The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-10-19

the leaders and controllers of nnbiie
opinion tbere would not consent TO be
restored on terms as magnanimous as
those, Congress found It necessarv TO
resort to legislation providing the re-
construction should take place nv the
loyal people, whoever thew mIeSt hs
of those States. The real objection the
newly organized Democratic party has
to all this Is not that the States should
come back for they all pretend to be
extremely anxious for that, but because
We have provided they shall come back
on loyal basis, on fair terms and with
complete security for the country; and
they are afraid II loyalty rules in these
States they won't vote the Democratic
ticket after they get back.
PRoaREss OF RECONSTRUCTION.
Ten States have been made subject to
these acts of reconstruetion, Tennessee
having come in on the basis Of military
Government established there by Mr..
Lincoln, and afterwards continued by
johnson. 0fthese ten States seven are
now entirely restored. They have elect
ed their Governors, as You did here in
West Virginia, have chosen their
Legislatures, have organized State
institutions and Governments, have
Representatives and Senators in Con-
gress. The other three Virginia, Texas
and Mississippi are in process of re-
organizing upon the same basis of
loyalty.
WHAT THE DEMOCRACY PROPOSE.
And what do the Democracy propose?
Why to keep out the three from coming
In on a basis of loyalty and to thrust
reason upon God AlmiShty's earth,
except because they did NOT come in
rebel end foremost. This work of re-
construction Is to be dashed to the
ground, the peace of the country en-
dangered again, we are to go back to
anarchy, confusion, disorder and In all
human probability If these counsels
prevail, to war again, simply because
these States are not coming in or likely
to come in on rebel basis to vote the
Democratic ticket. That is the whole
of 1t.
What does this combination between
the Northern and Southern wings of
the Democracy mean. During the war
there was the same sympathy as now.
The rebels who fought in the front were |
one wing of the Democracy there; the |
"peace" Democrats or Copperheads who
bit at our heels in the rear while we
were lighting the rebels, were the other.
They were kept apart only because the
Union army was between them with its
bayonets and power. The Union army |
being removed from between them
these two portions come together like |
two drops of water and completely |
coalescei and what they could not &C. |
comPlish during the war by force they |
seak now to accomplish by guile and |
by the ballot. Shall they be permitted |
to do itT-to trample in the dust this |
work OF peaceful reconstruction ? |
What do they offer instead ofit7 What |
scheme? What State organizations are1
you to have at the South If you do |
away with those Congress has given |
81
themselves say that all civil Govern |
ment there was destroyed, when by |
their secession and attempt to tear |
themselves away from the Union, they |
trampled on the existing government, |
and arrayed themselves against the |
United States. Johnson's government, |
those creations of the" zone man power" |
have no longer any legal existence. |
What do these Democrats propose |
Simply nothing, simply to turn these
States out again because they did not
come In under rebel influences, and to
give in their stead to the South anarchy,
and disorder.
SUPPOSE DIFFERENT coUNsELs HAD PRE-
VAILED.
What would have been the condition |
of the South If such counsels and en-
couragement as these had not prevailed?
Suppose the XIVtk amendment had !
been accepted, northern enterprise and
capital would have flowed towards the |
South and all would have been pros- |
perity there, IL not in the same degree |
yet in kind like that we are enjoying |
now in all the loyal States. And so It |
would be If they were now to lay down |
their opposition and consent 60 such |
terms as to secure the peace of the
country and the integrity OF. the Union |
for the future. L say the South would
now be in peace and prosperity and
would already have accepted .he terms
offered, were ready to do 1t when they
first laid down their arms II they had |
not been encouraged to do otherwise |
by their proiessed friends, (who are
proving themselves their very worst
enemies) at the North. AS the South |
was deceived and beEuiled once so they |
will be again il they rely on these |
promises and this encouragement.
THE OPPOSING POLICIES ooNTRAsTED.
And this brings me, gentlemen, to |
just what seems to be the differences be- |
tween the.two parties in what they pro-
pose to the country. The Union party |
believes It Is the part of wise men to |
take measures for securing the country |
against q recurrence of rebellion by |
proper and wise measures to that end. |
They seek restoration of all the States. |
They are in progress of bringing about |
that restoration. They want peace and |
prosperity. The Democratic party, be- |
cause they think some advantage is to |
be gained by going back into the dis |
orders sought now to be renewed at the |
South, or by getting possession and con- |
troll of the country, SO as at the North to |
have the offices aRaiu, and the Demo-
cratic party, whatever 1t may be, in
power once more, are willing to forego
all the advantages of peace, prosperity
and restoration, to go back on the war,
to undo all that has been done 10 close
its wounds and settle the agitations of
the country, and return to a condition |
OF disorder and violence all over the |
land.
There we stand thus opposed: this
newly organized rebel Democracy
pointing out a course and claiming To |
pursue u policy which must lead In
evitably to war; because these States
at the South will not consent to be
overthrown again and put once moro
into chaos, to settle down In some form
of government not now to be foretold,
and which they must arrive at through
u scene of suffering and peril and VIC
lence as befoIe-a policy which points
therefore directly to war; while we on
the other side say God forbid we should
have more war. We on the other side
BILE Grant on which is emblazoned those
words of his that deserve to be written
In letters of light forever LIST us have
EOace.'"
It is for the people of the country, es-
pecially for you OF the border States to
choose between these two policies-be-
tween continued prosperity, certain
Pescs; or on the other hand to go with
this rebel Democracy and rush again
upon unLried horrors all along your
border. Now that 10 to be determined
soon. We have commenced a settle
ment of 1t. It began up In Vermont
and Maine, and has gone through In
diana. Nebraska. Ohio and Pennsylva-