The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-10-15
VOL 1Ef
The Great Issue
Rlequent speeeh of Hon John A!
$500 s93 aB1ti B1tiingh ham. of Ohio. iisi Y \
Triumphant Vindication Of the
e conEtS sionai Plan o. Re- os
Ftfao e'' conStft6tionIl l.a5

e 6onEtS sionai Plan of Re- y,
rtfao @'a conStrhottonll l.s
al Hragl --r,----------.--.,...---, ---.--.5,...---, 9' - 1eI
Masterly DEFENSE Of the Amend
ment to the constitntdi tdit9nl Y S',' e
The 81 uassemblage that gathered in the
Court House saturday Aight 70 greet
Hon. John A. Blngham; the recently
reelected member OF Congress from
the Sixteenth District Of Ohio
was in all respects the most imposing
that has assembled lp ,thatqnclept tenn
pie ofjustlce during the present cam
paign. The hall was decorated with
tattered and servlce-stained flags Of
several Of the West Virginia regiments
with National .bannsrs,4 and with
Chinese lanterns, hung round the gal,,
leries, and was, jammed from end..tc
end, above and. below. "A large number
Of fladles were present, and added their
CHAINS, to the atttapsfSns Of the ,occaf
sions out doors, the front Of the Court
House was hung with Chinese lanterns
and The neIghborhood was lighted UP
with brilliant display Of 6reworksr
while Yaqs' band lent the sttrptt ttipnso d
excellent, music 70 draw,t the people to-
gether. ''''' 'A' "a ''' ''' iss,
whsnAIr. Blnghammade his appear,
ancein the Court House, a thrill ofsap-
plause ran through the crowd, 'and,by
a sort of sympathy concentrated in
rounds Of cheers when he came for
ward on the stand. -.,-,.
The meeting had been orgqnisei by
appointing Lott II. Joy, ESQ., President
and Mr.. William Phillips, Secretary.
Mr.. Bingham came forward, amid
thrilling cheers, and being introduced
TO- the vast assemblage, said:iS )" ..l5.
Ladies' and 9ehtLeNiesai: 90 ~ ''''''L u { (
lam very grateful to you for this very
flattering reception tonight, and only
appear 6aforS YOU now beCausel1 am
an American citizen, IN common with
yourselves; baca USE i know that we
have at last but one country, one Con.
stitutiOn, and, one destiny. Every rood
ofthfs grand land Of ours, from ocean
to.ocean, isa part Of ~ is7Ss 9ieS
-H'My own, my native land" '''
And therefore 1t is that am willing,
upon all occasions, TO hold counsel
with my fellow citizens touching the
security of. American. institutions,
without which this great heritage OF
ours, the like of which never before
owned. the sway Ofa common governs
ment since nations came ITO tbe upon
the Leartfi-wuuld be AS Snothing. i
know that it Is grand and beautiful
heritage, with It's grandeur OF noun
tains, and beauty and blossom OF val:
levs; with It's frontiers ofthelake and
the ocean; with It's inexhaustable re-
sources: with its vast, extended, fertile
soils, abOunding In the productions OF
every zone; large enough, and broad
enough, and fertile enough, to furnish
homes OF comfort and abundance for
$50, 900, 600 of freemen, and TO
furnish bread for the whole earth.
And vet what would 1t be without that
ma,cLless form OF civil liberty which
God gave to uS through those men
whom he taught TO build for glory
and for beNuty,-frst and fore
most amongst whom, us be was fore
most amongst all the children OF men,
was he whom to-day we call the Father
of our Country. That government
which Washington gave us was put In
neril. as YOU know, in the gray of the
morning on,the l2th day Of April, 1851
by The firing OF that gun OF treason
mon the flag which fOated above tht
walls OF your doomed Fort Sumter; and
for four long years thereafter the con
tinent rocked beneath the earthquake
tread OF Il million of men, on ethel
side. In arms, contending for the settle
ment Of the great issue. whether thi!
Republic,-the last refuge OF afflicted
humanity upon the eRTth-the last sane
tuArv OF I'm inviolable justice amongst
men-shOuld live orperlsh.
That terrible conflict Of arms ended
on that day when Leo surrendered his
broken battaliOns 10 the triumphant
leeions OF the Republic under the In
d6IuItnble hero and leader Of nll the
armies OF the Republic, Ulysses $,
Grant, [ApplauSe.l In that hour every
man in America supposed that the
strife was at IN end. Every man In
America knew that the conflict OF arms
at least was ended; that 1t was In vain
these armies hnd banded together, un,
III they mustered million bAyonets,
In overthrow American institutions
thnt IL WAS in vain every crowned ueS'
moi in the old world who held the reins
of his tyrannical power with II tremu
lous hand because Of the presence o.
American institutions, had emptied his
exche0uer in MD and support OF tht
great revolt. Every man knew tha
the trial for the maintenance OF Amer
lean institutions by wager Of battle wa
at an end that in the presence Of the trl
umphant legious OF the Republic, ther'
wns no armed force upon this conLinen
or upon nny continent, that could nOP'
longer for the overthrow OF American
institutions by arms. lApplause: I'M
great people had demonstrated that
united in the presence oI peril khowi
and understood of all men, they Wer'
equal to n world in arms. Applause
on that day, therefore, when Lee
second only to the great chiei 70 whoh
he surrendered, us ii military leader II
the field, nude the SURRENDER, ever.
man knows that the cause OF me reDeI
lion was "lOst cause" Tor the tiIne be
inv. ond that II could hope for nothinl
-nOtnluRt lAthut W ""J " PS'
nothing by way of influence In mould
inc or controlling American instttu
ti6ns; but by close combination nnt
conspiracy with that political orgHnlzn
lion in the north which had glvej
strength to the arm Of Lhp rebellion
rom tue beginning; which did what
wnsuble to DO throughout tho long an
DrDtTnuted struggle to support the chns
6ftLe rebellion and To break down an
make u failure OF the great struggle 10
the Union. Therefore It WIS thnt n
soon as the armies OF the rebellion wer
broken, Just 40 soon did these conSpir
tors. discounted by tho overthrow
the armed forces Of treason, go u wOr
north and south, cast aud west, TO o.
Eauize for the second trial ngninSL III
life OF the Republic. .....
That second trial now presses for dt
cisIon before the American people
They hope 10 achieve by the ballot whs
thry In vain endenvUrpd to nCcOmplis
bv tho bayonct. They knew we
i6e ballot was mighticr tlIn
he bay0net; that by iIs instrr
mentality American institution
cnme TO be; that by It's instfumcnInlit
American institutions had thus lon
continued To bU; thnt by its sinstrnmeT
tnIiiv the Constitution itself WINS o
Ny .t.t k,, tta tuuIFumnutnlli III