Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-03-09

every township In the State to assemble IN
Mass Convention, at Columbus, on We'd
nesday, the tenth day Of March, 1858.
Prom the Cincinnati Gazette.
Anti-LecOm PtOn De.MOcratic
Meeting.
Smith & Nixon's Hall, the Hall in which
the Democratic Presidential Convention
assembled on the 9th of June, 1866
where James Buchanan was nominated,
and the Cincinnati platform first promul
gated and adopted-lhatH Hall was crowded
with Democrats to protest against the Le-
compton Constitution.
Anticipating crowd, the people assem-
bled early. and little groups were discuss
ing the great subject of agitation in differ
ent parts Of the Hail. Not one was found
among them to defend Lecompton, though
a few questioned the proprieiy OF the dem
onstIation. One prominent Democrat
said, IL know it (Lecompton) is out
rage, but after such meeting as this, you
can carry another election in Cincinnati"
Att o'clock the meeting was called to
order by w. G. Mcdowell, who nomina-
ted Adam N. Riddle as President. which
nomination was confirmed by acclamation.
On taking the Chair Mr.. Riddle said:
FELLOW CITIZENS: This meeting is
called by the Democrats who are opposed
to the Lecompton, Constitution {; op posed
to forcing on the people of Kansas Con-
stitution and Government against their
will. We are assembled i'll virtue of rights
guaranteed us by the Constitution Of our
own State and of the Union, to consult
about those guaranteed rights. From the
number and character Of those assembled,
we propose to make such a demonstration
as will satisfy our immediate Representa-
tives Of the views Of their constituents on
this subject. TO give them such an ex-
preston of sentiment and opinion as will
speak to them in terms that cannot be
misunderstood-th will fully satisfy them
of one "fact" at least, to-wit that the
d, mocrats of Cincinnati are opposed to
the Lecompton Constitution.
Judge Stanley Matthews then rose and
moved the appointment of a committee Of
ten to draft resolutions expressive of the
sense of the meeting, and said he proposed
on that motion to make what remarks he
had to offer to the meeting. In the course
of his remarks he said:
Snall nOL maSIo your tIiuS uPoh ""J
apology for this meeting, nor in apologi-
zing for being here to address it. A sense
of duty to the country to which owe al
legiance, sense of fidelity to the convic-
tions that have been long impressed on my
own mind, sense of honor, requires me
on the first proper public occasion to meet
face to face as many of my fellow-citizens
and fellow democrats as possible, to whom
during the last Presidential contest l then
explained what l understood to be the
platform and creed of the Democratic party
to assure them that whatever pledges
were made at that time, were made in good
faith and honesty and that at least for
one will not be base enough to betray
them (cheers.) 1t is meet. fellow -cilizens,
that we should assemble, and here in this
hall, where the Cincinnati platform was
made, and where a voice went forth to the
country, announcing that the Democratic
party, knowing neither North nor South,
East nor West, leaned itself on the Con-
stiiutional and Conservative doctrine of
popular sovereignty. say it is right and
proper we should assemble here, in order
that now in its time of peril and danger we
re- affirm that doctrine.
Speaking of the Lecompton Constitution
he said:
say that it lacks the impress of the pop
ular will, fairly and legally impressed
and, IN the first place, because the Con-
vention that formed it was not fairly con-
stituted, and did not, in fact, represent the
people in whose name they proposed to act.
One half of all the counties in the Terri
"a, A
jority of the people did not vote for dele
gates atall. This occurred either in a de-
feet of the law. or defective execution of
the law. l refer you to the hitherto un-
disputed testimony coming from the high
est Democratic authority-Governor Wal
ker and Secretary Stanton. We are told
that the stories coming from Kansas are
SO contradictory and absurd that nothing
is to be believed that comes from there (;
but / ssy, when we come to deliberate and
act on the rights of that people, that we
have no right to go behind the record we
ourselves have made. Who sent Gov
ernor Walker there? The present Admin
istration. Who put Secretary Stanton
there? The present Administration. And
why were they dismissed? For obeying
the instructions under which they had gone
there. Now, both of those gentlemen not
only announce, but time and again in the
most deliberate form under official respon-
sibility. have certified to the country, as /
have here stated, that the Lecompton Con-
vention did not represent the will of the
people, because the people never had fair
to vote for it's delegates. But
some of our Democratic authorities say
that tbe people are nevertheless bound,
because i was their fsult that they did not