Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-09-10
CHI Stan0ar6,

WYI wa" y ""
spEECH OF c. L. vALLANDIGHAM,
Made in Columbus, at tho Democratic State Con
7s,ntion Of Ohio, on the 4th day of July, 1852
Following the reading and adoption Of the reso-
lutiens, loud and continuous calls were made for
Mr.. Vallandigham; and when he assembled the plat
fora, he was greeted with rapturous cheers. He
spoke as follows:
Mr President, and tsllow democrats Of the State
of Ohio:-I am obliged again to regret that the
lateness of The hour precludes me from addressing
YOU either in the manner, or upon the particular
subjects which otherwise l should prefer ms is
nv misfortune again to-day last night; but speak
ing thus without premedltatio and upon such
matters chiefly as may occur to me at the moment,
if l should happen to get fairly under headway, II
may turn out to be your misfortune aLaugnter']
congratulate the democracy of Ohio, that IN the
midst Of great public trial and calamity, of persecu-
ton for devotion to the doctrines Of the fathers who
laid deep and strong the foundations of the Constr
tuition and the Union under which this country has
grown great and prosperous, to-day, we nave as
sembled in numbers greater than at any former
Convention in Ohio. I congratulate you, that, de'
spite the threats which have been uttered, and the
denunciatons which have been poured out upon
Cn3C Cme uONOTeu anu LuOSI pdu-oI'o vi 6""A.''
peaceably and in quiet with enthusiasm and ear
nsstness of purpose, we are here met and in har-
mony, which is the secret of strength and the har-
bnger of success, have discharged the duties TOR
which we were called together. There was time
when it was questionable if in free American the
United StateS-boastng of their liberties Tor more
than eighty years. party to which this country
is indebted for all that is great and good ana grana
and glorious have been permitted peaceful.
= 60 its rlphtS
perform its political functions. Threats have even
been made in times recent, that this most es-
sential of all political rights secured to us by the
precious blood of our fathers in seven years rcvou
tionary war, should no longer be enjoyed Ihe
democratsof noble sister State OF Indiana, Sec
ond born daughter of the Northwest, have been
menaced within the last ten days with military
organization and the bayonet, to put down their
party. I hold in my hand Geographic dispatch
from the capital of that State boasng OF this mia
nous purpose will read it, gentlemen, because
know that the same dastardly menaces have been
proclaimed against the democrats of Ohio, and be-
cause am here to-day to rebuke them as becomes
freeb born man, who is resolved to perish-lGreat
applause-n the midst Of which the rest of the SEN
tence was lost
Some months ago. Democratic State Convention
was held in Indiana. 1t was Convention OF the
party founded BY Thomas Jefferson and built up by
Madison and Monroe, and consolidated by An
drew jackson Applause "a party under whose prin-
cples and policy from thirteen States we have
grown to thirty -four-for thirty four there were
true and loyal to this Union, before the Presidcn-
tial election of 1864 party under whose Wise and
liberal policy the course of empire westward did
take its way, until the symbol Of American power,
the stars and stripes, waved proudly from the At
lantic to the Pacific, over the breadth of whole
continents party which, b. peace and compro
mise, and through harmony and wisdom and sound
policy, brought up from feeble and impoverished
colonies, struggling in the midst of defeat and dSas-
ter in the war of the Revolution, to mighty EN-
pire, foremost among the powers of the earth, the
foundations of whose greatness we're laid broad and
firm, in that noble Constitution and that grand Old
Union which the democratic party has ever main
tanned and defended The democratic party, with
such principles and such history and record to
point to, held State Convention in pursuance Of
It's usages for more than thirty years. and under the
rights secured by State and Federal Constitution
older still, in the capital of the State of Indiana
And yet referring to this party and its Convention,
the correspondent Of diSloyal and pestiient, but
influential, newspaper in the chief city of Ohio,
dared to send over the telegraphc wires-wires
wholly under the military control of the Admins
trstion, which permits nothing to be transmitted
not acceptable to the censors-a dispatch in these
words:
The fellows are frightened, evidently without
cause"
Well, gentlemen, know not how far democrats
OF Indiana may be frghtened-and a nobler and
more fearless body of men lved-but | see
thousands OF democrats before me to whom fear and
reproach are alike unknown. frightened at what
Frightened by whom? We are made of s.srner
stuff
"The militia of the State" he adds, twill prob
ably be put upon war footing shortly"
And who, pray, are the militia Of the State p
They are not made up of the leaders of the Repub
lican party in Indiana Ohio, know. | never
knew that sort of politicians to go into any such
ganizaton, in peace war. No men have evel
been more bitter and unreenting in their opposition
to and ridcule Of the militia and none knows il
better than l, as my friend before me by his su.ilt
reminds me- that one of my own offences is that
am militia origader in favor of the next f,reigr
war.
But who are the militia? They are the free born
strong armed, stout-hearted democrats of Indiana a
they are of Ohio Let them be put on a war foot
ing. Good! We have hosts of them in the arm,
already and on war footing, but who are as sount
democrats and as much devoted to the principles o
the party as they were the hour they enlisted
They have been in the South and have the au
thority of hundreds of officers and prlvates in tina
gallant army for saying that not only are the orig
nal democrats in it more devoted to the party to
day than ever before, but that hundreds also " h
went hence Republicans, have returned, or will RI
turn cured of the disease. Laughter ndappause
Sir the army is, fortunately, most fortunately fe
the country, turning out to be sort Of politics
hospital or sanitary institution, and l only regr
that there are not many more Republican patient
in it. Laughter.
Well, put the militia upon a war footing. Pr
arms In their hands. They never can be made tn
butchers or jalors Of their fellow citizens, but tn
guardians of free speech and free press, and of tn
ballot-box. Standing armies of mercenaries, ne
the militia OF country, are the customary instrt
ments of tyranny and usurpation.
But this correspondent proceeds
IF the synpathisers with treason and traitors
We sympathise with treason and traitors! W
who have stood by the Constitution and the Unic
from tho organization Of thexparty, in our father
DAY, in every hour of trial in peace and in war,
victory and in defeat, amid disaster and when pro
perlty oeamed upon us-we to be branded as en-
mics to our country, by those whose traitor fathe
burned blue lights as signals for a foreign foe,
met IN Hartford Convention to plot treason and d
union fifty years ago! We false to the Constit
ton and to our government, the bones of who
Al IL ,.ol