The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-09-06

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there were thousands of good and true
and loyal men, who never broke their
tealty to the government of their coun-
try, who chung to the tottering pillars
OF the Republic in the darkest hour of
your trial, and cherished the hope of
the restoration ofyour violated Consti-
tuition as they cherished the hope of q
better life in the land of uprightness.
Why were not these men summoned
by Andrew johnson to that Conven-
ton at Philadelphia? Because, simp-
ly, these men were incapable OF giving
aid and comfort to his treason. Zap
Plause.l But instead, he summoned
this Alexander II. Stephens, the man
who, in the city of Richmond, in the
dark hour when the the whole air
betting the continent across shook with
theshout of your gathering legions-
I'VE are coming Father Abraham,
Three hundred thousand morer'
the man who said, let them come. we
Will rally five hundred thousand; we
VIII show no quarter we will give
them war to the knife and the knife to
the hilt That was the man to SUM
mon to Philadelphia to restore the
Union. slillls.t t.,i5lt 7J -li5 ..-ii8I.
Who else were in their midst? This
'Dick" Taylor, who led the battalions
of treason in the valley of the Missis-
sippi, and who, having captured seven
vermont volunteers, compelled them
with their own hands to dig their
graves, and then shot them down like
dogs.
Who else was thereP James L. Orr
and scores OF others who sat with him
in that confederation of traitors at
Richmond in the rebel Senate during
all the four years struggle, and devised
that deYtlish system of outrage and
cruelty, by which they subjected to un-
timely death through slow torture and
poison, thirty Thousand of your heroic
braves, captives in their hands.
Well, L know that there assembled
amongst these magnates of the land
was one Clement J.. Vallandigham of
Ohio. And what a farce was played |!
Here was 'tDick' Taylor and "Jim''
Orr and "Alex." Stephens, gathering
about and saying to Vallandighatn, in
iod,s name, don't come into the Con-
vention, or the cat will be out of the
bag and the devil will be to pay, all
over the land [Laughter.l Why, says
''Val, II am no more ofa traitor than YOU
are. Says Dick, know it; but the diff
ference is the people of the North know
you "Val, y and they, don't know me.
Laughter What sort of a farce was
played then aud there? VaIlandigham
consented not to disturb the "harmony''
Of the Convention and the confederated
traitors, provided they would give him
ticket that he could show to his friends
at home who are proud of him-Knights
OF the Golden Circle, men WHO
plotted treason every hour of your
great trial--that he was a member of
the great convention, but out of con-
sideration for its harmony he would
not go in: didn't want to disturb the
repose of "Dick" Taylor of Alex. H.
Stephens. So these creatures PLAYED
out the farce in the presence of the
American people of giving Vallandig-
ham "A tiRIFnt FNfr HaV IT,
yention and receiving from him letter
declaring the fact / have named, that
for the sake of harmony, out of pure
dtsinterested patriotism and no other
reason in the world, he declined going
into that assembly of eminent and illus
was an eminent man."1 Yes he was
an eminent man, this good white hair
ed father reminds me. He was emil
nent in the sense in which the devil be-
came eminent, when after having rais-
ed a revolt in heaven, he received such n
tumble over the battlements of heaven
and fell as Milton tells US
'Flom morn tnl noon, from noon TIN dewy
The people of Ohio pitched Vallan-
digham over the battlements and COW
cred him with the huge majority of
hundred and two thousand, where the
hand of political resurrection would
never reach him.
Here we are confronting this organi-
zation Of traitors to-day. And now it
is for the American people to decide
between us-to decide in favor of
the amendment, in favor of the future
safety of. the republic, in favor of keep
ing the contract that the nation made
with the men who defended il.
GMr. Bingham then turned his atten-
ton and devoted some time to refuting
charges brought by his opponents con-
corning his Congressional record. We
add his concluding FemarksJ ~ E
would energize every arm Of indus
try In this land, encourage every honest
toiling man among our millions, until
that day came when there would not
be single family within the limits of
the republic but would by its own hon
est industry be in possession of COM
petentceLthat pIlt e. l1 rock, hpmanly speaking,
on which the citizen stands erect un-
aWed by power, unbribed by gain,
ready to smile at the naughty frown, to
give to truth its due force and BcoEn the
embroidered iel I believe myself in
that legislation which secures the
greatest good to the greatest number.
u believe government was made for
and that he who performs an honest
dayjs toll isentitled to an honest davis
wages; and SO long as have power or
influence either at home or in the coun5
ellis of the nation, my voice will be for
such legislation as will secure that re-
suit.
But what are all these side issues
compared with that great and over
shadowing Issue, the safety of the Re
public. Adopt the amendment to yonr
National Constitution and all the
rest will follow. Reject that and
everything else Is lost. This issue, me
countrymen is with you. I thank YOU
for your kindly and attentive hearing,
II after considering this question YOU
thing am wrong, then in Gods name
as you love your own souls and the
children of your household, vote
against me and condamn f1e.d And IL
you believe I am right, and especially
if you believe am nothing as
compared with the Republic and that
the safety and happiness of the mill
lions now in thiAland and the millions
yet to be, hang onlthe decision of your
ballots in the adoption or rejection of
that amendment, then pray you, as
one united people, TO stand for the right,
for the just and for the true, that your
country and your country's institu-
tions may be immortal. !
5 "a Correction.