The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-07-10
STAND TO YOUs ARMS.

!
the Democratic party in the unity and
frmuess Of it's own organization. This
is our duty and we will discharge it; it
is our solemn pledge and we will re-
deem it. West Virginians! we met
the first shock of this battle along our
whole line in the State skirmish Of the
22d OF August last, IS we now stand
in our harness Of war and in our we'll
formed line. The National Democratic
Party is composed Of the State organ.
izstions, and as these lines are manned
and moved the battle must be fought
and won. And it is the very principle
of this State organization which consti-
tutes the auimating and burning spirit
of the present contest. The right OF
the States to organize; the right OF the
States to form, preserve and defend their
own Constitutions; the right OF the
States to make and enforce their own
laws; the right OF the States to elect their
own officers without let or hindrance
from Grant, or any military usurper, or
central despotism whatever. That 10
the main issue; that is the fundamental
right on which State individuality and
! personal freedom can only rest, and
which is thus closely connected with
State organization. Stand. then, to
your arms along the whole West Nlr-
GINA line. As States, 90 stand, West
Virginia by Virginia; these by Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois and Missouri; these
by North and South and West; in the
very necessity OF combination to save
the country, they affirm their individu'
alty as they stand alone in their State
organizations, and they affirm the prln
ciple that the general government is a
power composed OF the units OF the
States. There is a positive principle
in maintaining our State organizations
1t is in harmony with the principle that
the States have separate existences Of
their own; that maintaining firmly
these separate existences, they
maintain the limitations upon
the central government which prevents
any and all interference with the in
dividual freedom of the people in the
States, in elections, in Legislation and
in matters Of religion. Whatever diff
ferences there may have been between
us and Mr. Greeley, he has always
maintained the rights OF the States to
their own autonomy, that the general
government had no right nor Constltu-
tional power in any way to interfere
WITH the domestic institutions, leglsla
ton, elections, or religions in the States.
He has always affirmed this doctrine
he has so lar and consistently acted
upon it, 40 now to command the con-
fidence and secure the corporation
OF tho people Tor his election in those
parts OF the country who have had the
most cause 10 complain Of other op'n-
ions maintained by him.
Horace Greeley is and always has
been States Right man. Horace
Greeley as editor stood alone OF all
the newspapers OF his party, against the
rage and fury OF that political fanat-
icism known as Know Nothingism.
We have, however, no purpose to
identity ourselvesin principle with Mr..
Greeley. 1t is enough to show that in
the main principle which is now
necessary to save the country from a
centralized despotism, Horace Greeley
ia in harmony and consistency with the
Democratic party, and that upon this
principle that party, from the days OF
'TeffersoD to the formation of the new
Constitution Of West Virginia, has had
but one conviction and made but one
svowsl-that the National Government
is one of limited powers, and that to the
States belong the exclusive regulation
1 of their own internal government and
police" There is no other principle Of
action that can save Us from centralized
despotism. TWAS clearly seen and dis
tinctly avowed by jefferson it was the
guiding light of Mr.. Madison; it was
the rallying word of warning and VIC
tory for the Democratic party through
out our whole history; it was that
which redeemed West Virginia from
her terrible thraldom, and it is that
which runs through and breathes in the
new Constitution that breath OF life to
give us power to crush Grantlsm and
save the Republic.
This is the first time in the history
of the country that the name of any
one of its rulers has been coined into q
proverb OF infamy, and now Grantism
| is the synonym or representative word
! for nepotism, giit-taking as bride or
com pensatiOn for Office, Seneca sand
stone speculation, Custom House COM
plicities, corruption in the Presidential
mansion, in the Secretariats, in the
Bureaus, in the Land offices, in the In
dian agencies, in Congressional legIsls-
ton for rings, corporations, railroads,
and speculations in Indian titles and
West Indian Islands. 1t requires all
these and sll that every form OF public
corruption can embody to express whs.
is included in Grantisn. 1t also in
cludes the fearful catalogue of Southern
expressions, such ss and worse than
those which ground our faces and
our hearts here in Western Vir-
ginia, aud from which we have dis
euthralled ourselves. 1t 10 history
Of wrong, persecution, corruption and
rule and tyranny Of little popInjsy
tyrants which are known because we
have felt, as we felt we appealed to
the great, honest, manly heart of the
American people. We the Democratic
party 10 behalf Of our country and her
Constitution and behalfof our oppressed
brothers of the South made that appeal.
The Cincinnati movement and its plat
form and its nominations were the re-
Spouse. They came to the Democratic
party on the grave charge made against
the party in power, and openly, tairly
and frankly united with us to save the