Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-09-07


REPUBLICAN MEETING Al FIFrH-sTREEr
MARKET-sPAoR-Speech Of Judge Johnstop-
The Republican meeting, last night, at Fifth
street Market-space, was very largely at
tended. A band of musicians occupied
portion of the platferm, and discoursed pa
triotic airs to the delectation of the multi
tude, and rockets shot upward and across
the thoroughfare, giving the assembly all the
appearance of an enthusiastic political meet
ing. ..
After the ordinary preliminaries, Judge
William Johnston was introduced, and he
began a speech which was clear and logical
gentlemanly in tone, sometimes humorous
and occasionally eloquent, and lasted nearly
an hour and half
He spoke of the claims of the different
Presidential candidates before the people,
and earnestly hoped the election would not
be thrown into the House of Representa-
tives. Since the Union had been established
this catastrophe had twice occurred, and we
saw the result in the fact that every succeed
ing history of Aaron Burr more and more
implicitly charged Thomas jefferson with
corruption, and also in the fact that the
election of John Quincy Adams caused
charges to be made that blasted the aspra-
tions and impaired the usefulness of one of
the greatest men the country had ever pro-
duced-Henry Clay.
The speaker did not wish to say any harsh
things of the members of that body, but they
were men--some of whom were preachers
and had lost their stipends and their pull
pits others doctors who had lost their pa
tients, and with whom the people were out
of patience; some lawyers who had lost their
clients, and others merchants. who, being
bankrupt in trade, sought refuge in politics.
These men had weaknesses which were
peculiar to Congressman, one of which was
desire to abandon public life and become a
Consul to foreign port, Minister to some
European court or Territorial Judge or
Governor. This the President has it in his
power to give and a vote could purchase it.
Here was the Office on one hand and the
President on the other. 1t is hard to buy
and sell 30,000,00O of persons, but when the
number was thirty-three it became quite
easy.
Now that the elements of the House of
Representatives are more antagonistic than
ever before, to throw the election into that
body involved the surrender or sale of some
of the members individual opinions; and he
would rather see the worst man who had
been nominated for the Presidency elected
| by the people, than to see the best one elected
| by the House.
One of the arguments the speaker had
| heard against Mr.. Lincoln was that he was
an Abolitionist. This was term applied by
the South to the whole North, and therefore
meant nothing. Mr.. Lincoln, however, was
supported by Mr.. Chase, and therefore must
| be an Abolitionist. If this was good arpu-
! ment, Breckipridge was an Abolitionist also:
| for when Chase was battling for Free Soil a
few years ago, Charles Reemelin stood by
him shoulder to shoulder, and their plumes
waved high above their fellows. New, Mr..
X. was foremost in the ranks of the friends
of Breckinridge. --
T., L. n
| proved an Abolitionist. Not long since, fore
most among those who insisted upon the
extension of slavery, was Lewis D.
Campbell, and yet he assembled the battery
! where the speaker then stood, and touched
off the first gun for Bell and Everett We
must not, however, look too closely into the
records of the past; for, if we did, it was pos
sible to find some one who voted for James
Buchanan now in favor of Mr.. Lincoln, aud
he would, therefore, be proved a Democrat.
Judge Johnston said he was in favor of
Lincoln because he was the popular cand-
date, and the only one who could be elected
| by the people. The supporters of the other
candidates did not expect to be successful,
save through the intrigue of a long and tur-
bulent election in the House of Representa-
tives, and if it took that body eight weeks
to elect Speaker to preside over its petty
deliberations how long would it take to
elect Magistrate to preside over the des-
! TIMES of the nation?
| And when the election had been COM
| pleted there was a President made by the
politicians, all of whom now presented their
| bills; but when the election was made by the
| people the President could stand before 3d.
100000 of constituents, and laying his hand
upon his heart say, "by these have been
| placed here, and for their good"
! Mr. Johnston spoke of the probabilities of
| disunion, and said the man who could seri-
ously contemplate dissolution of the COM
pact by which these States were bound to-
| gether did not deserve to live, and when
dead did not deserve Christian burial. Such
man should be buried somewhere on an
island in the ocean where the roar of the
waves would be an eternal kneIl over the
grave of a traitor to the best government
upon which the sun ever shone.
After thanking the crowd for their atten-
tion he retired.
Judge Dickson was called upon and said
he would not disturb the good effect that
had been produced by the address that had
just been delivered, and hoped that after
the band had ceased playing the assembly
would disperse, which il did quietly and in
an apparently very amiable mood