The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-09-29
The Great Issue before the Peo-
pie.
Speech OF Major General n. p. Banks
40 the - Boys In Blue'' nt Pittsburgh,
ON ThnrNdRy.


TO the '' Boys In Blue at PIItsburgh n,
ON Thursday.
Citizens of tie United States, Soldiers
and Sailors, Defenders of the Country,
Citizens of PENNSYLVANIA, Supporters Ui
the Liberties of the People: 1t is not for
want of interest in the cause which
you repreSent-nOt from a want of Hp-
probation of the importance of the oc-
cAsion, that l feel Il reluctance in aSsu-
ming the position with which l have
been honored. But it is from the fear
that from physical exhaustion / shall
be unable to discharge my duties to
your satisfaction. l trust, therefore,
that you Will bear with me for Il mo-
Lnent or two, until l shall find by
chance whether can 20 on or not.
Thank God for this uuSpicious sun
the sun OF victory-thc sun of liberty
the sun of universal justice-that shines
upon all men, upon all nations, and
represents the glory and the goodness
of the common Father of all people.
Thanks, in the name of the soldiers and
sailors, say, 10 the people of the city
OF Pittsburgh that with unnnimity
unparalleled, with generous hOspituli-
ty unequalled, they received at their
hearthstoneS the defenders of their
country, on the land and on the sea-
Thanks to the citizens of Pennsylvnnia
that from every quarter they gathered
here in numbers that cannot be COmpu-
ted, and with a spirit that can never be
expressed, to give utterRnce to the de-
termination of the American people at
the polls. aud to vindicate their Iiber-
ties as heretofore on the field Of battle
they have sealed and sanctified with
their blood. TAPplause.l
FellOw-citizens, at the beginning of
the campaign it is usual TO expect
fight. The soldiers and sailors, officers
aud enlisted men, will bear me out in
the declaration that at the beginning OF
our campaign, there is no battle in
prospect. There is no enemy. He is
beaten. He has abandoned the field,
and all we have to do is to seal orr vic
tory, with such power and unanimity
that the enemies OF the glorious flag of
our country never upon the American
continent, South or North, shall show
themselves again. LApplause.l You
will ask me who fought this battle, and
who won this fight. It WAS the Boys in
Blue, the Union men, the friends of
liberty of the glorious State of Maine.
The moment Maine had snOkeu, the en-
emy took down his flag, ls he lowered
it at Pittsburgh Landing, at Vicks-
burg, at Port Hudson, as IN Tennessee
under ROsecranS, Hooker and Thomas,
as he lowered it before Sherman in his
splendid march from the mountain to
the sea; as he lowered it TOR tho last
this time he has again lowered it before
the American people. Thank God,
then, for the nusPicious occasion that
draws us together. Thank God for The
glorious assurance of IA permanent vic
tory. Thank God for the presence of
these thousands-I might say hundreds
Of thOusands-Of our people on this
bright and beautiful and hmppy day.
need not give you proof of the fact that
the enemy has surrendered this contest
tous. II you ask it, / show you the
New York HcrdIi, that advises the
President OF the United States to go
over to the party of Congress, and to
accept its platform. l show you the
New York Tunes, the organ and mouth
piece of the Philadelphia Convention
in August, that declares there never was
anybody opposed to the Congressional
platform and tho Constitutional
Amendment, and denounces Greeley
and tho Tribune because they nre not
sufficiently strong against tho rebels.
[Lnughter.l Ishow you the New York
World, that, Tepenting Of its nagitiOus
political sins of the past, now an
nOunces that II is going to publish in
the future Mr.. Beecher's sermons by
way of atOnement. Tomorrow, or the
next day, that rebel sheet, tho New
York NcWS, will likely announce
that it has secured Thnd. Stevens rs u
contTloutOFI IlhausIteF' Woulo not
be surprised If the New York Express
should invite Fred. Douglass to act as
associate editor, but l do not think
Douglass would stand that. [Great
Iaughter.1 And the London Times and
tic Bfonltcur OF France very likely will
insist upon obtaining the services OF
Miss Anna Dickinson as tho American
editor OF thOse Rntt"Americatl sheets.
Thus eVeFyWhere, ullt around us, we
see the evidences and the proc that the
victory we require Is ours. On our
side there is little or no detection. We
have the same enemies to fight that we
have fought during the last four yenrs.
In the first place there nre tho rellels Of
the South, beaten in tho field by tho
bullets OF the boys in blue, and to be
beaten ut the baIlot-box by the votes of
A,narICon fraaInOn-thaV RFn uRainRt