The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-08-10

cation of the States could never make 1t
valid. The stream cannot rise higher
than its source, An amendment to the
Constitution of the United States can
never be made unless it .emanates either
from Congress acting under the Constr
tuition, and in conformity with it, or by a
National Convention duly assem- bled in
the mode prescribed By the Constitution
itself.
This issue is made in the Democratic
platform. Men of West Virginia, doubt
whether you would find that platform to-
day in the columns of the Wheeling
Register. They put it out of sight. They
hide it. And doubt not some of the more
ardent of them-will tonight swear that
is another very "Black Republican lie !"
[Cheers.l However, if there is anybody
disposed to question or challenge it, |
want the doubters to produce an official
copy of the proceedings published in the
columns of the organ of their party, and
see if 1 don't read it substantially and
almost literally as have just now stated 1t
from memory.
Now, my countrymen, this is very
significant utterauce ofthis party of patri::
OTIS, led by Cobb and Beauregard and
Wade Hampton, and glori6ed by Henry
a. Wise, [derisive laughterl not to be
passed over in sileuce, not to be brushed
out of sight by any demagogue, not to
be kept back from the people, for 1t con-
Germs their peace and safety. What was
there in that amendment that has so stir
red the ire of these guilty men who live
now only by the grace of God, and the
grace impaired by Him to the victorious
and triumphant people of this land
TApplause.l / will tell you very plainly,
briefly and truthfully what is in the
Amendment which so stirs the blood of
the former leaders and champions of
rebellion. First, it contains the provis-
ion to which 1 referred before, that no
State shall hereafter deny to any person
the equal protection of the laws.
''What," says Wade Hampton, of South
Carolina, "are you going to put my Tom,
or my Dick, or my 10, under the same
protection of law with myself?" Mr..
Wade Hampton, why not !? Dick, Tom,
and 10, represent the dominant party
in South Carolina, and it is the old Dem
ocratlc notion of this country that the
majority ought to rule. Laughter.l
"Oh, - says Hampton, "that is not what
we are after" know it is not, but that
is precisely what we are after, what we
are determined by the help of God, and
the virtue and valor of the American
people, to make good. CheersI We
have no royal aristocracy in this country,
Mr.. Wade Hampton, and God gi1.ht we
never shall. [Applause.l We have no
titled nobility in this country, BIr. Wade
Hampton, and while the Constitution re.
mains as it came from the spotloss hand
of our own Washington we never will
have, save that nobility that springs from
honest toll of brain or hand or heart.
TApplausel Every man, Mr.. Wade
Hampton, before the majesty OF the
American law is equal in hisrights of per-
son, though he is not equal in stature,
strength of intellect, extent of attain
ments, social position or in this worlds
wealth. Before the majesty of American
law every man standing on American
soil is equal in the rights of person, the
rights of life, liberty and property-the
product of his honest toll. Cheers.
We tell you, sir, this is what constitutes
the charm Of American institutions, that
it is because of this divine principle of
equality before the law embodied in the
Constitution of our country, tnat the
hands of the workers and the builders to
the remotest verge of the civilized world
are daily lifted in silent prayer to the God
of Nations that He will preserve intact
and undivide this last refuge of afflicted
IMMUNITY upon Lue caLIh LHl9 AASH S0uS
tuary OF an inviolnble justice amongst
men. TApplausel Yes, sir, we will put
10, Dick aud Tom under the same pro-
lection of law with yourself, General
Hampton, for another reason; and that is
that those men whose letters turned to
dust in this great conflict looked upon
our starry banner as the symbol
Of liberty and justice to the OPP
pressed, and never was found faithless to
the cause of our common country, even
in the darkest hour of our struggle. For
that reason, as well ns because it is just,
we will put them under the equal prOtec-
ton of the law. Because they are for
the Constitution, and not like you, against
it, we will put them under the equal pro.
lection of the law. How is this met?
By an appeal to the pride and prejudice
of nationalities Yet the demagogues
have to steal the honest words of HONEST
men in order to deceive the people
Did they not put into that same Demo,
cratic platform the declaration just rs |
state it that the privileges of American
citizens, without regard to creed or to
nationality are to be protected by the
laws of common country? / agree to
that. All nationalities are lost in the
presence of American institutions, and
| within the territorial limits of the Repub-
lie, in that greater, nobler,' better nation.
allity, American nationality. Applause]
For that reason, am for the equal pro.
lection of every man, because that is the
Constitution of my Countrywide protec-
ton of every man equally by the law;
within the limits of the Republic, ire
spective of creed or former nationality.
If it were otherwise, what would become
of this beautiful land of ours. Is the
descendent of the sturdy German, from
whose ancestral woods the angry shades
of Hermann beat back two thodsand
years ago the foot of the Roman invader
the land of heroes, scholars and reform.
ers; to boast of his Fatherland here in
America, under the equal protection of
American law, to the exclusion of the
Irishman, Englishmun, Scotchman or
Weslhman? Let US be Americans, no
matter what your ancestry, what the i'm
mediate or remote stock of your olIglh.
Standing on American soil, undoI the
protection of American law, let us be
American, altogether American, and for
the great principles of American institu
tons, THE EQUAL PROTECTION OF EACH ny
THE COMBINED POWER OF ALL! Applause
When logic fails the appeal to nationality,
the demagogues appeal to prejudice,
which has no head and cannot think,
which has go heart and cannot feel, and
ask you whether you are going to insult
white men by saying that negro is his
equal. Well that depends somewhat, Mr..
Wade Hampton, upon how the negro con-
ducts himself. Laughter. If he is
faithful to the flag, stands by the Consti-
tuition, shows himself in the fore front of
hattIa vvlIara the aorfhnuaka and the fire