The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-10-20

udQ Dccu tcNtcu W Oonekcoo "hASn ao
signed its proportion of taxes to ever,
one of the Southern States. In the sam
year, an apportionment of representa-
tion had been made, which assigne,
their quota of representatives to tn
rebel as well as the loyal States.
they were in the Union for purposes o
taxation and representation while tn
war was in progress, how does it hap
pen that they are out OF tn
Union for purposes of representation
now that the war Is ended, and the re
bellion crushed. The act Of Congress
empowering the President to extent
pardon and amnesty to the people of th'
rebel States, whenever they should sub
init to Federal aufherity was next ex
amined. In accordance with this act
and by virtue Of 1.-The Constitution
which gave him the hardening power
President Lincoln, IA December, 1863
had issued proelamation which ad
dressed the people of the South, first a
individuals; next as States. As indi
viduals, he had offered them full ant
complete amnesty which in its lega
signification meant an oblivion of past
offenses, whenever they should return
to their allegiance and submit to the
laws. As States, he provided that when,
ever one-tenth of the people of any
rebel State should lay down their arms
acknowledge the supremacy of the Con,
stitution, take the required Oaths, and
reorganize their State governments up
on the basis of existing laws concerning
suffrage, those governments, if republi-
can in form, should be recognized and
the assistance of Federal power extend
ed to protect and maintain them. This
was Mr.. Lincoln's plan of restoration.
For adopting it he had been bounded and
denounces by Davis, Wade, Stevens,
and others Just as men of the same
character were now denouneing Presi-
dent johnson. When Congress, by
enactment, had repudiated the Govern
ments organized under Mr.. Lincoln's
plan, he had promptly vetoed the bill,
and had incurred the displeasure of the
same men who are uow prosecuting Mr..
johnson. Colonel Smith here insti-
tuted comparison Of the policies of
Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Johnson, and
showed them to be almost identical
in character, similar in purpose, and in
pursuance of the principles enunciated
in the Baltimore platform, upon which
both these gentlemen were elected.
Colonel Smith then spoke of the ne
gro suffrage procliyities of the Radical
party. He charged that the principal
object of the Radicals just now was to
to give negroes the privilege of voting,
in order thereby to perpetnate their
power. He quoted from the platform of
the party in Maine, Vermont and Mass
chusetts in support of his charge. He
also alluded to the effort to force negro
suffrage upon the people of the District
of Columbia, and to the proceedings Of
the recent "black-aRd-tan Convention
in Philadelphia, attended by Governor
Boreman and other leading Radicals
from this State. He showed that it was
the plan of these men to first declare
the negroes entitled to all civil rights;
then demand for them the right of suf-
frage, and the next step would be social
equality and miseegenatiOn. He criti
cised humorously. the platform adopted
by the Radicals in their State
Convention at Parkersburg and elic-
tied shouts of laughter by several hap
py hits. He closed his speech by an
eloquent appeal for the policy Of for
giveness and Cancellation. He urged
these things upon his hearers both as
Christian virtues and the dictates of
sound and enlightened craftsmanship.
When Colonel Smith had concluded
his speech, which was frequently and
enthusiastically applauded, loud calls
were made for Colonel j. G. Lane, who
was present in the audience. A large
of the people seeming unwill-
ing to leave the room without hearing
from the Colonel, he went to the speak
ers stand and delivered an address of
about half an hours length.
He spoke of the absurdity of the
estate suicide theory" upon which the
radicals acted in Congress, and showed
that the Southern States were rec
ognized by the radicals as being
in the Union for some purposes,
but out of it for Others. He al
luded to the fact that, according to
the radical theory, West Virginia has
no legal organization. the validity OF
the State government of Virginia being
denied. He then referred to several
questions of State politics; denounced
the last legislature in very severe terms
and pitched into" Governor Boreman
with a bitterness intensified by the
speakers sense of the wrongs he has
himself suffered. He proceeded at some
length to vindicate his personal reputa-
ton from the slanderous charges lately
published as emanating from Ewald
Over, once Commander of the Post dur
ing the war. He denounced very Sc
verely the parties concerned in his ar
rest and incarceration without trial and
without his knowledge of the charges
against him, in the summer of 1864, and
that Captain Over not only
stole his private papers but also stole
his clothes.
He was frequently interrupted by
shouts of applause and, at the conclu-
sion of his remarks, the meeting ad-
journed.