Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-09-11
The Battle Ground Cow ention.
The Great Convention Of the Campaign
of 1855.
THE PEOPLE AROUsEDt

LGCu SUI c4 AAAAAADhc0
People, as that which came off at the Tip.
pecanoe Battle Ground, on Wednesday and
Thursday last.
Long will the occasion be remembered as
one which will ever, hereafter, be pointed to
as the great gala day of the Union loving
Democracy of the Hoosier State.
The Democracy OF Indiana are aroused
Upon the battle field of our State they as
semble, "a company which no man could
number," to worship at that shrine where
was offered up in sacrifcial devotion to ON
common country, some of the dearest blood
OF the purest patriots Of that pioneer band
which expelled from our frontiers a British
foe, and beat back to their forest haunts a
savage enemy where tomahawks and scalp
ing knives had drank the blood of the settlers
and where acts Of barbarity have never
known a parallel, even in that schedule OF
savage barbarism written upon the pages %
our country's history, with the blood Of the
gallant band Of pioneers who first open
ed the battles of the great West, and made
the deserts and the waste places to blossom
as the rose"
As Mecca is to the Mahometan, so is the
Tippecanoe battle field to the Democracy OF
Indiana holy shrine, where all good Dem
ocrats can worship, and every patriot kindle
in admiration of the noble dead, who slum-
Der beneath its grassplats-in emulation oil
their gallantry and their virtucs-in devo-
ton to that great national Constitution, fran,
ed by their wisdom and sense Of justice, and
sealed with their blood.
What a glorious heritage have they trans
mitted to US A system of Free Govern
ment, challenging by its symmetry and
fair proportions. the admiration of the
world And with what ~scrupulous devotion
should every msy regard that great magma
| charta which vouchsafes to him SO much Of
all that is good in civil government and lib
eral in political privilege.
1t was to renew their vows Of fealty tC
i the OulOu dlQ buC NOuSbilutiOB, tnob ~
Democracy of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and
Illinois, assembled at Tippscanoe. In their
strength they were there; an immense army
with banners, music, and all the pa~rapherna'
liza of an enthusiastic Democratic meeting
AT an early hour on Tuesday morning
that portion of the Battle Ground which is
enclosed, was literally packed with the mas
SEES. Outside of this enclosure, in all direc.
tons, the crowd copld be seen. Hundreds
were encamped upon the ground-some in
tents, some in wagons, others in temporary
cabins, built for the occasion. In all direc.
tons might be seen the American colors wa.
wing in the breeze, emblazoned with the
thirty-one bright stars that make up the con-
stellation of our whole country.
1t would be almost impossible for us to
give a correct estimate of the crowd. II
could not, however, have numbered less
than fifty thousand, and we heard many gen.
tlemeH. good judges, estimate it at as high
as one hundred thousand. We have never
witnessed, at any Convention, more enthusi-
asm. The masses seemed to be wild in their
feeling, and round after round of applause
was waited upon the winds, as the eloquent
speakers expounded the true principles OF
Democracy.
From the Lafayette american we copy the
following condensed report of the proceed
ings
OPENING EXERCISES.
The gala day of Democracy has arrived,
and the streets of Lafayette are alive with
men imbued with a disposition to do honor
to the cause of Democracy. Delegations
from abroad commenced arriving last night,
and the Battle Ground, to-day, Is a sea of
human beings. No sound of war, however,
is heard there, but the trumpet-tOngued voice
of the Union calls the people to arms. Last
night the trains from New Albany and To-
lede were crowded with the honest yeomanry
of the land, and the ~Star-spangled Banner
floats in every part of our city. Col. Black
well, of Chicago, addressed a large concourse
of people at the Court House last evening,
and plaudits of appreciation shook the room
to its center. The brilliantly lighted and
magnificent steamboat, Young America, from
Charlottesville, arrived about SO O'Clock,
and was greeted with loud huzzas. This
was a great feature of attraction and reflects
the highest credit upon the iIdomitable
Democracy of Old Montgomery. The crowd
having adjourned from the Court House to
the "Bramble," called loud and long for
Hon. ID. s.. Dickinson, of New York, who
onnoarad rrnon tho halCOpU rvaS nraataI nth
enthusiastic applause, and in a short speech
maintained his enviable reputation as a DEM
ocratic orator. The next upon the stand was
John Van Burcn, who captivated the i'm
mense audience by his happy sallies of wit,
at once winning for himself the good will of
Indiana Democracy. Hon. James B. Clay
followed in a beautiful speech, replete with
eloquence, which called forth repeated and
long continued applause. Col. Hodges, of
Kentucky. was next called out, end, suffice it
to say, the beauty of his oratory and excel
lence of his language must be heard to be
appreciated. Heartfelt cheers animated this
gallant champion at every sentence, and he
at once wrote a living monument of admira-
ton upon the hearts of Indianians. b. w.
Hanna, Esq, Of Charlottesville, next APP
peared upon the stand, and acquitted him.
self in a neat and excellent speech.
The German meeting at Balls Hall, was
ably and eloquently addressed by Hon.
Francis j. Grund, of Philadelphia, who
spoke for about an hour and a half, ~eliciting
the most rapturous applause. The Hall
was filed to its utmost capacity, and the en-
thusiasm manifested argues well for the part
that class of our citizens will take in the
politics Of this country.
On II GROUND.
At IL O'Clock the Convention was called
to order by Hon. JNo. S. WILLIAMS, Mayor
of Lafayette, upon whose motion, Hon.
JOHN PETIT was chosen President Of
the day, with the following Vice Presidents
and Secretaries
VICE PRESIDENTS.
Jesse Benson, of Boone County; Hon.
John w. Blake. of Clinton DR.. James H.
Stewart of CARROLL. .Tosenh RiSt;na Fec Of