The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1868-07-23
Keynote OF THE CAMPAIGN
G II EAT EECH
o -
HON. GEORGE \. PENDLETON,
Ar
GRAFTON, EST VIRGINIA,
% N
RATION, w EST VIRGINIA,
Thursday, July 1868

Mn. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN :
II will be impossible for me to make
myself heard in this immense au.
dience unless you keep quiet, ard
i shal. ask that while | am speaking
you will allow me to proceed with
out interruption. l thank you, gen-
tlemen, for the very cordial recep.
ton you have just gwen me. Tho
Chairman OF your State Executive
Committee, who invited me to at
tend your meeting to~day, told me
that | had no truor friends IA the
Union than ! would meet here III
West Virginia. You have proven
his statement true. | camo obedi.
ent to your bidding. | desired to
see you TO make your personal
acquaintance and to return to you
my thanks for tho warm and con.
stant support OF your delegates to
the National Convention. / came
to shcw you that no personal disap-
pointmcnt lIngers ia my br east or
dampens for an instant tho N dor of
my efforts for the success Of our
party; that far above all personal
considerations i rate the success of
tho principles IN which | believe,
aud that whoever shall bear the
flag on which those principles nre
inscribed, | shall be found close by
his side, in the thickest of the fight,
to cheer HIM with my voice and aid
HIM with my arm. | came to urge
upon you, Democrats and Rcpubli-
cans alike, TO trample under foot
every preposscsslon, and prejudice,
and passion. if il were us dear as
life itself, and, rising 10 the height
Of this great struggle, to remember
thar wo havo only little life to
give and a noble, enduring govern,
ment TO savo.
l am party man. | avow 1t, but
not, trust, in uuy way narrow or
sectarian sense. | am attached
from conviction to the principles of
tho Democratic party. | have stud.
died its history from the foundation
OF the Government. In tho States
| have found it to be the party Of
liberty aud progress. In the Feder-
al Government | have found 1t TO be
tho exponent of that fun damcntal
principle of the Constitution that
"all powers which are not granted
are reserved" 1t has been the con-
slstont opponent of consolidation in
the one system, and of excessive ad-
mlnistration in the other. 1t has
been at once the firm supporter of
tho rights of the States and of the
inst powers of the Federal Govern.
mont. In every visisitude of our
history it has appeared to direct us
with It's wisdom, and to extricate US
by its courage, and to-day it stands
as it did in 1898 and 1899, under the
guideEce Of Mr.. Jefferson, pointing
to us the path of safety, which Is
now, as il was the-the Constitution
tho path of fraternal harm ony
and peace.
The convention which sat in Now
York was an august assembly. 1t
was the true council of our party
1t embraced our best, and puresu,
and wisest men. The roll of the
States was called, and not one was
without representative. The roll
OF the districts was called, and not
one was missing. The doctrine of
State suicide vas not recognized
The dissolution Of the Union was
not acknowledged. Every State
was invited to 90 present and every
State excepted the invitation. Ev.
cry State selected such citizens as
abe choose and thus 1t happened