The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-24

Ola NlIBlnny'' rH.
At the meeting held ut the Court House
Friday night, Capt John Mcclure was
called to the chair and Capt, r. II, Coch.
ran was appointed secretary.
Capt Mcclure introduced lion. VIM.
q. Brown, of KingwOOd, who spoke as
follows;
SPEECH OF HON. W, O. BROWN.
Mr. President and Gentlemen! was
prepared this evening to take my depar-
lurC for home; but learning some persons
in the commercial metropolis Of the State
desired to have n meeting here to start an
inquiry among the people in relation to
hGsubjeCt Ola Constitutional Convention,
! consented to remain. would rather
hear from some other person than speak
myself | have not bCstowed much reileC-
ton on the subject OF calling II COnven.
ton Ny Judgment IL against It, would,
however, be very glad to learn and be
prepared to vote ut the election according
to the best interests Of the State ! would
be very glad il some gentleman differing
with me could be heard. ! am anxious
to know for what purpose a Convention
is now sought to he called. | shall be glad
II this meeting shall inauguratc discus.
sion among the people of this portion Of
the State. Asth0 metropolis Of Tue State
your voice will he heard and will have It's
influence everywhere.
desire, sir, to make the inquiry Of my
clOw.Citl2Gns, II they have fully cOnsld.
cred whRt IL Constitutional Convention Isl
whether the subject has been sufficiently
discussed among you You are all most
deeply interested In the organic law OF the
State. 1t Is the life of the StatO--Or the
political organization. What Is u COnvCn.
tom II isa set OF men outside Of any
restraints. Your Legislature, when it
conycnCs, IS bound by the constitutional
restrictions that now exist IL cannot
transcend them butwhen you convene q
Convention il Is body Of men that Is not
guided-they are unlimited in their move.
mCnts 1t is true, you afterwards may
have tOsanctiOn or reject what they do ;
hut, sir, they arc unlimited In their powers
Ol proposing to you As well as the period
during which they will remain
in existence. | have little expert.
rnce about conventions. J iGC0l.
eCt in 1S40 we called a Convention
10 amend the constitution Of thGOId State.
The friends Of that measure said II was
but weeks work. They spoke Of II rs q
task of very easy performance, and yet
we assembled In Richmond and were
there l9 long months Il Is true VIC nd.
Iourned a few months In the winter, but
We met again In the spring and before VIC
lind completed our work we were there
twelve long months. In the winter OF
1860 we tried another experiment In the
shape Of convention. When that was
called nobody apprehended any difficulty
about ii. We looked upon II rs body
that could be trusted-that there was no
danger. And yet, sir, that convention as.
sembled for what purpose To make you
better consultation; and instead Of that,
in iOw short months they had you out
of the Union, and attached u the Mont.
gOmery government by mn ordinance OF
that body am speaking now Of the
powers OF u Convention, and the impor.
tanCe OF considering that sub eCtCareiully
and faithfully before we embark in the
enterprise That Convention in the spring
Of 1891 passed on ordinance thaattGnpt.
ed to break up this whole government,
threw everything into chaos and left us mt
the mercy ii the waves. In thCsprinE Of
1861 some representatives from this pOr.
lion of the State that were moi prepared
TO go the whole figure had to escape from
Richmond. Sir, the ropes were shaken
at lis; the mob assembled round our win.
tlows and called for tis and lallOOe1 out
that they wanted us "under tho sour ap'
Die tree" Your humble servant that is
now addressing you made his escape with
others and VIC were expelled from that
body In June by formal expulsion and
our places supplied by - l don't know
who their constituents were. ! do not
know but that Convention Is In existence
vet. do not know that II ever formally
adjourned. know that u wnsin session
and actually passing ordinances late In
the fall OF 1861, and how much longer
donotknOw. do not intend to insinuatt
that any such scenes would be enacted
over again; but ought not our experience
on that subject warn us Of the imDOr.
lance Of the step and that We should con
slider well before we assemble n body Will
such unlimited powGrs-ccrtainlY power;
to sit Just rs long rs they please and u
propose what they please and form sucl
combinations in any instrument they may
present you as may by their combinations
bargains, and arrangements impose on
you constitution and system Of govern
lnent that will be rlinous TO your best In
iCrests
For what purpose do we want q Con
vcntion now2 Have you read the present
Constitution? l have been paying some
attention to 1t for the last fe months Il
sec really whether 1t was rs defective n.
The advocates Of n Convention endeavOret
to represent Il. It's true that this STATE
was the child Of revolution, and that tht
Constitution was formed amid the roar
ing of cannon; but, sir, 1t Is n relic that
love; and when look over II find mucl
in it to approve and admire find 1t !
modelled very much after the Gonstitu
tons Of the western States, our sister
across the river in the northwest, Why
air, can recollcct since Ohio was wi
dcrness, when there were but q. few fort
along the northwestern bank Of the rive
when Indiana, Illinois, and the sister
wing still west were In the wilderness