Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-09-03
Republican Ratifiati0n Meeting
AT CINCINNATI.
SPEECH OF GOV. CHASE, &C.

We learn from the Commercial that the
Republicans of Hamilton county, assembl-
ed on the evening of August goth, in the
Sixth street Market Space, to ratify the
nominations of the recent State Conven-
ton. The Convention was not ga clap
trap, blood and thunder, brass-bank, sky
rocket affair."" says the Cop,mercial,-but
a large turnout of substantial citizens
whose appreciation of the occasion was
manifested, not by "sound and fury signi-
flying nothing" but by earnest attentive
ness. Alphonso Taft, and Judge R. War
den made speeches on the occasion, which
we should have been pleased to have laid
before our patrons. But we will have to
content ourselves with an extract from the
able speech of Mr.. Chase. His remarks
upon the Treasury department, and as to
who stole the peoples money. Upon this
subject Mr.. Chase said:
FELLOW C1TIzENs-I am not here to-
night for the purpose of amusing you with
a sounding political harangue, but l came
to address myself to your consciences and
enlightened Judgment; I rejoice to . see yOa u
tonight.
am going to speak to you, first, on the
prodigious hole found in the public pock
ct. l shall tell Won truly all that I know
of the robbery of the Treasury, which has
recently developed itself, and show to you
where the responsibility properly belongs.
A few weeks ago, in the month of June,
l discovered, to my utter astonishment,
tha, there was deficit of some 100000
in the Treasury. l had supposed from Of
fetal reports of the Legislative Investigat-
ing Committee, and from the Auditor, that
the money was all safe in the Treasury as
they had found it. And it was there when
they examined the Treasury; and shall
show YOU that it had been absorbed du ing
Breslin's administration, and that not one
dollar of it ever soiled the fingers of a sin
gle officer of the Republican administration.
And shall show you the circumstances
under which the Republican administration
assumed the government. We were elect
ed in 1856. No Legislature had set for
two years, and the last Legislature which
preceded our entity into office, which was
Democratic, had failed to pass laws to guard
the Treasury, and thus left it at the dis
cretion and mercy of a single man.
When the Republican Legislature met
in January, 1856, almost the first thing
they did was to pass law guarding and
protecting the Treasury. But upon trial
it did not prove as efficient as had been an
ticipated. Learning its defects by expert
ence, however, when they met at the ad-
journed session of this year they enacted a
new law, which required quarterly ex-
animation by the Governor, and also by
the Auditor. AT the regular session they
had also appointed a Legislative Investi-
eating Committee, comprised of three
members, all of whom were Republicans,
the Democrats having refused to permit
representative of their party to serve on the
Committee. They did hold caucus and
designated one Democratic member for
each of three Committees, but subsequent
ly another Democratic caucus was held,
and upon deliberation they refused to
countenance the investigation into the ad-
ministration oftheir own party, thus estab-
fishing their fears that corruption had ex-
isted which they feared to expose.
The examination, however, was made by
the Committee, and also by the Auditor,
and they found the money. 1t was there,
in the Treasury. But it was sham. 1t
was there, as money is sometimes found in
the vaults of your bankers, when the ex-
aminer comes round. They fly to some
other bank and borrow funds for the pres
ent purposes. The examiner sees that all
is right. He retires, when presto! change
and it amt there. Just so in this casc.-
Just so with Gibson. He has borrowed
drafts, bills DC, evidently of value, for the
purpose of concealing deficit which he
knew existed, and have since learned, for
purposes which ifcorrectly understood, can
not be considered entirely discreditable to
him. The money was there, but the Com
mittee was deceived.
Mr.. Gibson was elected when | was.-
The same confidence was reposed in him
that the people reposed in me. In fact,
they reposed more confidence in him than
in me, for the Kraow Nothings had conf
dence IN him, and 1t appears they didn't
have IN me. (Laughter.)
When discovered the deficit, Mr.. Glib
son was absent from Columbus. 1t was
eleven o'clock at night when he returned.
| had an interview with him Immediately.
1 demanded that he should resign. He
didn't want to resign. l insisted again,
and he reiterated his disinclnation, for rea-
sons that cannot be considered culpable.-
But the keys of the Treasury were put in
my hands, and they did not leave my pos
session until he did resign. l then ap-
pointed an officer in whose integrity | have
entire confidence, and who demands and
receives the surcst possible security from
every depository of the State.
Now respecting the blame that is attach
ed to me, and for not having sooner dis
covered the robbery: Gibson is man {. ON
whose appearance and character | never
could have suspected of the great wrong
he has committed. Auditor Morgan and
Gov. Medill had ten times as much reason
to suspect Breslin of dishonesty, as / had
to suspect Gibson. And they could have
as easily compelled him to resign as l did
his successor. What did they do? Com
pei his resignation? No! At the very
first chance they had they put him on their
State ticket again for the very same office.
| am obliged to talk somewhat of my
self but the nature of the case is nv apolo-
gy. l asked Mr.. VIM. Morgan to act with
MIR. Dennison, n gentleman of undoubted
integrity, and a native of your city, in whom
| IL. - L =