The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-08-20
The TWO Documents in Fun.
TO THE PEOPLE OF rnR UNITED STATES.

Having met in Convention, at the
city of Philadelphia, in the State o.
| Pennsylvania, this 10th day of August
| 1865, as the representatives of the peo.
pie in all sections, and from all the
| States and Territories of the Union, to
consult upon the condition and the
wants of our common country, we ad-
dress to you this declaration of our
principles, and of the politicalpurpuses
we seek to promote. Z III E
Since the meeting of the last National
| Convention, in the year 1860, events
have occurred which have changed the
character of our internal politics, and
given the United States a new place
| among the nations of the earth. Our
Government has passed through the
viciSsitudes and the perils of civil war
I-awRr which, though mainly y sectional
in its character, has, nevertheless, de-
| cided political differences that from the
very beginning of the Government had
threatened the unity of our national
existence, and has left its impress deep
and inefIaceable upon all the interests,
the sentiments, and the destiny of the
| republic. While 1t has inflicted upon
the whole country severe losses in life
and in property, and has imposed bur
dens which must weigh on its resources
for generations to come, it has deVel-
oped n degree of national courage in
the presence OF national dangerS-a ca
pacity for military organization and
achievement, and Fdevotioni on the
part of the people to the form of gov
ernment which they have ordained, and
to the principles of liberty which that
government was designed to promote,
which must confirm the confidence of
the nation in the perpetuity of its re-
publican institutions, and command the
respect of THE icivi Lied world. .JiIS
Like all great contests which rouse
the passions and test the endurance of
nations, this war has given new scope
to the ambition of political parties, and
fresh impulse to plans OF innovation
and reform. Amidst the chaos of con-
tlicting sentiments inseparable from
such an era, while the public heart is
keenly alive to all the passions that
can sway the public Judgment and af-
feet the public action; while thewounds
of war are still fresh and bleeding on
either side, and fears for the future take
unjust proportions from the memories
and resentments the past, it is diff
cult but an imperative duty which, on
your behalf, we, who are here assem-
bled, have undertaken to. perform. isilii
For the first time after six long years
of falienationiand of conflict we have
come together from every State and
every section of our land, as citizens of
a common country, under that flag, the
symbol again of a common glory. to
consult together how best to cement
and perpetuate that Union which is
again the object of our common love,
and thus secure the blessings of liberty
to ouTselY yes and our pos osterity. NJ rr
I. In the first place, we invoke yoTto
remember always and everywhere that
the war is ended and tho nation is again
ut peace. The shock Of cOntending
arms no longer assails the ShudderinE
heart of the Republic. The insurtec-
ition against the supreme authority Of
the nation has been suppressed, and
that authority has been again acknowl-
edged, by word and act, In every State
and by every citizen within its jurisdic-
tion. We are no longer required or per-
mitted to regard or treat each other as
enemies. Not only have the acts OF
war been discontinued, and the weap-
ons OF war Laid aside, but the state OF
ments, the passions, the relations OF
war have no longer lawful or rightful
place anywhere throughout our, broad
domain. We are again people OF. the
United States, fellow-citizens of one
country, bound by the duties and obli-
cations OF a common patriotism, and
having neither rights nor interests apart
from common destiny. The duties
that devolVe upon us now are again the
duties of peace, and no longer the du-
ties of war. We have assembled here
to take counsel CONCERNING tile interests
of peace-to decide how we may most
wisely and eftectually heal the wounds
the war has made, and perfect and per.
petuate the benefits it has secured, and
the blessings which, under, a wise and
benign PrOVidence, have sprung up in
its fiery track. This is the work, not oi
passion but Of calm and, sober judg-
meut, not of fresen entment for past 0ffehcas
prolonged beyond the limits which Jus.
tice and reason prescribe, but of lib
eral sstatesmanship., which tolerates
what 1t cannot prevent, and builds Sfts
plans and its hopes for the future rath-
ernponia community sOf interest and
ambition than upon distrust and the
| weapons of force. N
III. In the next place, we call upor
you to recognize in their full signifi-
cance, and 10 accept with all their le.
gitimRte conseqp pences, the political re,
most important particulars the :yictorS
achieved by the National Government
has beeurtlnal and decisive. e BI3;st. II
has established beyond all further con.
troVersy, and by the lhigh hest of all hu
man sanctions, the absolute supremacy
OF the National Government, as defined
aa9 UNITED Y ute py the Constitution of th'
tegrity and indissolubility of the Fed.
eral Union as "a necessary consequences
and, second, it has put an end finallJ
ana toreVertto4 the existence of SlaVerS
upon the soil or within the Jurisdiction
otthe United States. Both these point
became directly involved in the contest
anu controversy upon both was ended
e2s9InIely and finally by the result.
III. In the third place, we deem It o
tne utmost importance that the rea
cnar9cter ofthe war and the victory by
Wh1ch It was closed should be accurate
" understood. The war was carrieC
on py the Government OF the United
states in maintenance of its own, tu
tnoElsy ana IN defence Of its own exist
II ences poth ofWhiCh were menaced bJ
the insurrectiop Whichit sought to SUP
press. The suppreS sion OF that insur
EectionJ mpiiShed that result. Th,
government of the United States main
tanned by force OF arms the supfem,
a1thoEity over all the territory, an6
~ SNstl BY the States ana people within
Us Jurisdiction, which the ConstltntioI
!, s9nIeEs upon IL; but it acquired thereb,
~ ~ ll.s ne% power, no enlarged jurisdic LECTION
: NO W Elgnts either of territorial possession
, VI o1 CIVIL authority which 1t did no
{ ~ 9Ses before the rebellion broke out
-. - ~ y tls ntIul power it can ever pos
.ssSs s = t,lc which Is conferred upon II
sslll S.stleL m e. term or by fair ant
sl si9tl q ne. United States. 1T was tlia
t.essse qnq TINT ant thdtity which the re
. mon sought 70 overt thr6Nl ana I'D
: 80 ot ne ms WAS simply
~ ~ Y eat q That attenlp The, Gof;
! thFon ngh6d ne war on the defsnsiye ~
" eonght only 10 hold 50 sitt55n y 3
7 " M was nlreadly its oFii.s Neither I'd
~. 49, slQs ne victory by (which itiWa
sss,,s,,,, ~ e "a atiy ysa the Con