The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-09-12
e.Tne Back out,


ssThe Back OUT
The Ohio State Journal of the 9th
ult. contains an article under the above
caption, trying to make it appear that it
was the Democratic speakers and Demo-
cratic committee who backed out here at
the meeting on the 10th. The editor of
theJournul certainly deserves credit for his
ingenuity in crowding so many falsehoods
in so small a space. None but an adept
one highly endowed by nature with the
gift of twisting truth into falsehood, and
having the advantage of long experience
in the business, could have put such a face
on the matter as the Journal has; and none
but one having the utmost confidence in
his skill in sophistry and subterfuge would
have dared to do it. ~
The questions of religious test, exclu-
sion Of men of foreign birth from office
and citizenship, and everything else per-
tanning to Know Nothingism were wholly
omitted in the proposition Of the. Fusion
COMMITTEES; and besides they proposed that
Chase and Ford, or the speakers on that
side, should open and close the debate,
thus compelling one Democratic speaker
to follow another. The questions which,
in this county at least, are paramount to
all others, were carefully excluded, and
others substituted which have nothing
whatever to do with the coming State
election 10 m
a The journal says: @the proposition of
the Slave Democracy was promptly ac-
.cepted"
That is unqualifedly false. The Fusion
committee entirely ignored the fact that
any propositions had been made to them.
They dared not either accept or decline
them. To decline would have been to
record their. want of, confidence in the
ability of their speakers, and to accept
would have been to exhibit that want OF
ability to the meeting consequently they
wholly ignored the propositions.
Again, the Journal says: "the Slave
Democracy wanted to confne the discus
sion, to Know Nothingism."
Here are the propositions made by the
Democratic committee: 6
I. "That the speakers on that day oc-
cupy the same stand, that they discuss the
questions now before the people, and that
! they settle among themselves the form OF
the questions and the order of discussion.
| III. That the speakers occupy the same
stand, that two speeches of AN hour each
be made on each side, on the questions
now before the people; and that the speak
ers address the meeting alternately SO thai
one side shall open and the other close.
Thus it will be seen that so far from
confning the discussion to Know Nothing
/ 4 II III
ism as the Journal alleges, the Demo
lcratic committee left it without any limi
Whatever. 9 s s
i The Journal further says:
sasst 1t was proposed on the, part Of th'
Republicans to form the issue, thus: Th
Republicans affirm all that islcontained il
their platform of the 18th of July, an'
tdeny all the administration platform o
1.-THE 8thsJanuary which is contrary. Th
Slave Democracy affirm all that is con
Itained in their. platform Of the Sth Janu
larry, and deny all in the Republican plat
form of the 18th July which is contrary
'@That. the speakers should have half a
hour each, land that it should be deter
mined by. lot which. party should speal
first, and that the other party should close
/ This proposition, obviously fair was de
y tclined y
i The truth about the above propositio
lis, that it was written by Mr.. CHASE, afte
, his arrival here, and put in the hands {
the Fusionists, who very prudently put