The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-10-30
HON. w. T.. WILEY AT THE
OPERA HOUSE.

HON. w. Il. "lLLEI Al IhE
| OPERA HOUSE.
An Old Fashioned Radical Meeting
The Spirit or the War Runs Riot
and Hon. wiIQe)y Dances Around
the Stage Like Mad and Calls the
Democrats Buggars- Scott
and E. N. Norton Also Speak-The
Dying Gasp.
The auditorium of the Opera House
was we'll filled on Saturday night to hear
the Hon. w. 7. widely of Morgan.
town on the political issues of the day
Messrs. A. w. Campbell, Thomas Horn
brook, E. M. Norton, L. s. Belaplain
Z. d. Hubbard, John Bisnop, q. +.
Scott, the Republican candidate tor Con-
gress from this district, and one or two
other gentlemen, impaired confidence
and courage to the speaker by their pres.
ence on the stage.
This man of Peril, who has been buried
as it were, since his retirement from the
U. S. Senate, was resurrected for the pur.
pose of sending handsome Charley Scott
to Congress, and what sort OF send-off
he gave him, will appear from the
following account of the meeting:
Mr.. WnQe)y talked for an hour and
half nearly, and during that time
touched, in an humorous sort of way,
on many of the issues of the campaign
and a great many that were not issues
The kernel of his remarks seemed to be
in trying to rldicule the Democratic
party for its professions of sincerity to
the Union, when, according to the Hon
Widely, its record was directly oppo-
site. During tine whole course of his re-
marks, he reverted to his own record but
once, and referred to an amendment he
had annexed to bill introduced
by Hon. Z. j. Faulkner during
the sitting of the Constitutional
Convention at Charleston, body of which
they both were members. Our reporter
eagerly listened, as no doubt did a
number of the audience, Tor Mr.. Wilt (le)y
to make some reference to the pointed
questions put to him by gentleman Of
Marion county, in the REGISTER of last
Tuesday, concerning his secession record
at the breaking out of the war. But he
was as mum as u mouse in regard there.
to. AS some of our readers may have
either forgotten or overlooked those in
terrogations we here reproduce few OF
them, as in this connection they are
doubly important to show (G) the quality
of the mans faith in his own professions,
and ~ that those who will probably
read his remarks without their weak
places, nicely polished and ornated in
the Inteliigencer of this morning, may
be prepared to reflect on both sides be-
fore awarding the Hon. WilQe)y the
crown of a saint. But hear are a few of
the questions:
First-Were you not once q pro-
slavery man and slave owner? And
being a Methodist, did you not use your
influence with the Western Virginia M.
h. Conference, at its session at Morgan
town, in 1859 or 1860, to secure the pas
sage of resolution by that, body declar-
ing its loyalty TO Virginia and the South?
Third-When a member of the Vlr-
gina Secession Convention, in 1861, did
YOU not, after the Ordinance of Seces-
sion was passed, vote in that convention
for Hon. e. d. Camden, who was sent
as delegate from Virginia to the Mont
gomery Provisional Congress2 And
nave YOU not since been qualified that
you never aided or sbetted the rebellion?
Fourth, When you left Richmond,
after the passage of the Ordinance of
Secession. to pay visit to your family
at Morgantown, did you not fully intend
to return and resume your seat in the
convention2
!Serenth-Before you left Fairmont
that day tor Morgantown did you not
express your mind very freely on the
streets and at the Mountain City Hotel
concerning the situation of the then un-
happy country-chsrging Abraham
Lincoln with the sin OF compelling the
passage OF the Virginia Ordinance of
Secession by his proclamation without
the shadow of Constitutional authority,
calling out $4,000 men to arms to make
war upon the South, and, in your denun-
cisrion OF the acts of the unfortunate
President, use these words or their equiv
slent: II had always thought l could
never witness the hanging of any man,
but now l could see Lincoln hanged as
high Ms Hsmsn2
Eighth.-And before your departure
from Fairmount, did you not say to
several of your friends here that you
were going home to encourage the peo-
pie of Monongalia to accept the situation
forced upon the SOuth-that "Virglnia
must now be unit" etc?
Ninth-When you reached Morgan
town, still entertaining your loyal South
ern sentiments, did you not expect to
make speech to your fellow citizens at
general muster, which came off the
next day or two after your arrival, IN
fulfillment of your promise to the Seces-
sion Convention, and your declarations
by the way?
Tenth-And because of your opinions,
in relation 20 the duty Of VirgiDisns in
that crisis, becoming known to the Mo-
nongalia people, were you not threatened
by an infuriated mob from the neighbor-
hood of Cheat river IN that county?
And 70 save you from possible violence
did not q committee of your neightors
wait upon you and beseech you to 60
to the court house aud make war speech
for the Union as ii iSs And did you
not thereafter denounce with all the Bit
terness of your heart the men whom you
had been so instrumental in educating in
the school Of states rights, and who
could not conscientiously pattern after
your somersaults in politics.
Eierenth w hen the initial steps were
being taken by Hon. John S. Carlisle