these resolu
J tions, and showed his inconsistency IL
now disregarding and violating them
, He had supported them by his voice
! and vote, and now wished to impeacf
, the President for doing the very act
which Congress and himself had pledged
| their faith to perform. Senator Wiley
also received some attention at the
/ Coloners hands. When Mr.. johnson
offered these resolutions, motion wa
made to strike out the clause declaring
, the purpose of the Government not t
be the subjugation of the States
but the maintenance of theil
rights and dignity. This motidl
Mr.. Wiley had opposed, ant
earnestly advocated the passage of tn
; resolutions as they stood, as the bes
means to quiet the apprehensions o
r loyal Virginians, and TO enlist then
, thoroughly and unreservedly in tn
) Union cause. Having thus given then
5 his hearty and unqualified endorsement
. he nov deserts his own principles ant
denounces in unmeasured terms all thos
who stand by the platform he himsel
: had assisted to adopt. If, as Mr.. Willie!
5 now contends, the rebel States wen