The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-11-11
Reflections at the "Old Table :"

Tour friond j. F. Asper, Esq, of Warren,
who formerly cond ucted tho Democrat,
having paid us brief visit, a few days since,
publishes in tho Cleveland Leader, over tho
signature of "Junius, Jr.." his reflections on
boing seated once moro at tho sold Table.
Prcsumug that they will be of interest 10
our readers, we copy them, emitting such
only as are of purely personal nature, and.
though prompted by an abundance OF good
feeling and friendship which we rociprocate.
might subject us to the charge of vanity j
EoiroR DAILY LEADER II am seated
once more as the cold table" in tho "Dem.
ocrat" Office. and the spirit of writing has
como over me, as of yorc SO yield myself
to its direction, and will attompt II chat
with your readers. II will be pleasant to
me, and would tain hopo not unnterosting
to them.
This sold sblo !" How many hours have
l sat heyo. exercising my brain for ideas to
interest and instruct the readers of the
Free Democrat They wero fow in mum.
bcrs-a fow hundrei at most; but they were
intelligent. FREQ thinking, independent men
and women, who would never yield the
right, or swervo from stern discharge of
dutv; and who could not be made to bow
the knee to the behcsts of slavery, nor turn
from tho straight course mar ked out by the
lovers of liberty "a defined by the Declara-
ton, by the Establishments of power or the
tyrannc influences of party. /; required
thinking to write and act fo- such men; it
required caution to direct q cause in which
such dsinterosted, sclf-denying men were
tho soldiers; it required steadiness, la
bor hard, pains.taking labor; it required
energy and devotcdness to stand furth to
hatrlo for party standing feeble and alone
against the political interests of the old par.
ties and their influence; with an enemy like
the slave power over vigiiant and under
arms, bringing to its aid tho money power
tho commercial power, tho plothoric purse
of the millionaire, over as sensitive to agta
ton as tho vana to tho grntlest brecz", and
seconded as it then was. by the two parties !;
It required all these. and more; it required
firmncss and sternnessof purpose that would
not taiI 90 use tho lash when necessary sat re-
when called for, soothing words and soft
speech as well. 1t would be vain in me to
say that these qualifications woro present !;
nor wore they; but. knowing what was
needed in one occupying tho position of
Editor for such cause and people, Ia
and that very labor has crowded my mind
with old memories on being again seated at
tho cold table" There is ono thing might
say without any fear of being charged with
| egotsm or vanity, and that is, no ono ever
labored with more dovotedness of purpose
than your humble correspondent, and with
so little reward. How loved those people !!
How my heart warmed towards them -
And oven now, after wears have flown, and
many changes havo boon wrought in poll
| tics and parties, us well as in the circum-
stances of thoso men and my own. cannot
| but be moved at casting my mind back and
rejecting upon my labors and my connection
with tho readers of the Democrat. NV
heart warns towards them; they stood by
mo in tr.. ng hours, when party spirit ran
| high, and maleyolence was the ordinary
weapon hurled at us and our cause; and
they did il. too, in defence of principle and
the love they had for justice and the right I;
and can ever fail to regard those men with
warm feelings In coming to tho scene of
those labors, and sitting hore to whe away
few leisure hours, feel myself en- rapport
with my old friends, warm foolings arc
aroused and old sympathios revived, 1t is
we'll.
"In secret sympathies of mind,
In founts of feeling which retain
Their pure, fresh flow, wo yot may find
Our early dreams not wholly vain"
In looking back over the past, what
changes have been wrought since sat here,
privileged to write the editorial "we." Our
little party, then feeble as to number, but
strong in principle, and encased in a coat of
mail always forged for just cause, has grown
until it has drawn to itself and its princi
plies an entire party, and in most of the Free
States is invincible Its representative mon
have since sat in GubernatoriaI chairs; have
sounded tho tocsin of liberty in Senate
Halls; and are now the great talked-of for
the Presidential Honor. with fair prospect
of having the baton of power placed
in the hand of one of them at the next elec-
tion, So widely have the principles We then
defended, with "tho life on the Sleeve" al
most, become diffused over tho country, that
they are everywhere tho received doctrine
in politics, so far at least as the one party