The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-10-23
0ttatua frte Traoer
Splendid Democratic Meeting.

Splendid Democratic Meeting.
Court House FLIED to orer,7oning-Nagni
; cent speeches.
The finest meeting the Democratic Gu
has had this season was held at the Coul
House on Friday evening. Although yer
little notice had been given, yet the simpl
rumor that Col. REDDICk and Judge DICKE
would speak, served to fill the house to owe,
flowing. Nor were the audience disappoin,
ed. Judge DICKEY was first called out an
gave US one Of his terse, logical and splend
arguments. explaining and justifying hi
own position, and. the reasons why, in tn
present contest, as an old line whig. he s.
earnestly supported Judge Douglas. II
showed that between modern republican ant
the old line whig party there was no afini
ty. The whig party had been sconserva
tive and strictly national party. Henry Clay
had been the great leader and expounder o.
| its principles, and he showed how closely
tho views Of Douglas and Clay harmonized
on the slavery question, and how utterly al
variance both were with modern republican
ism on the same subject. He also handled
in most scorching manner the fallacies and
absurdities of the preaching Of Gray, Cook
dc, in reference 10 the Dred Scott decision,
showing these gentleu TO be unexcusably
ignorant on the subject, or very dishonest.
He also answered perfectly ard di,sipated
a h. Of he al
assaults that had been made upon him by
the republican press, charging him with sell
fish motives, congressional aspirations, DC,
showing the absurdity of such q charge
from the simple fact that in this consrcssien-
al district there was such an overw he lmin z
majority. The speech of Judge D., at the
points OF which we have barely hinted, was
delivered in his peculiarly happy style, and
interrupted by frequent and deafening cheers
Col. Reddick next took the stand, and
made the best speech Of his life, We really
think. Although We all know him 10 be a
good speaker, the audience vas certainly
surprised to find him surpass himself lie
said he had known boM Senator Douglas
and Mr. Lincoln since they first came into
the state, and having been side by side with
both at different times in our legislature, he
thought be Was competent TO give an opin-
ion .. TO their respective merits, an the
claims each had upon the people Of Illinois.
He spoke from personal knowledge, and
while he could and did show tha, Judge
Douglas had always been found on high
ground, working 10 promote the great inter
ests Of our State, Mr.. Lincoln was too often
found in league with outside SPECTATORS
and in company with such men as Trumhull
& Co, opposing our great interests. and la
boring 10 bring disgrace upon the state by
regulating her honest debts. To the efforts
of Douglas we were indebted for that splen-
did donation OF land which has been the
parent Of our truly magnificent system OF
railroads, which has proved so attractive Of
eastern capital to our state, made her SO
rich and prosperous and given her ,hc abill-
ty to pay instead Of repudate her debts
Mr. K. said he was member Of the legisIa-
ture when the great Illinois Central Railroad
Company was chartered; he had been on
the committees that fixed up that charter,
and he could personally testify that but for
the lobbying of Lincoln before committees
and personally with members Of the legs
lature, our state might row be receiving
double the amount from that company than
she does lie had been the hired attorney
of the company to help them get the bes,
bargain they could out Of the state, and he
had done his work well. Such had been the
course Of Lincoln, and he deiicd any person
to point to an instance where Judge Douglas
had been found in a similar way working
against the interests of his own state. Mr..
X. closed Mith fervent appeal in behal Of
our local ticket. We had good ticket-it
was made up of sterling men. Mr., Cogswel
was not only working man himself, but no
showed how he had always been the true
friend Of the working man. Mr.. Collins was
q farmer, ar an honor to his calling. But
above and beyond all, it must be RENE n.ber
ed, that . vote for Cosswell and Collins was
q vote for STEPHEN A. DouGLAs, and = vote
against either of these men vas vote against
Douglas. Whatever personal chickering's or
objections any one had against any candi-
date, they must now be laid aside and for
gotten. The issue was not with the men on
our local ticket-it was Douglas against Lin
coin. Mr.. Il. spoke about an hour, and we
never before saw an audience in the Court
House so intensely aroused. 1t was terri
bic speech for the republicans, and, as one
of them remarked to US in coming away, it
had damaged them fifty votes.
..,oo4s aua;r, 4h;c axan;n1