The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-10-23
Address of the National Dem
ocratic Committee,
Stirring Appeal 70 the People,
"Our Ranks UnbTOken. Guar
Courage Unabated. Once
More to the Breach!'
NEW YORK, October 20.


FELLOW CITIZENS 1t is a privilege
and duty to address you on the eve OF
the great battle which we are to fight,
and which is to decide whether the
Government of the Republic is to re-
main four years more in the hands OF
the Radical party, or whether by an en-
ergetic, united and last effort you will
wrest the power from its grasp, and give
to rs, under a Democratic Conservative
administration, q Government based
upon principles of justice, economy, and
constitutional liberty.
The issues of the present campaign
are plain and self-evident. They ap-
peal to the intelligence and patriotism
of every voter in the most unmlstaka-
BILE terms. They have been ably dis
cussed by distinguished orators and
leaders of eur party since the nominal
ton of our candidates.
What the Democratic party intends
q to do, if placed in power by your suf-
frages, is to restore peace and union 10
our country; TO heal the wounds ana
sufferings caused by the rebellion; TO
give the people of the South the rights
TO whieh they are entitled under the
Constitution, and by which alone we
can bring back prosperity and quiet 10
that distracted section; to reduce ma
terially our military and naval estab-
lishments, kept up now on an immense
scale and at an enormous cost; to intro
duee into every department of Govern
ment the strictest economy, and To de-
yelop, by an equitable system OF i'm
posts and taxation, the growing re-
sources of our country, and thus TO
place the Federal finances on a SOLID
and stable footing and to pave the way
to a gradual and safe return to specie
payments. We are charged by the
Radical party, the party OF
violence and usurpatou, whicA for
tho last four years, tn prolong its
own existence, has set at nought the
Constitution and the fundamental prln-
eiples of our Government, that we IN
tend revolution and defiance OF estab-
lished laws. The accusation IS untound-
ed and absurd; 10 cannot be entertain
ed for moment by any intelligent vo-
ter, who has even the most superficial
knowledge of the history of his coun-
try. The Democratic party can proud
" point to every page Gifts record. 1t
has never violated single obligation
of the fundamental compact by which
these United States entered into the
family of nations. Its watchword, In
peace as in war, has been and will al
WAYS be the Union, the Constitution,
and the laws. And no man nor any set
of men, however high they might be
placed by the suffrages OF their fellow
20 n 4 "a Z hn
supsort of this great Conservative par
ty in any revolutionary attempt against
established laws. The ballot-box and
the supreme will of the American peO-
pie are the only means of redress to
Which weloOk.
Fellow Democrats. You are fighting
for a good and righteous cause. You
have for your leader tried statesman;
a patriot who stood by the Union in its
darkest hour; a man equally beloved
for the purity of his private character
as honerea for his public virtues.
Opposed to you are the men who have
subverted the structure of our system
of representative government, vim
dicated to the world by more than half
century of prosperity and greatness;
nous debt by protligacy and corrup
ton unparalleled, the men who in
two successive Congresses have demon
strated their lncompetency 10 diminish
our burdens by economy or appOrtion
them with equity; the men who have
so distributed our burdens sn ~ that
they press with excessive weight upon
the labor and industry of the country
\ 4. ,,s1t.l u. -. I.
men poorer.
Opposed to You are the meG who have
denied for three years of peace, aud will
continue To deny until your votes al
rest them, self-governmcnt Ia the pco-
pie of ten States: the men who have
taken away the power OF our Chief
Magistrate to insure faithful cXecu-
ton of the laws, or TO command the
army aud the navy of the United States;
the men who did their worst To eXpe!
the resident FROM the White House for
obeyiug faithfully the beheSts of your
supreme law; the men who, being con-
scious of their crimes, dreaded 10 have
the Supreme Court declare their quail
ty, and therefore abridged its jurlsdic-
ton aud silenced its voice; the men
., =
welding powers not possessed to-day
oy any monarch among civilized ma
tions.
Against these men and all their des-
potc purposes, which General Grant
would be as pewerleSs to hinder as he
whom they elected four years ago has
been; against these men, their crimes
in the past, their fast accomplishing de-
siuns in the future Won ara -, =
make one final aud determined on
slsught.
Four years ago we failed to expel
them from power, though we predicted
then, as we now predict, their incom-
potency to give to the people peace; de-
claring then, as we now declare, the
revolutionary purposes of their most
active leaders, who rule their party, as
they would rule tho country, with a
despOtic sway. But these four years