The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-10-23

Col. BEN MAMMA Gralton cor
respondent calls our attention to the
speech that Col. Ben Martin made at
Grafton last Thursday night on the oc-
casion OF the Democratic torch.light pa
rade. It seems that Col. Ben, who is the
Democratic candidate for Congress in the
ID District, laid grea: stress in his speech
on the valuable aid he had given Mathews
over in the East end Of the District. He
is reported as saying that he had not
"left stone unturned" but had fused all
the power he could bring 10 bear for the
defeat Of Gof' and the election Of
Mathews" Our correspondent thinks 1t
too bad that even Democratic candidate
for Congress should stand up and make
his boast that he had done oil in his
power to defeat the man who carried the
Stars and Stripes so gallantly as Gofi
in the war for the Union, and to elevate
over him to the frst place in the State
the man who had trailed the flag Of the
country in dishonor during tho war, and
after the war sought to dismember our
State so that he could still live in Old
Virginia. He asks the question, What
sort Of man is this to send to Congress?
Is he friend to the country2 Will he
cast his vote with the Union sentiment
OF the country or as the "Solid South"
shall dictate? Will he not as member
OF Congress honor rebels like Mathews
honor their principles-honor their
wishes-honor their behests-honor their
claims for spoIiation and damageH Will
he not, in short, be their creatureT
All such questions as these are easily
enough answered. OF course Ben. Martin
will be rebel through and through in
all his sympathies as member Of Con-
yress. He was rebel in the war and has
been a weeper at the tomb OF the Lost
Cause ever since. He was over at Phil.
Iipi giving aid and comfort to Potterfeld
when General Kelley's command took
him prisoner. The common understand.
ing has always been that Benjamin was
captured in u haymow at Phillip,
where he had taken refuge at the
sound Of the cannon that nice May
10 1861. If We mistake not he
was "sworn and let 60" as was the GUS
tom in those days, to save commissary
stores and guard duty. Tho swearing
process never..set Ben back any as a FIRST
class rebel. He had no idea Of going to
war. He only wanted to be fancy ANA.
teur, like Faulkner, on somebody's staff,
and write up POrterfeld's brilliant militia
ry invasion Of North West Virginia. Por.
terfield was going to take possession Of the
Baltimore & Ohio road and he issued
a proclamation telling the peo-
pie that he had come to deliver
them from the Abolitionists. Col. Ben
Martin thought thatifhe could only get up
and ride behind Porterfeld on a mule
through the country he would fall heir to
something big in the way Of glory and po.
sition. That was what he was after. All
through the war he was one Of those
"sworn" rebels who kept his lantern
hung out at night, metaphorically speak.
ing,waitins for the "Solid South to redeem
West Virginia.
II elected on the 7th Of next month he
will be one OF the "solid South" just as
much as Ben. Hill, or Tucker, or any other
rebel. One OF his claims on the gratitude
Of that section will be his record during
the war, along with the valuable service
he has Just rendered Mathews. ItTilden
Is elected, Col. Ben. will be one Of the
Jewels to be remembered when the IRE.
former" comes into his kingdom. He
will be part Of the Southern pressure on
Tilden in case Of trouble in the South
the kind Of pressure to which Old Buch.
anau yielded-the kind to which States
Rights Democrat considers himself bound
to yield. 30 that for all purposes con.
nected with the past, present and future
Of the rebellion, Ben. Martin will be Just
M good as JEFF. Davis at Washington.