Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1864-08-31
SP E E c II OF
Mr. C. L. VALLRNDIGHAM,
At Syracuse on Thursday, August
18th 1864.
/ From the New York World.l

From the New York World.l
The Hanover square stand, which was
the principal meeting, was presided over
by Hon. VIM. l. Hough, of Onondaga, a
gentleman who was a member of Con-
gress when Mr.. Lincoln was there. Mr..
Vallandigham was the first speaker
After the applause succeeding his intro
duction was stilled, he spoke as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF New York: Had l
regard on this occasion for whatever of
reputation, l may have required as
public speaker, l would not have been
here to-day. Having declined your ori-
ginal invitation, your special messenger
found me at home, with'as little expecta-
ton Of being with you as have of being
present at the future coronation OF the
Prince of Wales. But he presented SO
powerful case that l felt that l would
be doing not only injustice to myself, but,
perhaps, under the circumstances Of the
case, injury to the great cause If further
declined. lie came on, too, with writ,
rot yet obsolete among Democrats-a
haJcu3 co,pu8-and he has produced my
body here to-day. Applause. But
come without sensitiyencss upon the ques-
ton of q mere personal reputation as
speaker, and appear only among you to
speak the words of truth and soberness
boldly and plainly, as elsewhere, and upon
other occasions and in other asscmblages,
l have been accustomed to speak, l am
not here to parade before you any private
! grievance. l am not with you to speak
Of ought that may have done or suffered
in the cause--all these sink into insig-
| niicance in comparison with tie great
interests which have brought us together
in such a mass to-day. Allow me, how
ever, merely one word OF personal allu-
sion. II the beginning of this war it was
/ the custom of a great number Of Demo
Gratis, as it was with the entire Blass Of
the Administration party, to Genounce the
views, which from the beginning, en-
tertained upon the question Of the war,
to misrcprescnt and malign me personally,
until, believe, at that time. can safely
say that l was the best abused and the
worst hated, and the most execrated man
. in America. Laughter. When, sub
seauenly, time, to which | appealed, be-
gan to reverse the unjust judgment, it
still continued the custom Of some OF the
Democratic party, as still it is with all
the Republican party, occasionally to in
dulge in harsh and offensive remarks, and
still more frequently to speak in dispara-
ging language of the views which were
attributed to me and even now. when
in the progress Of this four years Of the
war, time has vindicated almost 20 the
utmost extent whatsoever opinions | may
have expressed, or prophesies may have
uttered in the beginning, it is still the
fashion of some to express dissent from
what they are pleased to call the peculiar
views of Mr.. Vallandigham. However
ii may have been at first, [ tell you to-
day, men of New York, that my views
are no longer peculiar, but most general
among the people. What they have
been from the first moment of the war,
and are at this hour, you shall hear and
Judge for yourselves and | trust that
men who claim to belong to a party of
which | have been a member from my
earliest boyhood, will lay aside that ap-
ologetic language, and either be silent
or frankly confess that in advocating a
cessation of hostilitics and convention
/ of states they have advanced to the very
platform which [ occupied from the first.
One word further to all whom it may
concern. Laughter. 1t is not the pur-
pose, as l have been advised, and now
! know, of this convention to sow the seeds
OF dissent and ill-feeling in the Democratic
ranks. [''Good," Applause 1t is no
part ofmy mission here to-day. a del
egate unanimously chosen by my own
congressional district to represent them
IN Chicago, | should be not only false to
the instincts OF my own nature, but, what
is more important, false to the great in
terests of my country, if gave any help
ing hand to any such object. Applause. I
Neither shall be present at that conven-
ton at Chicago except for the purpose
along with sound doctrine and the nomi-
nation of a sound candidate, to do the ut
most In my power to promote good feel
ing and harmony among the Democrats
and conservatives, if you please, of this
country. Great applause. Let all ap-
prehension on that subject be at once dis
missed. Men of New York, there is now
1 but one question before the country-the