The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-05-20
THE LINCOLN CLUB ROOMS.

The huAic, de-, &C.
The Lincoln Club OF this city is now
launched and ia sails are now spread to
catch every favorable political and social
breeze that will bear the club onward to
prosperity. The event occurred last night,
By eight o'clock the spacious ball on the
third floor was allied TO OVERLOOKING withA
splendid representation Of Whseling's
business men and many of her iairest and
nobleat women. In the right corner was
seated the choir composed Of W. H. Sheib,
organist, a. H, Beach, leader, and Mrs,
sheib, Misses Hupp, Rose and Hork'
heimsr and MesSrs. Donel, Day and Bull
lard. On the platform eat Hon. W. T.
Wiley, Rev. DR., Mcclure and the Presi.
dent Of the Club, Prof.. R, O. DAlzell,
The meeting was called 10 order by the
President, and Rev, Mcclure led In an i'm
presstye short prayer, After the singing
Of "America" by the choir, q tasteful and
original address Of welcome was given by
Prof. Dalzell. 1t was happily worded, and
was precisely the right length. It de-
served the applause Il received.
ECU, 8, Senator Waitman 7, Wiley
was then introduced, and coming forward,
he said he had been advised Of the tnten'
ton OF the managers to make the pro
gramme short, that social evening might be
enjoyed below, and that he would try and
dstAin them but o short while, though
the name OF the club, that Of Lincoln, was
enough to tempt any man to talk Tor
hours. he then addressed the cluD ~
follows:
Mr.. PRRslDEST:-I propose to discuss,
very briefly of course, some Of the o6liga'
tons OF the Republican party to the iuture'
II Ia useless TO refer TO what 1t has &C.
ComplIshed in the past That requires no
rehearsal before this audience, Resides,
its history Is TOO recent, for its merits, or
dement's, TO be impartially deltneated'
We must wait until the passions, preju
dlCes and mlSapprehenslons inseperable
from the conflicts 10 which 1t has been
engaged, shall have passed away.
Doubtless, however, 1t has erred, some
times from the imperlection and iallibility
Inherent In all human judgment and
transactions; sometimes from haste and
inConslderatepesa OF action; and some.
times It may be, from the influence Of
those passions and prejudiCes Just referred
to, Even now the calmer retrospect
which we are able to make detects some
things which are to be regretted, and
others, which, perhaps, II would be diff
cult 10 Justify, Nevertheless, we may ven.
ture to say, that when the time comes to
write the history OF these twenty years
past, the annals Of mankind will be un.
able to present anything worthier OF adj
miration. pause Tor q moment TO glance
at Its record. 1t has emancipated 4 race
Of four millions Of our fellow beings, and
rescued the country from the peril and
curse OF human slavery. II has harmon
lied the National Constitution with the
fundamental principles Of civil and polit.
cal liberty by the incorporation oil
, express quantities OF the equal.
| ity OF oil men before the
law, II the name oil American citizens
has travelled farther aud commands more
respect and y higher homage than did
that Of 'Roman citizens, In the palmiest
days OF the Roman Empire, II is due 10 the
Republican party. Applause. II our
country, the Cyu0Bure OF oil nations com.
mAnds more Of the love and generation oil
mankind than any other nation, 1t Is due
10 the patriotism oil the Republican party,
which preserves 1t, and to its wisdom and
policy, which have advanced II TO its pres
emit prosperity and glory. Indeed, that
we have Q country at all to.dsy-united,
prosperous and happy-thgt the magni6.
cent spectacle still remains which filled
the imaginations Of the greatest Of Ameri.
can statesmen and orators Mr.. Webster
1.-THE gorgeous ensign Of the Republic,
known and honored throughout the earth,
still full high advanced, It's arms and
trophies streaming In their original lustre
not stripe erased or polluted, nor a 81 /,
gle star obsCured"-iS due to the Repub
liCan party.
II has been said that "history Is philoso.
ply, teaching by example," What Is the
philosophy taught by the Republican
party as exembllded In It's history2 II ID
the same that all history teaches; that nc
system OF government can endures which
is not founded upon the eternal principles
OF Justice and equity toward oil.
II was once fashionable 10 assign the
origin Of the Republican, party to o facti.
tious 'ianatiCism and the personal ambi.
ton OF It's leaders. The parrots oil party
are still prolonging the senseleSs clamor
even going 90 far as 10 charge upon II all
OF the woes and guilt OF the late civil war,
That war was q part Of the irrepressible
conflict which has been going on ever
since the world begun-the ever recurring
contest between the friends and foes oil
civil and political liberty. MI. Seward was
denounced In 1858 for declaring that q con.
hiCt was inevitable. "shall l tell you"
said he. what this collision means
They who think II accidental, unneCessa.
ry, the work Of interested fanatical agi.
taEors, and therefore, ephemeral mistake
the case altogether. II is an irrepressible
conflict between. opposing and enduring
iofces.n
But this view Of the subject was not pc.
cullar 10 Mr.. Seward, or 10 men OF the
Northern States. II prevailed, equally,
among Southern men OF Thought and
philosophical penetration; and during
that year 1853 the Montgomery Con.
vention," through q large and able COM
mittee, declared that ut Is obnoxious,
that two distinct and antagonistic forms
OF society have met for contest on the
arena oil the Union. The one assumes that
all men are equal and that equality iB
right. On that theory II Is leveling its
members TO the horizontal plane OF De.
moCracy. The other opines that all men
are not equal; and that equality is not
right; and standing upon this theory, is
taking 10 itself The rounded form Of 90.
cial aristoCracy."
Thus was the fundamental principles q
the great Declaration Of American indie
L. Il H. T..