The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-09-21

Lee and others Tor treason. 1t was GRANT
that saved these men from proseention
and, hanging when President johnson;
who now stands SO high in the estimation
of some of these gentlemen, was for
hanging them, as the records OF Congress
show, and was for doing 1t in order that
"treason'' might be made Hodious."
Laughter. 1t was Grant that interfered
and pleaded with the President, and said
that SO long Us Lees men and Lee kept
their parole. snd lived up to the terms
which he had granted them at their surren-
der, he felt in honor bound TO protect
them from prosecution. EApplause:l Then
it was when these men feared the law,
when they feared prosecution and con
yiction, and punishment, if you will re-
member, that all the democracy in the
land were for Grant. What strange
spectaclel And how inconsistent, really,
are parties, to say noting of individuals
Why, gentlemen, it has not been year
since that Democratic party were for
Grant and the Republicans for Chase. Is
that not so2 Do not you all know it to
be SOP Uaughter.) Take their papers
and look at them; read them. Tits a fact
no man dare or can deny. The Demo
cratic party, as party, were for Grant;
and the Republicans, certainly the radl-
Cd1 eIeuGuL Vi Luculi JuublbS MN 1ASAA
leaders, were for Chase. And when the
nominating conventions assembled how
different Chase was looked upon by
many of you here probably, if there are
Democrats in this audience tonight, as
the man who would get the nomination
at New York. He is certainly the man
that ought to have gotten 1t il they ex-
pected success. Chase was expected to
be the nominee at New York in July.
In February last, and prior to that time,
the men who controlled and ruled the
Radical party looked to him as their
candidate. How did 1t come they nom
mated Grant? 1t was because the peo-
pie, Democrats and Republicans, bad
nominated him long before the meeting
of the Chicago Convention. 1t was be-
cause the Republican masses which
controlled the leaders demanded his
nomination. He was not nominated
by the men who composed the Chicago
Convention, because he was by no
means their first choice. He is not the
representative of the ultraism of the
party. That element would greatly
have preferred such man as Mr.. Wade
of Ohio, or many other gentlemen who
had been spoken of in connection with
the nomination. But 1t was the con-
party, looking forward to the restora-
lion Of the tranquility and prosperity
of the country, that demanded, long
before the meeting Of the Chicago Con-
vention, the nomination of the man
who had led the armies of the ma
ton TO victory, and who had shown
in every position he had filled such
obedience to law and such respect for
authority,-such a quiet. modest
unobtrusive intelligence, [Applause.l
There was nothing, therefore, for these
men at Chicago to do when they met TO
make a nomination but TO register the
will of the people who were behind
them. II was the conservatism OF the
Republican party that nominated Gen.
Grant-or rather the Representatives
who were compelled by the conserva-
tism of their party 10 register the will of
the element which nominated Grant.
It was the people that had designated
him as their choice; and, therefore,
Grant got the Radicals. Do you sup
pose Charles Sumner wanted Grant
nominated after denouncing his report
on the condition of the South as a
embarrassing" report. Certainly not.
1t Is known to every man in the Repub-
lican party, however radical, 1t was the
conservatism of the party that whipped
him into the traces and compelled him
to the support OF Gen. Grant.
Directly the opposite controlled at
New York. Now the great mass OF the
Democracy in what we termed during
the war the loyal States, sigh equally
with the conservative Republicans for
Tranquility and repose, for restora-
ton of peace with all its at
teudant blessings They are tired
of this strife: and as an evidence
that this feeling is entertained by the
Conservative. Democrats of the land.
need but call your attention to a sim
gle fact. It is, 1 presume, known TO
every gentleman here that Mr.. Yallan-
digham Is the most popular man in his
party in Ohio, in his Congressional Dis
trict. That, Ipresume, will be conceded.
Whenever his party can command his
services for any position, they press
him into their service. The other day
they nominated him against his will as
candidate for Congress-as Seymour
was nominated for President against
his will. [Laughter.l But notwlth-
.standing his popularity in his party,
they still had some regard for their in
terests and for the interestsof the com.
mon country, for peace and its bless
good that attends a wise administration
of the Government. They had still
more regard for that than theyhud for
their friend Vallandigham and they
took care not to send him a delegate to
the New York Convention. Yet he was
there. AS is said in the statement attrib-
uted 20 Alex. Long, the man who believes
that the world would cease to- revolve on
il axis if he did not make speech
when opportunity presented itself, was
there and his finger is seen in the nom
nations The people did not send him
there. The people purposely kept him
away. Yet he was delegate to that
convention. He goes there, and some
delegate whom the people had sent,
resigned, and Mr.. Vallandigham was
substituted in his place; and after fight
ing the Conservative elementof the
convention four or five days, succeed
ed in the dark hour of the night in de-
wishing plan to spring upon them this
rebel nomination in tho morning.
Though another, 1t is true, made the
nomination, Mr.. VRllandigham made
the speech; and Mr.. Seymour shed the
tears; and we have heard nothing OF
his 'honor" since. [Great laughter.l
Now, my fellow-citizens, you have
only to look back to go to see the par
allel to all this. In the Charleston
Convention, the Douglas wing strove
with the Breckenridge wing. THE Union
men stroye with their brothers. They
prolonged the contest until ballot after
ballot had been taken. Finally one
wing nominated Mr.. Breckenridge and
smother wing Mr.. Douglas. The New
York Convention was more effectively
rebel than the Charleston Convention.
The Conservative element was so en-
tirely controlled and absorbed that
ion nomination as they did in
1850. When in 1000 you and L,
Douglas Democrat, predicted the defeat
of Breckenridge was war, and the rum
ming of Breckenridge meant secession,
and that secession was war, who be-
lieved us2 Why, one of our best and
most talented friends in this city-a
-