Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-09-07
SPEECH OF TmOs. H FORD.

WV OA<a1hs NhD oAN O~A--
BELL. Ford is full of humor, and many Of
our patrons will consider it treat TO read
the following extract of speech which he
there made:
Mr.. Ford was called to the stand, and
entertained the vast assemblage for more
than an hour, in his peculiarly brilliant and
telling style. For want of space we can
give but an abstract Of speech that was
repeatedly and enthusiastically applauded.
When Mr.. Ford took the stand he said be
was fearfulhe would not be able TO be heard
by that acre and half of people, as he
was fatipued by the laboTs Of the canvass.
He had been nominated without his knowl-
edge and without his seeking, but he would
be elected by bis seeking. That in this
part of the State there were three parties,
but in his part there were only two-the
Post Masters and the people. Some OF bis
opponents had met him on the stump. and
alleged that be was exciting the young peo-
pie to deeds of violence; he knew those
gentlemen, and did not intend to say any
thing hard about them-that was unneces-
sary. He knew them in Mexico, and if lie
had not fought with them, he had run and
hid with them, and he was not going to say
any thing against those with whom he had
sympathized in a foreign country. He
hadn't come to excite boys to deeds ofvio
ienee, but somehow or other it was report
ed that he was one of the boys. The
speaker here said that be thought he could
speak better if be had his shoes off, as he
had new pair on, and proceeded forthwith
to divest his pedal extremities Of said in
cumbrance and then continued: that crowd
gave evidence that this was great coun-
try. One Of our greatest orators predicted
that by the next century our domain would
extend from the Atlantic 10 the Pacific ;
this then wild prediction was realized three
years afterwards, and the man vino would
not take passage from Yucatan for the I'm
tied States, but would rather wait until the
United States came to him, had clearer
idea of our country's progress than the or
ator. But in this, as in all other countries,
there was continual strife between Good and
Evil, Right and Wrong, and if he might
use the expression, between Freedom and
Slavery. The Right always requires at
tention to secure its triumph; cessation of
vigilance was certain death. The Slave
power only asked to be let alone, for then
It was sure of success. He had been taught
by their forefathers the safeguards Of their
country against the inroads of evil, and
these were the existence of free churches
and free school houses, the virtue and in
teligence of the people. They had rich
inheritance, and the responsibility that rest
ed upon them as people was still greater,
and the patriotism of their fOrefathers was
theirs to initiate, and their wisdom theirs
to possess
Ofthose gentlemen who called him
disunionist he would ask, Who would dis
solve the Union? The Garrisonisns p
True, they might be as great warriors as
Gen, Pugh. Would it be the shareholders?
Did they want to pay duty on all they eI-
ported to the North, or to bring Canada
600 or 700 miles nearer to them? Tho't
they didn't want to do that thing. for then
there would be grand Canada here. The
South knew full well it would be throwing
off their safeguards, for whilst the South
had applied the lash, the North had forged
the fetters, and hence they relied upon the
North for their safety. Would they then
dissolve the Union? There were only
$4,000 shareholders, of whom not less
than 47.e90 were widows and orphans,
and 10000 The sham aristocracy Of the
South; and would these, with Bracken-
ridge at their head, form an array to be
feared? South Carolina kicked out Of the
traces once, but soon kicked back again,
and yet the Charleston Mercury had said
that South Carolina would dissolve the
Union unless Kansas became a slave state
Yet look at that State and her prospect for
such project-With four or FIVE negroes
to one white man. He had told the little
man of the Mercury, that if South Carolina
was fenced of by itself, the slaves would
eat them up "rump and stump" they could
not keep them 10 subjection. Massachus-
etts might talk about the chronological de-
velopements of the negro. and Virginia do
the same, and South Carolina get little
refractory, but it would be like the spunky
little ram, that being tied TO the gate post,
butted itself away until nothing but the
tail was left. and that kept bobbing. Let
us as men be resolved to act as men, to do
right, to labor for Freedom, and those who
do not do so let them be brought to the
gate post. Let us proclaim to the South
that we will let slavery alone where it is
and that It shall not come where it is not
Everything possible had been resorted to
by the opposition, in order to distract the
people Of Ohio. They told them that they
were fused, and every argument was met
by some such cry as "wooly head, ""Nager," "
"gool and ivory" &c. Medary, that leech
of eternal suction upon the public Treasury,
told them they must not fuse. But the
people saw the necessity, for some fellows
lank and lean enough hen they went into
Office, had come ont lat, and the people
wanted to know where the corn came from
that fattened the Mller's hogs. And the
Public Works that once yielded 100000
or 100000 TO the State Treasury, were
fruitIess, and the Board had gone TO the
Poor House! The speaker here said be
had something amusing to read, and pro-
ducing Gov. Medi!l's Message stating that
the expense Of the Judiciary in 1914 was
$4,000 and in 1854, $54 1000, that the
Stationery in 1914 was about 1000, and in
1854 $4,000. Mr. +. then read from the