The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-24
Our National Troubles.
AsPEECH FOR THE TIMES
The. Duties of the Hour.
The Status of Political Parties
The democratic Party Before the
" War, During the War and
Since the War.
Deeply Important Facts and Ar,
guments for the People,
A Plain and statesmanlike View
of the Situation.
speech orthe Hon. John sherman OF
OhIo. to the People Of Connecticut
Last Saturday.
Eonrn Me Mee YorN 4Fmes.


The Union men of Bridgeport, Conn.
held one of the largest and most ehthu'
siastic meetings of the present cniIi-
pain on Saturday evening, at fT,.nAInI TI II
Hall. in that city. Brig. Gen. w ,,,i ~
Noble was called upon to preside. Tue
Chairman opened the meeting by II stir
ring address, in which he reminded ms
feII6w-citizans that the soldier had done
his mart on the battlefield in the work
of saving the nation, and that IL now
remained for them to do their duty 1t
the polls. AT the conclusion oI MS au- M
dress Gen. Noble introduced 10 the
meeting Senator Sherman, of ONO
who delivered the following abe
speech: -...
LADIES AND GESTLENIES: Tt was
with somp hesitation that Iaccepted Lht
invitation to speak for the first time tt
the people of Connecticut. My public
duties did not nlloW me time for prep
arntion, and I am therefore comp@lleC
to appear before you tonight 10 speak
with something of the freedom oil man
ner of Western man upon question!
in which we have "A common interest
/ feel embarrassed also by another con
siderntiOn. Some OF you may think u
rather out of plnce, TINT one living 81
far from YOU should tnke an interest IL
yOur local election in the State of Con
Iecticut; but my friend who introduced
me, has kindly said TO you that dc
feel an interest i'll the State OF Con-
necticut, and it is true. My ancestors
for two hundred years are buried under
Your sod, and the principles that l
would naturally inherit from those an
Cestors went with me 10 my western
home. My connection with the State
Is ono ofwhich hnve always felt proud,
and trust that you Will never have Oc-
casiOn to be ashamed of il. Applause
But there is another consideration
which impels me to address you ut this
time. The electionin Connecticut does
not simply affect you. All parts OF our
cOutry are now, thank God, so firmly
knit together that nothing can happen
in Connecticut that is not of almost
equal interest to every other portion of
the nation. New Hampshire, the other
day, took up the flag of our cause and
sustained il nObly. 1t is now i'll the
hands of the people of Connecticut. In
n short time you will pass 1t Westward;
and let me say that wnen it comes 10 be
borne by the stalwart forms OF the sons
OF Ohio they will uphold ii manfulIy,
as trust you, will do on the first Mon
day of April next. You are called up
on then to elect not only Governor,
but also Legislature, whose duty it
will be to elect II Senator of the United
States; and thus you see your election
here Immediately involves national
politics and national interests. You are
then, though indirectly, TO pnss upon
n gentleman who has been elevated to
be Presiding officer of the Senate of the
United States, and, by virtue of that
office, TO the Vice Presidency OF the
United States, n man who us your SEN
tor has done you honor, Il man OF acute
intellect, and one who is universally
respected and esteemed in Washington
by both political friends and political
foes. You have to choose between II
man OF this character, who during our
long war has always maintained and
sustained the tlug of his country and
some disciple OF Secession who has liv-
ed among you hero in Connecticut
while all The time his heart was in re-
beldom. These, fellow citizens of Con-
necticut, arc the men between whom
You are to choose. As preliminary to
the observations that desire TO make
upon the questions Immediately ut is
sue now, desire to say n few words TO
young men. see TINT there are mnny
here tonight, and no doubt some OF
them are now for the first time choos-
ing their political relations There is
no choice that man is called upon 10
make in which it is of so much inpor-
tnnce that lie should be right as the
choice of his pnrty-eXcept, indeed the
choice of Il wife, which Is of the very
highest importance, for it involves il
mans domestic happiness for life, and
the choice OF n good wife involves it,
Laughter and applnuse.l But thI
choice of mans party is also of vas
importance. 1t regulates his influence
upon the body polite; because no man
however exalted his intellect, however
great his requirements, is of any con
cir Fi1at nj
cept as lie mouldS and directs the Opin
ions OF others. In this free govern
ment OF ours, all men stand upon
footing of equality. The most Learned
man, the most eloquent man, in thi
country has no more influence in con
toling its destinies than the most igno
rant voter, except in so far as he i'm
presses his opinions upon his fellow
citizens. 1t is only through party or
ganizations that we can control publi
opinion. In order TO have any nppre
ctable influence, II man in this countr,
must attach himself to one of the grea
political parties; aud mt each election
our citizens are called upon to Civ,
their adhesion to one or the other %
these parties. In this country at thi.
time, we have twOgreat political organ
iLations. One calls itself the Demo
cratic party, and as / am generally
wtllingto call child by the name thai
1ts mother gives it, in speaking of thai
party, viii call it democratic, though
1t Always goes against the grain 10 dc
so: Laughter. / think there is in the
'nus OF al Of you anime for that par.
", ot Mhich 1t IS much more deserving,
@ au, ln1eed, as "A general rule. n nick
name dtscioses the character Ofthe mar.
son TO whom it is applied n great ds,,l
petter than the name given in ba ntfs,,,
Laughter and applause. RDt 1ot M
cali this Organization the Democr,t Us
Party. And now / want TO osi. yn,,
What claims Tor allegiance il has n1oT
any tree-Dorn American citizen9 II
answering TINS question I will not o.
behind the history OF the imrneli,t1s -
past, because when this war hrolse q Ia,,, ~
all that preceded 1t was forrottan
VIII only remind you that the mari
can people trusted the Democrats Per
" as no party WAS ever trusted anv
where before. Il has been the boast q
taat party that for sixty years they ad
nlnlstered our government; but who
Was the result of their administrator
- - Siavenolders rebellion, and a gigan
~ M15 OF nearly five years. duration
Mnen, i've years ago, AN orranizaiin,
spEans up in the Southern St,1tes
Whlcn oetermined to wage war !, mn,
t SSNeLnhent and DESTROY it. Xyher,
Was Lhs democratic party fo,,n5S
Sil.. Sls.ihe 10 speSk OF any citizen of Con
necticut Win dlsrespect; but LET ma Ssi
you where then Was Isaac Tnns,1,,- .l-s =, <,
held al that time high positinTIs =, :, ~. ~
government of the united So. u
rive years ago, when every inteII;,sS,s,
man knew the war WAS iInini,ss,,,
when the men of the South had ss,h
cred together arms and ammuniiI6,
ana men, and had actually ayoSSe.
,Ges E purpose 70 wage war against Ii