The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-10-25
N'heelin9 Gr9i5ttr.
SENATOR BLAIR IN THE SOUTH.
His Views ON the Coming Campaign
Attitude Of the Southern DemOc.
racy-The PrOsDect

racy-Ihe prospect
MONTGOMERY, October 20.-Senator
Blair, who is here as one O. the sub
Ku-Klux committee, made speech
last night. The following is an extract
OF it as published in the AdcertiSer Of
this morning:
Fellow Citizens: There are some
questions growing out of the position
OF the South which / feel called upon
to mention, but with diffidence, and dis
claiming any purpose of giving any,
thing like advice to the people of the
South. have read letters and speech
es by distinguished men Of the South
which touches all the South, and all
who sympathize with the South in other
! portions Of the country.
| have seen it proposed that in the
next Democratic Convention to be held
for the nomination Of a candidate for
President Of the United States the
South should forbear TO take any part
whatever, and that the South should
decline 10 be represented, but should
accept whatever candidate the Demo
Gratis of the Sorth may see proper to
offer. | dissent entirely from that prop
osilion. Think may have the protest
OF every Democrat in the West and
North. Renewed applause. The
triumph Of the Democratic party is the
safety of the South, and who should
guard its safety but Southern men :?
1t they fail, why may not others also
fail? NV fellow citizens, triumph
which will relieve YOU is the thing the
South looks to- and looks 10 alone.
They have no questions of personal
favorites TO be advanced: to them all
Democrats are alike; their choice will
fall upon him who is most likely to
carry that banner in triumph.
If the South fails to give US the ben
eft OF her wise counsel; if she fails to
send her prudent and wise men, who
will 20 there with an eve single 10 sue
cess il they leave the Democrats Of the
North to struggle for a nomination
amidst the con;ending factions Of the
aspirants, she will withhold from us the
benefit OF the wisest and most impartial
counsel we can have. II she should
abstain, even upon the grounds stated
by some OF the distinguished gentlemen
who advocate this course, and who say
that their presence at the convention in
1865 was laid hold of and used to the
destruction Of the Democratic party, /
tell YOU that their absence now will be
claimed az q refusal to 60 with the
Northern Democrats because they have
adopted the new departure.
1t will be claimed that the spirit Of
rebellion still fingers and burns under
the smouldering ashes, and it Is lighted
into a new flame Of Indignation because
the Democratic party OF the North, or
a large portion OF them, have assumed,
or reasons which seemed good to them,
to make certain concessions IN their
platform. 1t would be suicidal; it
would be the destruction of Your very
best interests. do not know how well
it is known, but to those who care Tor
NV opinion it is known that | am no
friend OF the new departure, but | be-
lieve in the patriotism and purity OF
those who have chosen that path. But
while | shall still hold to the opinion
which have heretofore expressed, and
shall not Weld one inch OF my own
convictions as 10 the c0nStltullOnaIlty OF
the usurpations OF the Radical party, |
am willing to fight the Radicals in any
shape the Democratic party may deter
mine upon.
| believe that the new departure, so
far from being good policy, has proved
disastrous, ont what the party adopts as
its policy | shall maintain, without sur
rendering my own convictions. | be
lieve that this policy mas failed to give
us success in the elections Of this su2l-
mer and autumn, and for the reason that
il was a confession in open court OF our
inability to carry the elections upon our
own principles 1t was a confession
that we must make concession In order
to draw to us others who had acted
against us, but in making that conces-
sion it failed to place candidates before
the people in harmony with that plat
form. Thus, while some Democrats
were disguised at this concession. no
Republicans were conclllated. Now
nv fellow-citizens, to my view the future
does not look gloomy, even under the
losses we have suffered this summer and
autumn. have not single feeling OF
dependency.
II is well understood that the Rcpub-
lican party contains in itself seeds OF
discomfort, OF bitterness, Of rivalry ana
disaffection, and it is natural IN these
preliminary elections that those who
antagonize the nomination OF General
Grant should attempt to hold their po'
sition within their party in order that
their influence may be used to defeat
his nomination. know that his noml'
nation will not be defeated, at least that
is nv solemn conviction; that he Is now
dictator in the Republican party, and
that he aspires to he in the country al
larre. believe that he will dictate
his own nomination, but then | know
that some Of the most conspicuous, able
and courageous men who stand highest
in the Radical party will leave the he
publican party when Grant is nomna
ted, Burn their ship when they fail tc
defeat him for the nomination, and they
will take good pains to defeat his re
election.
And again, instead of going for a new
departure, would prefer to 60 for a
man who represents the new departure
| would prefer to give that guarantee
TO the disaffected Republicans rather
than to 90 back upon my own primer
piles. | would prefer to make choice
Of Republicans, and 60 for a man VINO
Il 10 nominated nv the dlsatfected