Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-09-01
Speech of Hon. william A Wheeler

IN response TO serenade At St, Al
bans, Vt, on the evening Of the 25th
Mr.. Wheeler spoke as follows.
REPUBLICANS OF ST. ALBANs-You
honor the cause of which / am just now
prominent representative. was
placed in nomination as the Republican
nominee for Vice-Prcsident in the Ma.
tional Convention by the action Of the
States of Vermont and Massachusetts.
1t is the greatest honor Of my life that
the Republicans of these States deem me
sufficiently grounded in New England
faith to be one of the representatives of
their ideas in the impending canvass. In
the matter of my faith trust they have
made no mistake. / believe in New En-.
gland, believe in Plymouth Rock, for
they are convertible terms. One of the
most gifted of New England's women
has said that Plymouth Rock is no
quartz. 1t is a perfect stone out of the
mountain without hands, and hands can
not prevent it from becoming great
mountain filling the whole earth. Every
church, every schoolhouse, every town.
house, from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
has Plymouth Rock for its foundation
stone. Wherever freedom aims musket,
makes protest, thereis Plymouth Rock
Freedom of the church, the school olhouse,
the town-house, these, my friends, form
the very cardinal principles of the Re-
publican party.
have often thought and often said
that the commonwealth of Vermont com
poses and illustrates the complete reali-
cation of the highest ideal of republi-
can form of government. Where else
can you find such general intelligence,
the result of your free, popular system of
education? Where so much of fidelity
and economy in the administration of the
State affairsY Where so much respect
for the civil rights of each and all the
people as in the State of Vermont 1t is
the mission of the Republican party to
confer on all the people of this country,
| in all the States and in all the Terri
tories, the inestimable privileges which
you in Vermont enjoy. 1t is a duty "a
which, in this centennial year of our ma
tion, we ought to address ourselves with
renewed attention and fidelity.
have no purpose here tonight, my
| friends, to recall the memorable conflict
through which this nation has passed,
and which made the American army for
ever illustrious; but let us never forget
the obligations resting upon us to secure
the results of that great conflict for our
selves and those who follow after us
and never, my friends, were these obli
cations more apparent and imperative
than now. We are already engaged il
another conflict with the opponents o.
the party which saved the Nation ant
which to-day protects its integrity anC
guards its honor. AS in 1860, we arr
once more, my friends, face to face will
united South, with the Democratic
party of the North as Its subservient anC
plant ally. In every late slave State il
the Union, where the Confederate part,
is dominant, it claims and may receiv
1870 votes in the electoral college. 1t ha
complete control of the lower house ant
the balance of power in the Senate
There is not to-day in those late slav
States any man, holding prominen
position, who was not identified with tn
great struggle against the Government
Not even in the State of Kentucky cal
you find. any man in any position what
soever who was not engaged on the rebe
side. This is the condition of the Sout
to-day. ] have sat for months during tn
last winter in Congress by the side o
sixty-one men who few years since
with arms in their hands, were engage
in an attempt to break up the Govern
/ ment. Now l have heard those men de
, fend the hellish atrocities of Libby an
Andersonville and Salisbury. l hav
, heard Lincoln maligned. 1 have hear
. defended the right of a Virginia Justlc
t of the Peace to detain and open the mail
, of the United States. Can you tell m
l where is the difference in spirit betwee
, that which twenty years ago led the Mis-
souri, border rutfians into Kansas, and th
{ massacre at Hamburg, where a regularly
/ organized militia company were first di
4 armed and then murdered in cold BLOOD
{ in order that the white race might assel
} their superiority? My official relation
r have called me during the past two {
three years into the Southern States an
i tell you what | know, my friends, {
= the real feeling of the Southern peopl
| regarding the Reconstruction acts. The
9 regard the amendments to the Constitl
1 tion in reference to slavery and the law
| for the protection of freedmen as th
2 French provinces did their cession
4 Prussia at the point of the bayonet.
B, is to the South, my friends, with tn
4 spirit, and with the Democratic party {
/ the North as its plant ally, that we al
asked to turn over the government {
r the United States, with all its powers {
G legislation, with all its machinery of ta,
t alton. No such proposition, for audac
c ty, has Its parallel in the history of tt
. country.
d What is the spirit of the Democrat
party? Do you want to prove what IL
$ Democratic party of the North still il
: Go to Washington and see fifty soldier
crippled in the service of the Uniol
turned out of the House to make ROOF
) for as many rebel soldiers. This is th
e evidence of the spirit of the Norther
o Democracy. My friends, we confroI
the old issue. You must not underrat
c the strength of the South and its allie
II in the North. You ask me if it can |
avoided Itell youyes, it can be avoide
in the old way and in the old way onl,
g you must not underrate the strength {
e this alliance. / have an abiding fait
- that the conscience of the nation will |
# sufficiently awakened to avert this gret
d peril. Under the leading of the gallal
e Hayes, who periled his life ON the fiel
II of battle, modest man, plain man,
n man who has evinced great ability in b
&c administration of the affairs of the gre
p State of Ohio-under Hayes the Repu
t, lican party will again achieve new Il
5; umph.
h What shall be your duty in this ca
:. vass? tell you, freemen of Vernon
u what know: the Democrats are makiI
p great efforts to reduce the Republics
majority in this State. Win you peru
Ie this, friends? The banner of Vermo
N was never yet trailcd on the battle fiel
RS Let your ballots protect the work so c
ID fectively done by your bayonets at &c
ID tysburg and on many field of strif
l As you value good government, as "
d value the sacrifices of the past, as "
hope for the future, let your devotion
n the cause of the Union be proved by 20
t. ballots on the first Tuesday of Novemb
1t next. May the star which never sc
/ 4 80 i.