The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-07

Specie OF SENATOR whitley.
AT washington Hail, saturday
evening.
cable and Eloquent Discussion OF
POIiucaI Issues.

GAbIc and Eloquent Discussion OF
POlitIcaI Issnss.
a fine audience of ladies and gentle
men greeted Senator Wiley; Saturday
evening, at Washington Hall. The
hall was filed almost to its utmost ca
pacity by eight O'Clock and remained
so throughout The distinguished gentle
mans speech of something more than
two hours. The speech was an admir-
able onein conception pnd in the de-
livery. Some passages were touching
ly and thrillingly eloquent and were
raptuously applauded. The speaker
was evidently suffering indisposition,
and more than once essayed 10. bring
his remarks TO a conclusion, but yield
cd again and again to the cries of Ego
on ~ The audience sat enchanted, de-
lighted to the last. Those portions of
the speaker's remarks dealing with the
argumentof the great Issues before the
country were powerfulin their cogency;
and when hedweIt upon the moral, the
humanitarian and Christian aspects of
some of the questions handled, it was
with a beauty of diction, an. elevation
of sentiment and a glow of feeling
that touched the sensibililies and car
ried the finer feelings ofhis auditory by
storm.
The limits TO which this report must
be confined do not permit MS to attempt
full report of the Senator's remarks,
or even n very full synopsis. We can
do no more in general than outline the
line OF argument pursued.
Tho Honorable Senator was introduce
ed in a few appropriate remarks by Mr..
Henry Wallace, President of the Grant
and Colfax Central Club.
Mr.. Wiley began by abiding to the
fact that he had, recently in the inter-
ior of the State, met upon the stump
some of the eminont champions of the
Democratic party, abiding more par
tIcularly 10 Hon. Montgomery Blair.
He had before that been curious TO
know on what ground that party based
their claim upon the public confidence.
The only topics prominently presented,
sometimes to vast audiences by these
| eminent gentlemen from abroad were
substantially, first, a proscriptive spirit
and vindictive policy on the part of the
Republican party, and, second, the ever
lasting "nigger." They had right to
expect Mr. Blair to depart so far from
this beaten track as to tell them some-
thing about the expenditures OF the
Government, the enlargement OF the
debt and the COrruptlOnS of Congress
things which his relations TO the Gov
eminent during the war entitled us to
presume he knew something about
but hey singularly. silent on these
points. -aE
The speaker did not know that he
could do better than follow the line of
discussion marked out by these repre-
sentatives of the Democratic party. He
proceeded to examine their charge that
the policy of the Republican party is
proscriptiVe and vindictive, and said so
lar from it the history of the last seven
years, especially the last three years,
exhibited a clemency and forbearance
on the part of the victorious people of
this country that finds no parallel in
history.
he reviewed the circumstances in
which the rebellion was iuuugurated-
the country at peace and proSpering;
every man except the slaves enjoying
perfect religious, civil and political
freedom; no man could put Il finger on
any act of the General Government OBJ
| noxious 10 a single one of his rights.
The men who rebelled had full control
of the Government. 1t was true a Re-
publican President had been elected;
but also true that there was a Demo-
cratic Senate, SO that the President could
not even appoint q cabinet without
their consent; there WAS also Demo-
cratic majority of twenty in the lower
| House, so that not II dollar could be APP
| PropriRted TO carry on the Govern
ment under his administration without
| their consent, and not a measure of his
policy could be enforced except subject
TO their will. And yet that party rebell-
ed, and are responslblef for all the conse-
| queuces oftkeir act; for all the cost,
the sacrifices, the cruelties, and horrors
of the war. Andnow they talk about
the burden of the public debt which
their treason saddled upon the country.
They grow very pathetic over it and
describe it as crushing the industry OF
| the nation. 81 ~
There were no grounds for this OUT
cry about prescription and vindictive-
ness. The great Union party of the
country under Gen. Grant dispersed
the last Democratic meeting of the re-
bellion at AppomatoS Court House.
/ Their adyersaries lay at their feet sup
plants for mercy. These fellows now
mako great outcry about the Soon
lstitution." "Give us the Constitu-
ton ]" "Give us the laws !" What
| did the "yindictive' party do under
declares that he who levies war against
the United States is guilty of treason,
and empowers the courts of the United
States to prescribe and define the PEN
atty of treason. Did not Congress, in
1870, fix the penalty of death; and did
not our loyal Congress, in 1852, modify
and ameliorate the harshness OF the
penalty by making it either death or
Imprisonment, accompanied by fine in
i certain circumstances2 If we had
given these fellows the "Constitution"
and the laws" it would have very
largely diminished the Democratic
vote in the coming election. Yet there
has not been case of execution or
fine or confiscation. and but one of inn
prisonment, (Jeff.. Davts) and he..was ut
large on Republican bail-never to be
tried. 1t was true, Mr.. Blair had
said at Weston, it would be better
Iif Mr.. Davis had been hung;
but so long as worse men
men more directly responsible and
guilty OF greater mischiefs, were al
lowed to go scot free, the speaker didnot
concur in Mr.. Blair's opinion. Thus
we shall see the extraordinary specta-
Gle, that after bringing all these evils
upon us not one of all these rebels,
either leader or follower, has suffered
or will suffer the penalty for his viola
ton of the Constitution and laws of his
country; but all over the South they
enjoy perfect civil liberty and protsc-
| ton of the laws. The only disability
the triumphant party in its magnan-
unity and mercy has seen proper TO I'M
pose on these great political criminals
is that some $4,000 ORE, 600, who having
/ taken an oath 10 support the Constitu-
ton of the United States, violated that
\,