The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-07-25
POLITICAL ISSUES OF THE DAY
An Address by Hon. ]. q. Atkinson,
Before ths Grant and Colfax Club of
New Cumberland
7euow- caize11 Of HancoeL cosfTfy, YES

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country. Want Of time compass 70
bfeyity. and might ITuinIulIJ Say
that the whole EuU1ecf coUlo pc AIRY
.tafesf BY aveTF!Dg mat the great Onioo
party mas, from the beginning OF tns
- STsr. benz all lis energies 10 the put
tTr1 down of tie rebellion and Ebe
observation Of the Tspub &c That as
Inc ExiRencies OF the hour required
nez measures, We have gone steadily
forward to maintain the right, as GOO
has given Us to see the right; and tnat
the Democratic party hss invariably
opposed ali that has been donei hSnhns
US as persisteDIly, step by step, al the
ballot box and through the agency OF
tbs press, as did the rebels in the heIo'
But in order that We may have
more complete understanding OF abe
subject, We must be more exPlicit-Ts
must Tecur 10 history and pass before
our minds occurrences and measures
familiar TO Us at the time they trans
pired, buL which have been forgotten
or have lost their Significance amid the
panorama Of thrilling events OF the
last seven years. No political party
now in existence can claim to nave
sseu the end from the beginning du-
man knowledge has ever been hmtieo
To the narrow horizon OF to-day ana II
is only that party which places itself
up on the platform OfJustice and right
that can by faith move forward at all
times assured that it shall be we'll.
Little did the Southern chi7airy
think, as urged on by the promise OF
aid from the Democracy of the North,
they plunged this peaceful land into a
fearful war TO conserve slavery, that
they were making haste to their own
ruin, aud the downfall Of human
slavery on this continent, and Indeed
throughout tbs world. Aud as little
did the great Union party dream OF
the labor before IL when 10000 men
rushed to Hrms to prevent accession
and TO maintain the Union OF these
StateB. Thus began a contest on the
one side to secure slavery by separate
confederation OF homogeneous States,
and OF, the other, not to remove slavery,
but solely to maintain the Union. But
our ways were not as Gods ways, nor
our thoughts as His thoughts. Partial
success 10 the rebel arms tDdamed them
to the highest pitch of enthuBtasmI
while the loyal heart of the nation
nesessary means used to prevent a sep
aration. But neither party intended by
their actions To deJtToy slavery, and II
Is only now as looking backward We
see how God WAS working at the great
problem of human freedom through US
while we were fighting to prevent the
separation OF tue States. And now how
! plhlu dEe AHG HLGph ~ "AAIA NS4N
| been led, often reluctantly and with
much hesitation, but always approach
| ing the sublime heights TO be reached
| for our race by the war and through
our iDstIumentalities.
| The slaves were found to Ee sinewG
| OF the rebellion and therefore contra
band OF war. Emancipation followed.
| The clouds of war lowered above uE
| and a Democratic convention, with
Seymour at its head, declared the wal
| q failure and demanded cessation OF
hosttlities. We called the colored SOL
| der to our aid and victory crowned oul
arms with complete triumph upon the
| field.
Let Us then, as a party, not aTrogate
! to ourselves any further honor than
| that we stood by our country and the
| Constitution when they were assailed,
| giving to The God of hosts all the praise
| OF having led us in a way we know not
OF having crowned our arms with sue
cess, of having established us more
firmly than ever as a nation because
he has moulded the hearts OF the PEG
pie in these days of trial to higher anC
holier views OF equality, justice anC
right.
Tine close OF the war has left many
new questions upon our hands for set
Element. Among which are the recon
stTuction of the seeded States, what i
freedmen and how we are 10 discharge
the enormous debt cuTtailed upon u
by the war.
These questions. We believe, have al
ready been placed il the way OF prop
er settlement il we continue III the
head OF the Government men whC
nave stood firmly by our side during
the war Aud we doubt If the history
of the world can furnish II parallel to
this impudeLce of the party which now
| seeks 10 guide this DHuon IN The settle.
! menI OF these great questions, while the
| smoke of the battle mas scarcely CLEAR
| ed away in which they did their
| best to disrupt the Union, TO reduce to
| bondage the freedman, and to ruin the
finances OF our country. We can make
no distinction between the rebel In
arms and his northern sympathizer,
except it be that great numbers OF the
| former after gallant fight in the field
have laid down their arms and return
with soldier sacred promise TO abtde
that decision, and hencetorth to uphold
| the old flag; while the latter still con-
J tiuue their oppositlOn to the party who
have been instrumental in maintain
ing the Union. The convention held
at New York last week WAS the same
which met at Chicago in 1861, with the
addition of The worst spirits OF the con.
lederale army.
/ 10 gun ny WndI
| they had lost under arms the rebel
element, true to their instincts of arts.
toCTatic pride and caste, have endeavOr-
ed 10 reduce the freedman to n serfdom
worse Lhun slavery. To this We could
never honOrably submit. Those who
had stood by us in the hour of trial
must not be deserted. The civil rights
bill protected them in their earnings
and personal rights before the courts,
and the reconstruction acts rising to n
higher platform than mere expectancy,
and casting the errors and mistakes of
| former generation aside, have raised
these unfortunate people to the dignity
OF freemen. In doing SO we have but
returned for guidance to the inspiration
OF those nObler papers, the Declara-
ton of Independence and Constitution
left US by our fathers. which teach
that governments derive their Just
powers from the consent of the govern.
ed, that taxation and representation
should be inseparable, and that all men
are created free and equal.
In progressing through all these
changes the Democratic party has COM
batted us at every step. Early in 1861,
aH many of you remember, they were
| opposed to coercion, averring with Jas
Buchanan that the Constitution con.
ferred no power upon the Government
| TO COeTce "A State endeaYorinC to secadp
Then as the loyal thousands came at
the call OF the Government, the howl
| was raised about the terrible war taxes.
When defeat met our armies they eX-
| claimed you can never conquer the
South. When dark days came and the
draft was required to bring recruits 10
our armies, they resisted il TO blood or
skulked away TO Canada.
When emancipation became necessa.
ry they cried Unconstitutional, :" and
used every argument in favor of the
sanctity of slave property.