The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-06-27
Forty five Years Ago In Wheel
Ing.

Some one has favored us with copy
Of the Wheeling GGsette Of De
cember 24th, 1851 PAPER long
since deceased-which was published
byR.I. Curtis, who died two or three
years ago at MOunisville, and with whom
our esteemed fellow citizen, R. G. Bon
ham, Eaq., was once an apprentice print
er.
The Ga.ciie before us contains the pro-
ceedings Of the National Convention that
nominated Henry Clay for President at
Baltimore Dec. IS, 1881. When we look
at this old sheet and see the name, ''Na-
tional Republican Convention" printed
over these proceedings, We eau hardly
persuade ourselves that we are not look
ing over some country exchange just
come to hand, little tardy, with the
proceedings of the late Cincinnati Con-
yention. The Gasdte seems only
to have received the proceedings oI
the Baltimore Convention inasmuch as
it has an editorial introducing them tc
It's readers as follows: I'VE will only
quote two or three Of the opening sen
tences.)
ave may be allowed to congratulate
our readers on the result Of the proceed
ings in the National Republican Conven.
tfon at Baltimore. There was reason to
fear that an attempt would have been
made 10 concentrate the votes Of the con.
yention on some other candidate than Mr..
Clay, tho only possible consequence OF
which would have been 10 divide the
party and to endangcr those great prin-
ciples for which it is contonding. We
have always regarded his nomination as
offering the only reasonable chance OF
rescuing the government from the hands
which at present Disgrace it" Y
twill be seen from the above that even
as early as 1881 in the history of the
Government, there was talk OF disgrace"
in the administration Of public affairs at
Washington. Those were the days ol
Jackson's bitter partisan administration
when "old Blair" ran the Kitchen Cab
met" rs 1t was called, and Major Jack
Downing wrote his famous. sarcastic let
ter in the National IntelligeHeer.
Mr.. Claydid not succeed as the Nation
al Republican candidate in 1882. lie
only received 40 electoral votes,as against
20 for General Jackson. In 1924 he had
received 81 votes, and afterwards, in 1914
he received 1O5 votes. Three times q
candidate and three times defeated. Nc
wonder his opponents said and sung:
"Oh, poor old Harry Clly oh, poor old Harry Clay,
fOn never eau 10 President, for fate Is In your
way"
The whole prOcecdings of the Balti,
more Convention do not occupy quite
two OF the short columns Of the Gazetie,
Contrasted with the voluminous proceed.
ings Of modern National Convention
they are quite a curiosity indeed. James
Barbour, OF Virginia, presided at this
Convention and made a short speech, in
the course ofwhich he alluded to General
Jackson rs having pledged himself to re-
tire to private life at the end ofhis [thenl
fntterm. Mr.. Barbour said that in case
he would not Voluntarily redeem his
pledge to step down and out, majority
oithe American people wOnldr be only too
glad to-" enforce the fullllment Of
his promise" The tone Of Mr.. Barbout's
speech, even at that day, was almost de.
spondent as regards the perpctuity OF the
Union. The following remarkable ex-
preston occurs in it:
1.-THE auguries proclaimed at the com.
meneement Of our political career, that