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

OIdl6 1SkLGE 1lCl ~ WIN Il.
month to compose, waiting for the
action of Congress, as men OF o4u
the moving ofthe waters, now
does IL come you did not give us y. 1lllIe
light on that feature OF the platLoFhJ
which declares the lacts of feconstru!SS
ton to be unconstitutional ana VoIut
If you want further light go to the New
York World, wherein 1t is declared that
il in the coming contest it shall appear
that the white population OF the South
that is the six or eight hundred thou
sand men lately in arms against the
hold the balance OF
power between the white populations of
the North, in the coming struggle, they
"know the arithmetic of our sinewy
arms" That means they now have TO
they now hrve to resist the final action
of the people and the peoples Con-
gress.
Ny countrymen, it is impossible in
this hurried discourse to discuss all the
questions which underiie propositions
of that sort, but allow me TO state IN
that more atrocious utter
auce than that in the darkest hour OF
the rebellion never found its place III
any print North or South in this land.
It Is the utterance simply of Treason
and Anarchy-that anarchy Whlch
knows no law, which in its fury tram
pies down prattling children and beau
THU ~OnannOOu Anu anu
Gus manhood and.venerable age. What!
that mere mob shall challenge the
final action of the Constitutional trib'
unal of this land? 1 stand here to as
sert it to night without fear of contra
diciion by any honest man in America
of any party that it has been settled
law ever since the American Govern
ment waY established, that the Congress
of the United States, selected by the
people, was the final Brbiter and judge
OF what was the lawful, Constitutional
Government in any State and in every
State of this Union. 1t was sOlemply
SO ruled some thirty years ago in the
Supreme Court of the United States,
the decision being pronounced by the
venerable Chief Justice fancy himself,
and never challenged from that hour to
this by any honest intelligent man in
America, that the decision of the Con-
Rress on that question concluded the
President and concluded the judiciary,
State and National. L ventured to say
in the presence of the Senate of the
United States on late occasion, the
trial of the President for high crimes
and misdemeanors, and repeat 1t In
your hearing tonight, that the Judge
of the Supreme Court who would
challenge the broad seal OF any State
of this Union, sanctioned and accredi-
ted by the action of Congress, as for
the broad seal of the gallant,
heroic, intelligent young State of West
Virginia, or my own State of Ohio,
should be immediatelydeposed from the
seat which he dishonored and disgraced,
by the supreme power of impeachment.
GApplause. Seven men in robes, hold
ing their office for life, to sit down and
whether this State or that
State or the other State, recognized by
the Congress az States of this Union,
IL rnFrnEnn4p1 I'm
the Congress, are at last not states
Does it require any great amount OF
reasoning to enable you to arrive at the
that by adopting any such
rule as that you put it in the power OF
these seven gentlemen to rule every
State in the Union out of the Union.
and thereby dissolve the whole fabric?
No such power pertains to their OH ce
Neither does it belong to a set of dema-
gogues either in New York or New Or
leans thus to trifle with the expressed
will of the people declared through
Congress. Congress has declared that
the States thus recognized and entitled
to representation in Congress-, which
includes all the States lately in rebellion
save VirginiH, Mississippi ana Texas,
are entitled to representation in the
electoral college. That is the decision.
And now we will see who is strongest
in this fight. 1 understand their DEM
Ocratic sTandard-bearer the other day
ventured the expression-Ib beg pardon,
not the Democratic standard bearer,
but one of the Democratic henchmen
in this fight-let Frank Blair command
the militia of the several States and
General Grant command the regular
army of the Union and we'll risk the
result OF the battleI W hat sort of
words are these to he used touching
contest that is to be settled by the peace
kNa1
Are We to be told at last that we are to
ex ercise this highest privilege of free
men only through battle, only in the
storm of 8rmed conflict? That it is not
to be peaceful dispute and peaceful
settlement of all our difficulties, that
parties are not to bow before the declar-
ed will of the nation in the hereafter as
in the past, but that the verdict OF the
people is to be disputed by an armed
mob and the Congress not permitted, in
the words of the Constitution, to decide
the result "in joint convention assem-
bled?"
These grave issues are before the peo-
pie. As have stated them, they have
been rendered directly in the platform
of the National Democratic party in the
letters of acce ptance of their candidates,
in the speeches of their champions,
North, South, East and West, and pro-
mulgated day by day through the col
umnS of their most influential papers,
How do these gentlemen meet these
questions? Do they meet these issues
like honest men? Come before you and
argue the question plainly !? Do they
state the grounds on which they would
resist this action of Congress? Do
they tell you why this XlVth Article
of Amendment should be rejected?
Not at all. They come and talk to you
about taxing the bonds, about the sumo
currency for the people and the bond
holder. They put into their platform
by way of make-weight the words
equal taxation upon every species of
property according to its real value, in
Government bonds and other
public securities." These are but side
issues. They may have Importance in
them, but what are your bonds worth,
what is your system of taxation worth,
what is all you have upon this earth
worth if your Government is to perish
in the coming conflict Rely upon it,
my countrymen, this is the last battle
of the seven years war for the Consti-
tuition. If the victory be for the Consti-
tuition it settles it for century; If it be
against the Constitution, God only
knows when the Constitution will again
find defenders strong enough to lit 1t
again to its sacred place and enforce its
supreme authority. These side issues
are not worth discussing. The propo-
sition Is an absurd one,-"Equal taxa
ton upon every species of property ac-
cOrding to its real value, including Gov
eminent bonds and other public securi-
lies" Who ever heard of equal taxa
toni in America, either under the Fed
eral law or under the State law "upon
every species OF property according to
Its real value" That is their word, not
mine. 1t embraces all property. Who