The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1872-08-08

gives trustworthy assurance thar a new
aud more auspicioas era is dawniLg upon
our long disturbed country.
Some Of my best years aud best efforts Of
my life were devoted to struggle against
chauel property--a struggle hone the less
earnest or arduous because respect for con.
stitu'icnal obligations constrained me to
act, for the most part, on the defensive IN
resistance to diffusion, rather than in dir
ect efforts for the extinction of humai bon.
dage. Throughout most Of those years
my vision was unchcercd, my cxcrIionS
were rarely animated by even so much rs
a hope that should live to see my coun-
try peorled by freemen alone The af.
6rIance by your Convention Of the Gin.
clnnali platform is most conclusive proof
that not merely is slavery abolished, but
that its spirit is extinct; that. despite the
protests of respectable but isolated few,
there remains among us no party and no
foruab!e interest which regrets the over.
throw or desires the establishment of hu.
man bondage, in letter or in print. nm
thereby justified in my hope, und trust
that the first century Of American lndc.
peudeace will not close before the grand
elemental truth on which its rightfu'ness
was based by Jefferson and the Continental
Congress Of rs will no longer be regard
ed as glittering gcnerali'ies, but will have
become the universally accepted and hon.
ored foundation Of our political fabric.
demand the prompt application Of
those principles to our existing condition.
Having done what | could forthc complete
emancipation Of the blacks, | now insist
on tie full enfranchisment Of MI my white
counlrymeu. Let none say the bar has
just been removed from all but afcw hun.
drcd elderly gentlemen to whom cligihil.
ity 10 Office can be of little consequence, =.
My view contemplated not the hundred
prescribed, but the millions who are de.
MED the right to he ruled and represented
by she men of their uufcltorel choice, -
Prescription were absurd, il these did not
wish to elect the very men who they are
forbidden to choose.
havea profound regard for the people
Of that New England wherein was born,
and 10 whose common schools Twas taught
| rank no other people above them min
telhgencc, capacity and moral worth; but
while they do many things we'll, and some
admirably, there is one thing which ! am
sure, they canuot wisely or safely, and
that is the selection Of seats remote from
aud unlike their own Of the reEops BY,
whom those States shNl. .he .repssah'ed
ig Congress, Is,Aszs .sQa!aaad,a ;1hEis,tsaI
g65q SSlpSss, then 4epn5Iicsu 'naIlslous
were unfit, and aristrocracy the ouly cor
rect political system. Yet what haya We
recently Witnessed? Zebllon B. Vance.
the unqucstioned choice Of a large majo.
4ity Of the present Legislature Of North
Carolina majority backed by major.
lty of the people WHO voted at the election
|, refused q seat in the Federal Senate, to
which he was fairly chosen, and tho Legis.
lature was thus constrained to choose 40,
other in bis stead or leave the State un.
represented for years Tho Halter f,New
England thus deprived North Carolina Of
the Senator of her choice, and compelled
her to send ano,Gdf in hivsslead another
who. in our late contest; was like Vance,
"a rebel. and d fighting rebel, but who had
not sinued in Congress before tho war as
Vancc,had, though ths latter remained
faithful to the Union till, after the close.of
bis term. | protest against tho disfrAn.
ch'sement ofH State. wesumptivoly Of a
number ofStates, on grounds so narrow md
'techuiclc as this. The fao' that the same
Senate which refused Vance his seat pro.
sceelcd I'd remove his diwbi'',ies. after the
seat hadbeen 6Ilel BY another. oolv serves
h place in a stronger light the indignity 10
North Carolina and the arbitrary caprio.
i6us tyranny which dictated it. 4.
Ithnuk ypn gentlemen, that my name
is to be onspicuou''y associated with yours
10 determined effort to render amnesty
complete and universal, in spiri.as well
as in letter. Even defeat in such cause
would leave no sting; while triumph
would rapk with those. victories which
no blood reddeus, ani which evoke no
tears but. those ofgrattudc and joy. Gen.
tlcmen, yoar platform, which is also mine,
assures me that the Democracy is not
hcnceforth to stand for one thing and Re.
publicapsm for another; but that those
terms are to mean iu politics as they al
ways have meant in the past, Democracy
substantially one and the same thing,
namely, equal rights, regardless of creed
or clime or color hail this as o gen.
une new departure from ou'worn feuds
the meaningless contentious in the drec-
ton of progress and reform. Whether |
shall be found worthy to bear the stand.
ard Of the great Liberal movement which
the American people have inauguratel ia
to be determined, not by words but by
deeds with me &c [ steadily adyanrn. nynr