Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-07-29
Speech of the Hon. Geo. H. Pendleton.

The Democrats Of West Virginia held their
State Convection on the 10th inst. More
than ten thousand persons wcrcin attendance
excursion trains being run over the various
branches of the adjoining railroads. Mr.
Geo. II. Pendleton and Senator Thurman, o
Ohio, and others, addressed the assemblage
Resolutions endorsing tie nominations and
platform of the New York Convention, and
demanding the repeal of the registry law in
fprce in that State, were unanimously and en-
Enthusiastically adopted.
MIR. Peudleton on coming forward was re-
eeiFed with great cheering. He said:
la Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen: The chair
Iban of your State executive Com alittee, when
Aeinvited me to attend your meeting to-day
l16ld me that had no trucr friends in the
Union than l would meet here in West Vir-
l5nia. You have proved his statement to he
1ftne. / came obedient to your bidding. ]
desired to see you, to make your personal ac-
/ quaintance, and 10 return to you my thanks
/ for the warm and constant support Of your
delegates to the National Convention. | came
ltoIshow you that 10 personal disappointment
Ringers in my breast, or dampcns for an in
! slant the ardor Of my efforts for the success
Of your party cheers but that far above
all personal considerations, rate The success
@rthe principles in which believe, and that
#hocver shall bear the flag on which those
principles are inscribed, shall be found close
Ey his side in the thickest of the fight, to
Eaheer him with my vuicc and to aid him with
llhy arm. came to urge upon. you, Demo
Eesats and Republicans alike, totrampie under
[ipot every possession aud prejudice and pas
,Gien, il it were as dear life itself, and, l,iug
to tie height of this great struggle, to reinem-
Eher that we have only a life to give and a no
Die and enduring government to save. Ap-
plausc.
| 81 am party man, avow it, but not,
t&ust, in any narrow or sectariau sense.
an attached from conviction TO the principles
idt the Democratic party; ] have studied its
As8istory from the foundation Of the govern
ment. In the States have found it to be the
t5arty Of liberty and progress. In the federal
t9overnment have found it to be the expo
! .nent OF that fundamental principle of the
4 H9onstitutior that all powers which are moi
srantcd are reserved. 1t has been the con
i s.stcnt opponent of consolidation in the one
system and Of excessive administration in the
other. Ii has been at once the firm supporter
of the rights of the States and OF the just
now ers of the federal government. In every
ysicissitudc of our history it has appeared &c
direct us with its wisdom and to eX,ricate US
lsbg its courage. and To- day it stands as it did
Sd. j 79S and 1899, uuder the guidance Of Mr.
Jeiferson, pointing Us to tie path OF safety
(which is now, as it Was then, the path CT the
'Econsitution, Of fraterDai harmony and peace
isAThe Convention which sat in New York
was an august assembiage. 1t was the true
lscouncil OF our party. 1t embraced our bcs
tandspurest and wisest men. Ihe roll OF the
Estates was called AID not one was without &
Representative. Tie roll uf the districts wa:
Ecalied and not one of them was missing
...sssraUCITuIe OF Stute suicide wac not recog
nized- dissolution Of the Union was 10
acknowledged. Every State was invited IL
be present, and every State accepted the invl
tation. Every State selected such citizens n:
she chose, and thus it happened Moth Caro-
lima and South Carolina, and Georgia ant
Virginia sat as in the days Of the revolution
In fraternal council with Massachusetts and
New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
and that Hampton aid Preston and Forrest
sat side by side with Stecdman and Morgan
The convention vas the sign and symbol
and the prophecy Of a restored Union and 0
harmonious people. 1t rose to the dignity o
it's high duty. The eyes OF the world were
upon It's proceedings. Greater than the holy
alliance which subueated people and divided
empires, its mission was 10 enlranchise peo'
pie of our race, to restore the union OF oul
States and to maintain the institution Of civ
liberty. For the first time in their history
the American people realized That free gov
crnment was in danger and that the fate o.
the Republic trembled in the balance. They
had been taught 10 believe that freedom was
indigenous in our soil, and shutting their eyes
to tie teachings of all history, shutting their
eyes to the facts co nected with Our own rey-
olution, they had hugged to themselves the
deluson that in whatever storm Of faction, OF
passion, Or revolutionary fervor, liberty al
least was safe. They had awakened from The
dream, and as they sent representatives tc
the convention they charged them, as the die
tator of old was charged, to see to 1t that ne
detriment happened TO the republic. BY o
unanimous vote they adopted Il declaration
of principles, fidelity to the constitution
fidelity to the Union, fidelity 10 the rights o
the States, fidelity to The rights of the citizen
fidelity to the principles of civil liberty, idel
ity to that policy in matters of finance and
taxation which, by paying the public debt II
legal tender notes, will lift from the shoui
ders OF labor The burdens which oppress it
and by tightening the measure of taxation
viii secure to it the just rewards of cheertu
and contented industry. lCheers.l
The speaker then referred, in many eulcg
istic terms, to the nominees Of the Democrat
ic Conventio~, and said if ANYTHING more
wclo needed 10 FIRE the heart with cnthusi
asm, let it be drawn from the contrasts The
country to-day presented. The Republican
party had been in absolute power for cigh
years Where was the constitution the,
swore to uphold? Where was the Union they
swore 10 maintain? After briefly dilatins
on the course pursued by the Republican
party since the war; more particularly with
respect to the reconstruction Of States, be
went on to state that Congress had usEpct
to itself all power oyer the State government!
OF the South, and had, in fact, destroyed them
Advcrting to the military government, Mr
Pendleton continued: