Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1855-09-20
Speech Of Thos. q. Ford.

Mr.. Ford was called to the stand, and enter
tanned the vast assemblAge for more than an
hour, in bis peculiarly brilliant and telling
style. For want of space we can give but an
extract of a epeech that was repeatedly and
enthusiastically applauded. When Mr.. Ford
took the stand he said that be was fearful he
would not be able to be heard by that acre
aud half Of people, as he vas faligued BY the
labOrs of the canvass. He had been nomina.
ted without his knowledge and without bis
seeking, but he would be elected by his SEEK
ing. That in this part Of the State there we're
three parties, but up in his part there we're on
ly two-the Post Masters and the People
Some Of his opponents had met him on the
stump, and alleged that he was exciting the
young people to deeds Of violence; he knew
those gentlemen. and did not intend to say
anything hard about thtm-that was unDeces-
sary. He knew them in Mexico, and if he had
not fought with them, be had run and hid
with them, and he was not going to say any.
thing against those with whom be bad sympa.
tlised in foreign country, He had not come
to excite boys to deeds Of violence, but some-
how or ether it was reported that he was one
of the boys. The speaker here said that he
thought he could speak better ifhe Lad his
shoes of, as he had a new pair on, and pro.
ceeded forthwith to divest bis pedal extremihes
Of said incumbrance, and then continued: that
crowd gave evidence that this was great
country, One ofOur greatest orators predict
ed that by the next century our domain would
extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific; this
then wild prediction was realized three years
afterwards, and the man who would not take
passage from Yucatan to the United States,
but would rather wait until the States came to
him, had clearer idea of our ceuntry's pro-
gress than the orator. But in this, as in all
other countries, there was continual strife be.
tween Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, and
if be might use the expression between Free
dom and Slavery. The Right always requires
attention to secure its triumph; cessation of Vig-
lance was certain death. The slave power
only asked to be let alone, for then it is sure
of success. He had been taught by their FORE
fathers. the safeguard Of their country, against
the inroads of evil, and these we're the exis.
tence of free churches and free school houses
the virtue and intelligence ofthe people. They
had rich inheritance, and the responsibility
that rested upon them as people, was still
greater, and the patriotism of their forefathers
was theirs to initiate, and their wisdom theirs
to possess.
Of those gentlemen who called him dis
unionist he would ask-who would dissolve
the Union The Garrisonians? True, they
might be great warriors as Gen, Pugh.-
Would it be the Shareholders 7 Did they
want to pay duty on all they exported to the
North, or to bring Canada 600 or 700 miles
nearer to them? Thought they didn't want
to do that thing, for then there would be q
grand Canada here. The South knew full
we'll it would be throwing off their safeguards,
for while tie South had applied the LASH the
fCoEcLuDEu OF SOuRra PAGE.