The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-03-02

court room was densely crowded the
aisles and the enclosure within the bar
being entirely occupied by persons
standing unable to obtain seats. At
eight o'clock the meeting was called to
order by Mr. j. NJ Bickel, and organized
by the election of the following officers:
PRESIDENT
Mayor A } Sweeney, of Wheeling
VICE PRESIDENTS.
Andrew Wilson, of Ohio county.
Jas. S. Morris, Marshall
Col J. G.. Lininger, Marion
S. Cooper, Esq, Hampshire
o. D. Downey, Esq, Mineral
Dr. E. A Summers, Kanawha
Maj E. w Andrews Berkeley
J. A. Woodford, Barbour
DR.. w NJ Dent, Preston
Dr. w. L. Grant, Lewis
D c, Davis, Doddridge
Capt. P Darnel, Mason
c H. M'Curdy, Esq, Jefferson
a S Carter, Harrison
Thos Everett, Brooke
SECRETARIE5
ID D. Wilkinson, of Harrison county.
George R, Tingle, Ohio
The organization having been com
pleted, Major E w. Andrews, of Berke-
ley county, was introduced by the chair.
man. He was greeted with loud ap-
plause, and proceeded to speak in sub
stance as follows:
Fellow Citzsna Of Hest TUyimio:
Ipresume l may address you as such
for j believe have resided in the State
long enough to entitle me, according to
the terms of your constitution, to the
rights of citizenship among YOU He
had served four years in the Federal
army, had encountered the perils of bat
tie, and since the strife was over had
made his residence in the pleasant VII
lage of Martinsburg, in Berkeley county,
of this State, but Notwithstanding his
service in the army, he doubted whether
he would be permitted to exercise
the privileges of citizenship or the
right of suffrage without subscribing to
the test oath imposed upon voters in
West Virginia. There seems to be
great excitement among the people
This meeting attests its existence i'll
Wheeling, aud have seen it i'll Martins
burg and everywhere have been during
the past ten days Upon the one hand /
see couutenances all beaming with JOY
and exultation and upon the other hand
the gnashing of teeth, dark trowns, and
manifestations OF discord and dismay.
What is the cause of all this The ter
mination Of the late war brought TO ev
ery patriotic heart profound
feeling of gratitude and JOY. He
had witnessed the horrors and
miseres produced by the war. 1t was
dreadful thing to see men fall in battle
even though they were men Of another
race and nation; but it was still more
dreadful to see men die who were the
sons of those patriots who stood side by
side with our own fathers during the
struggle that gave TO this nation its in
dependence and power and renown.
And he would say that wherever Ameri-
cans had fought, i'll defence Of whatever
cause they had appealed to arms, they
had fought skilfully and bravely. He
resented as derogatory to the prowess of
the Union soldiers the idea that the
rebels had not fought well No man
who had been at the front and
braved its perils would say aught against
the courage and skill of the
soldiers of the Confederate army. And
he would add that however wrong he
believed their cause to be. and he had
shown his strong conviction of its error
bv taking up arms against it, he beliey
ed that they were sincere in their IDEAS
of its Justice, and thought they
were struggling Tor their rights. No
men lacking confidence i'll the justice OF
their cause conld have borne themselves
SO sternly. AT Gettysburg, rank after
rank was mown down 10y the artillery,
but still they rallied and rushed forward
impetuously to death.
The speaker then eulogiZed the
character of Andrew Johnson, and
sroke of his uuhinchiug patriot
ism and integrity as displayed in the
Senate of the United States, at his home
in Nashville, and at Washington city as
President When called upon 10y the
death of ofPresident LinColn-peaCe TO his
ashes-the assume the office of Chief En-
ecutive of the nation his object and rul-
ing motive was, rs it had always been,
the preservation of the Union still
The war was now over and however
bitterly he had fought against the South,
now that they had laid down their arms
and acknowledged the authority of the
Union, he was willing to take them by
the hand and welcome theirreturn. They
had complied with all the require
ments of the constitution. had
submitted to the adverse decision
of the war, had, by their state legisla-
lures, recognized the abolition of slavery,
had repudiated the state debts created
in aid of the war, and now what should
they have done that they have not done!
They present themselves at the national
capital and ask that they be admitted to
representation in the national congress.
General Grant favors their admission ::
President johnson favors their admls-
sion. But Thaddeus Stevens, coming
from the embraces of his negro paramour
("I speak that kR0r-he has lived With
negro woman for years meets them
at the threshold of the House of
| representatives and SAYS You shall not
be admitted until we choose to let you
| not until we have so manipulated yoU
and changed the structure OF the govern
ment as to secure Office and power to our
selves forever Charles Sumner meets
them at the door of the Senate and says
Iou cannot come in-you are residents
of conquered territory and are ne long
er citizens OF the United States And