The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-07-23
llfget1Ier.
TIE GRRFTON COMVENTION.
Rebel speeches at The Grafton HOnse
THE CompositIOn OF the Crowd.
Drunkenness and, Obscenity.-S
Popularity or JeG: Davis In
theCOnVention.
GRAFroN,lW, va, july 20, ls6s,


the COnvention. 5ios
GRAFTON, W. Va. July 20, 1865.
Editors IntetEigence1':
There are some incidents connected
with the Democratic Convention which
met here recently. which consider of
sufficient interest to the people TO be
made known. You are aware that on
the evening of the 18th inst, they, the
Democracy, had some speech king
on the platform at the Grafton
House," As a common observation,
it was remarked generally that even
ing, that there were more rebels in
town than had been here since 1851. 1t
appeared that the secessionists and
rebels OF 1923 and '64 had all come
to Grafton TO get the rights they lost
by their treason and rebellion. A list
of the delegates wonl0 be very inter-
esting to your readers; but the Conven-
ton very prudently for them, no doubt,
has disappointed US all.
Tho first speaker on that evening
was a rebel Colonel Hayward, from
Kentucky. There was more of the
Kentucky fire and brag in his speech
than anything else. He raved and
ranted and sweat like a genuine South
ern gentleman in the last Rgonies of
desperation overthe "lost cause" He
labored with desperate effort to CON
vince his rebel copperheadt democratic
hearers that there was not one of them
who could support himself in foreign
country, and he finally convinced them
all OF this fact, to their own credit (2)
be it said. So the speaker and they all
concluded not to try 1t in foreign
country. Various ones of their poll
tics had lately tried 1t, but soon came
sueakinp back, he then undertook to
draw a comparison between the two
candidates; and his argument was
convincing proof of the weakness OF
their cause, and of the strength of
ours, He said he had not a word to
saw in disbursement of Gen. Grant as
a military man. He did not like TO
make an Impression that he and all the
other great, brave and chiyalrous men
of the South had been beaten by any
one but great General. His hrst OBJ
lection was that Grant says ne has no
policy, He considered Grant very
dangerous man on that account, espe-
clally as he said, "while the country
is racked from centre to circumference
for The 1pant of q policy :" and they all
cheered,7 because all our troubles were
for the want of policy, as they were
convinced. BE forgot to say that Grant
said he, If elected, would have no policy
to enforce against The 4DiH OF the people.
II MIR. johnson had acted on this prin-
ciple, all would now be we'll for the
country. His next objection to Grant
was that he said he would carry out
the will of the people. He said this
was dangerous doctrine, ana they al!
cheered. because they were convinced
that the will of the people should have
no weight In republic: They want
some one-BIair for instance-who will
carry out the will of the rebels, by
force, against the will of the people.
He said that Grant meant that he would
carry out the will of The people, lille
h 10 RI Ii
cal mob" Will say that his tthe
speaker's) authority for this declaration
can be found only in the inclination oil
his own mind willfully TO perrert the
truth, and get the people TO believe
lie, that the "lost cause" may be revi.
we'd, and Southern Confederacy yet es-
tablished. The speaker then compared
Gen. Grant appealing to the mob, with
Seymour appealing 10 the people
through the balIot-box. Thinks 1 to
myseii," 10, consistency, thou art
ieweln He had forgotten that Sey-
mour said in his 4th of July speech In
1868, in New York City, that "ths doc
claimed By a MOB as iVetL as by a govern
nent." And but short time afterward
the mob in New York, acting upon Sey-
mour's suggestion, undertook 10 pro-
claim their ''docrines of public necess1-
ty." When Hayward concluded his
miserable harangue OF falsehoods,
Mr.. Buchanan, OF Ohio county, was
called 10 the box. lie was an
entire stranger here. but being
either simpletoD, or drunk, or proba-
bly, both, he soon hickered ouS ana
gave way for "more ADLER speaker"
a natural poet, who astonished ana ed
flied the crowd with strain CT ms
impromptu poetry; he Gelng elLnsr
drunk or insane, or probably both,
soon fell from the box, and made room
for the last and least speaker OF I'LL, nne
iliussrious Lane, who ia already pretty
we'll known in the political and judi
cial circles of West Virginia. L am
averse TO wasting ammunition on dead
ducks. The convention, generally
speaking, was a great rebel success.
Rebs and Cops of all shades were pres
emit, While Thurman was speaking
there were frequent cries amoBg the
delegates OF "hurTdh for Je1. Davts r. -
Thurman asked his friends what they
should do with the Radical soldiers
power, and the rebel crowd cried out
chang ,emip chang 'emp They have
learned nothing from the lessons Oft
war, but are the same as they weredn
go and 81. - ,i' y,
The citizens here inform me that they
did not see in town during the four
years of war as many drunken men as
were seen here on the day OF the Con-
veniion. There were at least fifty men
to be seen drunk at once on Railroad
street. And the cursing and black
guarding was horrible. II appeared as
II the rebel army had taken the town
and all the whisky In 1t, and were
having a general drunk. At one time
in the Convention there WAS an order
made TO clear the delegates seats, in
order TO repair those that were
broken down; and 1t was with din
Guilty that several could be removed.
But finally they all got out except one,
who lay stretched out across two
benches, with his mouth and beard
lying in lis vomit. In. word, Messrs'
Editors, such mass of rebels, copper.
heads, pick. pockets, thieves and
drunkards, and of corruption general
", was never witnessed before, aud the
good people of Grafton hope 1t may
never be again. This Convention has
opened the eyes of many who were
hating and cropping, and inspired the
friends OF liberty and justice toreneHed
confidence. GRAFTON.
IservantgalIsm."
punch's famous series of carlcatnres
called "Servantgalism or, what Is to
become OF the Missuses pr used to be
2 H. -