The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-07-08
The Great Democratic
18th OF JULY MASS MEETING.
"a Teams in Procession:
GREAT CRY AND LITTLE WOOL"


" GREAT CRY AND LITTLE WOOL"
The great Fourth Of July Democratic mass
meeting il this city came Cd as advertised on
the programmes. At early dawn might have
been seen our unusually quiet city. dressed in
its Sunday morning garb. it. inmates saEgly
wrapped in the arms OF Morpheus, nonghi oc-
curing 10 disturb the death-like silence. ave
occasionally thoughtless urchin would fire
pop gun, OF FIRE cracker Thus thing- con
tinued until late hour in the morning, when
occasionally a procession Of one or more oug
gies mi ght be seen at intervals. containing one
or more couple. each. tired aud sleepy. return
ing from some dance OF an adjoining township.
Several wagon loads. however. came expressly
to hear the Fourth OF July speeches Of the great
moguls Of Democracy announced on the pro
grAmmes. But alas. they came to be disap-
pointed The Big speakers announced failed
10 come. and there were none to occupy The
time but renegade Clark. Of Livingston county.
and the man who pants 10 become the Vallan-
digham Of Michigan George W. Peck. Great
cry and little wool
The hour for the formation Of the procession
II o'clock, having arrived. it was duly formed
10y the assistance Of our city band, consisting
Of five members including the drummer and
the chief marshal. When formed and marched
TO the grounds il consisted OF tlseniy forr feGnqs
mostly buggies. probably averaging about five
persons TO a team, making a grand display OF
the disciples Of Democracy Of lngham aud adj
Joining counties. The procession was an I'M
posing one. and was greeted by three cheers at
the headquarters. the Edgar House. 1t gave
promise of a huge time which followed. On
arriving on the grounds, three-quarters Of an
hour was spent in waiting for the assemblage
They were all there and they were 50 clamer-
Gus for the curtain to rise, that the stage man
ager VIM. H. Chapman. Esq was compelled to
come forward, and casting few anxious glances
toward the road. for the expected host
commenced the performance. with an audience
Of probably 600 people This was increased in
the afternoon. by fresh arrivals, 80 that there
were probably present from a thousand to
fifteen hundred people at one time. men. women
aud children. The meeting was called to order
by Judge Chapman, who opened the meeting
by a few predatory remarks, and by reading the
Declaration Of Independence.
He said he read the Declaration Of Independ
ence as a sort Of Indictment against the Admin
straton. He charged the Administration
as guilty of gross violations of that instru-
ment, and Of usurpations equally as great as
those of which our fathers complained. He
called upon the meeting to note a be read the
Declaration and see if they could not see many
things in the instrument which the Administra
ton at Washington had been guilty Of violat-
ing. The Declaration was then read in a style
placing great emphasis upon the complaints
and charges Of our fathers against King George
III and endeayoring to liken the President to
the King in his usurpation and despotism.
After reading the Declaration. Mr. Chapman
announced Hon Vim. ~ Clark. of Livingston,
who. by the way. is a renegade from the Re-
publican party, deserving the party on account
of certain political disappontments. We have
full reports of the speeches of Mr.. Clark and
Mr. Peck, but do not consider them worthy the
room they would occupy in our paper and
shall content ourselves with filing them away
for future reference. should We ever have oc-
casion to refer to Thorn, and of making but one
OF two brief extracts from them.
Mr. Clark informed the audience thai he had
met them on the national birth day of independ
ence and greatness. to address them in the
name of that great chart of American liberty.
the Federal Constitution that they had met not
to celebrate the day with its usual greatness
nut to enter their protest against she usurpa-
tons OF q power similar to that against which
our fathers protested that although the meet
ing was called by the Democratic Association
of Lansing he said we meet here above all
party declarations and platforms; we meet
here on grounds as lofty as when our fathers
declared their independence from the de-pouc
sway of Great Britain; We meet here to enter
our protest against an Administration equally
as guilty of usurpation as was King George III
Speaking of the formation of the government
be said: Our fathers established not a society
not "a league. but an instrument of government.
of civil liberty. They ordained an instrument
which. when you become dissatisfied with, you
can alter You made it. and you can alter it
when disposed. He accused the President Of
grossly violating the Constitution. and then
went on to explain how be came to embrace
Democracy. He said the Democratic party
were contendng now for the same platform
upon which be and Gov. Bingham had once
stood Mt that the Republican party had for
saken that platform. and that the Aboltionists
now had control of the reins Of the party. and
he could not longer act with it. He accused
the President of exercising despotic power in
the military arrests that had been made. and
said no people had ever suffered such Insults
since light first shOne from heaven. as had been
heaped upon the Democracy. and vet they had
endured them ike men. Their OBJECT was to
uphold the flag. aud keep the Union as it was
when handed down by our fathers, and as the
Constitution prescribes. and not as Abolition
Lincoln would seek to make it.
And here. speaking of upholding the flag.
we would mention that not solitary american
Rag could be seen. or any symbol OF it. in anv
shape or manner connected with the meeting
We looked 10 vain for the Stars and Stripes
and feel confident it was the first procession we
ever saw on the Fourth Of July where the
glorious ensign Of American Liberty was not
prominently displayed. Not even a small one
decorated wagon or a horses head Have