The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-31
Saturday Nights Meeting
Immense Turnout
Splendid Speech by Blair
EVERYBODY Well Pleased.

A dashing rain came up on Saturday
evening, about five o'clock, and. chang
ing into settled fall sufficient to soak
the "dryest inhabirant," continued un-
til after seven o'clock. This circum-
stance unsettled all the plans of the
brave-hearted and stout-armed mechan-
les and laborers in the lower part of
the city, who were arranging to give
Hon. MONTGOMERY BLAIR hearty
greeting on that evening. They had
erected, at the edge of the Fifth ward
Market Space, stately hickory, whose
leafy branches stood one hundred and
five feet above the ground, under whose
shadow they proposed building stand
which should be tastefully draped with
national flags and decorated with ap-
pirate notices. Locomotive head lights
had been procured, with which the
whole space would have been made as
light as day, and with their music and
fire. works added to the able speeches
of the evening, they anticipated a
GLORIOUS time" indeed.
The inclemency of the weather forced
them to change their programme on
such short notice that they were unable
to make as satisfactory arrangements as
they desired. A stand was erected in.
side of the Market House, and, before
half-past seven o'clock, as many men
had congrogated there as could distinct
ly hear the voice of single speaker
Considering the evening, the meeting
was very large one-much larger than
any one reasonably expected it would
be.
Mr.. BLAIR was introduced by Mr..
DANIEL LAMB, in n few appropriate
words, and his coming forward on the
stand was greeted by most hearty
cheers. After the speaking had pro-
gressed but short time, the rain hav-
ing ceased and the clouds broken away,
the stand was moved out to the ope n
space. The crowd, already very large,
kept increasing until at 8 o'clock it
was one of the largest assemblages,
if not the largest, yet brought together
in this city during the campaign.
The speech of Mr.. BLAIR was one of
great power, and it had most excel
lent effect. Many Democrats who heard
it, aud some Republicans, pronounce it
the ablest speech they ever listened to-.
Mr.. blair started off by stating that
the issues now before the people were
of no common magnitude. They deeply
interested every citizen without dis.
tinction of party. The frauds and cor
ruptions of the party in power, and who
seemed determined to retain it, are un-
precedented in the annals of history.
To get into power they had practiced a
base deception on the people. When the
war commenced, the tone of the men,
bers in the British Parliament was
locked upon as giving aid and comfort
to the South-they seemed to treat it
as war upon the institutions of the
South. To disabuse this notion Mr..
Crittenden, of Kentucky, prepared the
resolutions which bear his name, and
which avow that the war was simply for
the preservation of the Union, and not
to interfere with the institutions of
the States, nor to impair their rights
nor their dignity. These resolutions
were endorsed by Congress. They pass
ed both branches without scarcely a
dissenting voice. To carry on the war
in accordance with these resolutions an
army was raised. The battle was fought.
The South submitted to the arbitrament
of the sword. But, was that policy ad-
hered tot The Radicals found that if
the Southern States were permitted to
come back they would lose their power.
General Grant was sent on tour of OBJ
servation through the States lately in
rebellion. He returned and made a re
port. He said he found a willingness,
wherever he went, among the people to
come back and submit to the require
ments of the Constitution. He said,
most emphatically, that he thought
they should be represented in Congress.
Mr.. Sumner rose in his seat and pre-
sounced it whitewashing report. He
said Grant did not understand the feel.
iugs of the people in the South. Con-
gress must reconstruct those States be-
fore they could be allowed to take part
in the ;legislation.
The so-called reconstruction measures
of the Radicals are acknowledged by
their own leaders to be outside of the
Constitution and are avowsdly naked
assumptions. When the subject was
first presented by Mr.. Sumner, Mr.. Fes.
senden arose in his place in the Senate
and declared that Mr.. Sumner stood
alone in asserting such power for the
Government. Subsequently, however
in 1864, bill was hurried through bott
Houses for the purpose, in which Con
civil governments in the Southern
States, leaving the question of suffrag,
as il stood under the prior laws. Thi
was known as the Wade and Davis bill
Mr.. Lincoln refused to approve it, OF
the express ground that Congress hat
not the power to make Government
for the people Of the South, this being
a function of the people them
selves. The plan, he said, was one tha
he would submit to the people of thest
States, but it was for them TO say wha,
they would do in the premises. Mr.
Lincoln took this stand on the eve o
his reelection; and his triumphant en-
dorsement by the people in his re-elec
ton, despite the intrigues Of the Radi
cals-their Cleveland Convention, and