The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-07-20

ed; gives full assurance that he will
make them effective in his administra-
tion. Tremendous applause. y
, Mr.. Blair is an accomplished and ex-
perienced statesman; o brave and able
soldier. His father was the nearest
friend of General Jackson-his brother,
the confidant and adviser of Mr.. Lin
coin, and he himself the disciple and
protege of Benton. Applause.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY-wHAT 1T Is
RESPONSIBLE FOR.
If anything more were needed to fire
your heart with the enthusiasm which
marked their nomination, let ID be
drawn from the contrasts which our
country to-day presents. The Repub-
lican party has been for eight years in
absolute possession of every department
of the Federal Governmental has had
the executive, and the legislative, and
| the judiciary, obedient to its behests.
1t hao had possession of every State
Government in tho Union, with very
few exceptions, SO few that they scarce
ly serve to illustrate the rule. 1t has
had every department of governmental
power; both State and Federal, entirely
in its hands. Ifvetoes have beenjnter-
posed, they have been overridden by a
two-thirds vote. Ifadverse judicial de-
cisiOns have been expected, the Court
has been reorganized by o diminntion
OF the Judges, or the case has been taken
from its cognizance by change of the
law of appeal. If States have inter
posed an obstacle, their assumptions
. have been derided, and their efforts
have been met by the strong arm of the
Federal power.
Having thus had absolute possession of
the Government during four years of
the war, it has also had possession of it
during more than three years of pro
found peace. 1t has had the enjoyment
of power, and il is responsible for its
| use.
But in what condition do we find the
country todayi Where is the Consti-
tuition which they swore to uphold
Where is the Union which they swOre
to maintain! Where are the rights Of
the States which are essential to the
maintenance Of that Constitution and
Union?
HOW THEY HAVE "REsToRED" THE
We have had three years of profound
peace; not hostile arm has been raised
in opposition to the Government, and
yet to-day ten States are held by the
strong arm of military power in &C
knowledged subiugatiou, or else are
compelled to submit by that same power
to frames of State constitutions and
governments which they abhor, whose
foundation and sole purpose is the en-
reimbursement Of the negro and disfran-
chisement of the white man. | know
they tell us that the work of reeOnstruc
tion goes bravely on. 1t does, forsooth,
but it is not the restoration of the
South; not the restoration OF the Union;
not the establishment of civil gov
ernment! Read your telegraphic dis
patches to day, and you will see that in
Georgia men are being tried by military
commission, upon charges of murder.
Read the telegraphic dispatches of yes
terday, and you will see that the militia
nv commander of that State declines to
recognize the validity of the Legislature
until the House of Representatives, shall
turn cut the Democratic members.
PERIpATETIC CoNGREsSMEN.
Read the dispatches of the day before,
and you will see that one of the newly
elected Senators from Louisiana was,
six months ago, o citizen OF Illinois,
and the other citizen of Indiana; that
the Governor of Florida was, n year
ago, the President of an Agricultural
Society in Iowa. If | am not mistaken
the State of Virginia rejOices in the pos
session of Governor fresh from the
soil of Ohio; laughter and if the news
papers do not belle him, 4 citizen OF
our State has declined to be candidate
for Congress in the District in which he
lives, for the reason that he expects to
be a Senator from Alabama before the
fall elections in Ohio shall take place.
Laughter andapplause.
CONGRESSIONAL USURPATION.
Congress has usurped to itself all
power over the State governments OF
the South. 1t has destroyed them. 1t
has made use of the Federal Govern
ment to destroy the States, and now,
with the insatiate spirit of revolution,
it turns upon the Federal Government
itself. 1t has destroyed the independ-
ence of the Judiciary. 1t has struck at
the existence of the Executive. Our
fathers thought they had solved the
problem of free Government in>the Gre
alton of the three departments. This
Republican Congress has destroyed all
the divisions which were thus created,
and seeks to collect, in its own hands,
all the powers which belong to the sys-
TEN, and by an inexorable law OF It's
existence, it now stands ready, III case
of party necessity, to transfer them 10
the grasp of the military dictator. 1t
is reproducing in our country the lessons
of all history.
LEGISLATIVE DEsPoTIsM AND THE Sc
QUEL-HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE.
The despotism of legislative assem-
! bly, is the worst despotism III the word;
it is the most selfish, the most cruel, the
most audacious and the most short
lived: it ends in anarchy, and is speed
ily followed by the calm repose OF tyr
amy under the erder of the sword. Re
call the history of the Roman Senate
and the Emperors; recall the history OF
the long Parliament and the tyranny OF
the Commonwealth; recall the history
the Legislative Assembly of France,
and of the Consulate and the Empire,
and read in them the certain prophecy
of the fate of this Government II Con
gressional usurpation shall run It's
course.
OUR OWN EXPERIENCE.
Have we not already part fulfill
ment of these examples Congress has
despoiled the Executive OF the Just
powers of his office, and has invested
them in the General of our armies. III
has despoiled the States, and vested
them, too, in the same officer. it has
given him power over all the military
commanders, and to his decision 1t has
referred every question of interpreta-
tion OF execution Of the reconstruction
laws. And this same officer-wleldlns
this enormous power-backed by the
army-sustained by all the military or
ganizations, by whatever name they
may be known, appealing to the fervor
which yet remains after the struggles
of o terrible war-demands that he shall
be elected President of these United
States. And the party which supports
Il, Lot T,l, In