Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-09-28
The Democratic Meeting.

In noticing the Democratic Meeting of
Monday, We shall endcavor to be moro an
did and truthful, than was the last Demo-
crat in speaking of the Republican Meeting
TIVE weeks before. The audience which
assembled to hear Messrs. Ranney and
Tod was. though not large, still quite res
pectablc in number, and Empire Hall was
nearly full. but not entirely so. Judge
Ranney spoke first. and made a very law
yer like speech. He is an able man, We
think the strongest man belonging to his
party in this State, and all that any man
could do to make the wrong appear right,
to throw upOa the opposite party the
odium of the acts of his own, Judge Ran
ney did. Ne sincerely wish his talents
were better employed than in defending the
rascalities of a B%reslin, and covering up the
frauds of Democratic state officials, and We
have a strong fancy that he wishes the
same thing.
The main subject of his discussion was
the Breslin-G ibson treasury defalcation.
He attempted to excuse Brcslin on the
ground that he was a mere cats paw in the
hands of others, and those others he would
have his hearers believe were Republicans,
of course. He gave a glowing description
of the safety of the Independent Treasury
system, the safety of which seemed princi-
pally to consist in the fact that the Treas
urer kept the money himself, instead of de-
posting it in Banks; and being prohibited
by law, under penalty of imprisonment
from usins it, of course the money was safe.
He forgot that he had only 4 few moments
before told his hearers that under the old
system it was also a criminal offence, and
that not only Breslin and Gibson, but the
.bsmkers who had paid interest on the de-
posts received from the defaulting treas
urers, were liable to criminal prosecution.
The slavery question bothered him. and
he thought there always was a niger
somewhere in the weodpile. He was against
agitation, did not want to be agitated him.
self. The fugitive slave law he thought
aros constitutional and ought to be enforced,
and as he thought his letter and published
speeches On that subject (when he pro-
nounced it unconstitutional, and denounced
it with such u%nction) had furnished a great
deal of good reading for Republicans. We
viii not quote from them now, to show
how beautifully consistent are his present
and past positions.
He said the Fugitive Slave law was in
PRODUCED in Congress, by Henry Clay. and
opposed by nobody but northern fanat
les and southern fre-eatcrs. As he him.
self was one of its OppOscrs, after its pas
sage (sce his letter. we wondered whether
he was a fanatic or a ~fre-eater.
He wasted considerable pity on Judge
Swan, and thought Judge Gholson ~tolera-
bly, well qualified for a Democratic candi-
date, or would have been if he only owned
a few niggers now.
When Judge Ranney closed, Hon. Da- )
vid Tod succeeded. As he had but little
to say upon political questions, and as he
said, made his appearance only as a sort
Of side show, We will not attempt to review
speech. He went off in his old style, !,
re must ~sayisaSery pieasan. one :
praised his old a~cquaintances. took a little
glory to himself, and pat his audience in q
good humor with themselves, with him, and
he rest of mankind generally, except the
party. He made some funny
assertions. such as-that the last Ohio Con-
Convention could have made
Ohio a Slave State. 1--WE fancy that fifty
such conventions could not do it, his asser-
ion to'the contrary Notwithstanding
Another was, that the Democratic party
lad always ruled this government, since it
vas first organized. Another was, that -,
single law.on the statute book, of the .
United States, hadisosn signed by a Dem: t