The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-08-24
Letter from RockpOrt.

RoCKPoRT, August 20, 1860
EDS. JOURNAL l attended the Democrat
ic Barbecue at Gentryville in this county
last Saturday, and thinking you might pos
sibly like to hear a correct account of their
proceedings, propose to give it to you.
First, ofthe number in attendance, which
was variously estimated at from one to three
thousand My own candid opinion, based
upon u careful survey, is that there
were between twelve and fifteen hundred,
nearly one-half of whom were women and
children. The Democracy will doubtless
seek to magnify the number to an almost
Incredible amount, as 6rGg is their favorite
game 1t was amusing to see the long faces
and hear the doleful lamentations and
lame excuses offered when it was ascertained
that not one of the BIO GUNS which had
been so boastfully advertised would be pres
ent to address the immense crowd assembled
to hear them explode. But they resolved to
make the best of n bad job, and forthwith
put Royal 8. Hicks upon the stand, who
launched forth in the tone and style indiea-
ted by the Rockport Democrat for the last
three or four weeks singing that same old
song about the Niger" 6. Niger worship
ers," " Fried WOOL "Abolitonist." I'M
foreground Railroad" &c, &c, for some
twenty or thirty minutes, when he gave way
for Constitutional Lawyer" of Grass
Township, who gave us familiar specimen
of the real spread-eagle, interspersed with
denunciations of the Black Republicans,
who are so wicked that they are scarcely
worthy TO live on Gods foot stool. But the
hat
off his speech, which fortunate circumstance
no doubt prevented the total annihilation of
the Republican party-which, by the way,
is a consummaton most devoutly wished for
by the Douglas men of this &C uaty.
After dinner, (Which was a sumptuous at
fair, composed Of dry bakers bread and half
cooked meat--I did understand that there
were some Sc chicken fixin's' on the table
prepared for the ladies, but as they suffered
no one to approach it, except the ladies, of
course could not vouch for the truth of it, J
as it was understood that Mr.. Laird was the
only speaker for the afternoon, Mr.. Veatch
proposed to him that, inasmuch as they
were candidates for the same Office in the
same county, and that most of the voters
there assembled would probably vote for
one or the other OF them, be should divide
time with him, and thus give the people a
chance to hear both sides OF the question at
issue, but MIR. Laird refused to consent to
anything of the kind.
Mr.. Veatch then proposed that when he
(Laird) had made his speech and occupied
all the time he desired, they would allow
him to take the stand and address as many
of the people as wished to remain and hear
him, to which they replied, that it was a
Democratic meeting, convened for Demo-
cratic purposes, and Republicans were not
expected and would not be permitted 20
"miX in"
We were Of course compelled to submit
to their dictation, but at the same time de-
termined to have our revenge on some sub
sequent occasion, by inviting not only Mr..
Laird, but any other champion they may Sc
lect, to divide time with Mr.. Yeatch
Mr.. Laird took the stand about one o'clock
and spoke for two hours and quarter, then
broke down and quit. l have heard greaV
many political speeches in the course Of my
life, but never did hear speech that con-
tanned SO many perversions of fact, so many
misrepresentation, and SO much unfairness
as that OF David t. Laird on Saturday last.
D His effort, to prove by garbled extracts
from thespeecheS of Henry Clay that be was
slavery extensiouist and that the doctrines
/ and practices of the present new-fangled
patent Democracy were based upon and sus-
tanned by his teaching was so rdiculously
absurd that even his own friends were dis
: gusted and turned away with an utter con-
tempt for the man who would thus attempt
to falsify the facts Of history and attempt 10
defame the dead in the same breath that
was landing him to the skies as the puresl