New Oregon plaindealer. (New Oregon, Iowa) 1859-1866, 1864-01-15
SPEECH OF HON. THOMAS H.
SEYMOUR.

Democracy of Hartford, Connecticut,
the other d,y, the Hon. Thomas Il.
Seymour ad lrsssed them in the follow
ing excellent speech, congratulatlng
them on their victory
FELLOW ClTlzENs II congratulate
you on this fine gathering of the De-
nosracy of Hartford. 1t is dark and
dreary without : it is cheerful within.
congratulate you on the victory you
have achieve in the Town Election.
1t is victory on principle; and it is
destined to bear fruit. It is owing to
two causes. It'll due first to the un-
ity of counsels in your ranks, and to
your excellent organization, which you
will do we'll to keep up and it is owing
secondly, to another thing-to a
change which is going on in the pub
lie mind, and which is here represented
by sterling and patriotic men. All the
indications are that there is growing
conviction in the minds and hearts of
the People Of America, that if the coun-'
try is to be saved, it is to be saved by
the Democracy. (App|ause.) The
people looked at tho history of your
party-they see how the Democracy
have carried the country along in.peace,
to an uncxampled height Of prosperity
and power and again they desire to
commit to their hands the destinies of
the American people. (Applause.)
What has brought you here ? It Is
precisely that spirit which prompted
your oath as freemen, when you took
upon yourselves the sworn obligation
to support the Constitution. Herein
you pledged yourselves to support the
rights of the States, and Of individuals
and whatever Of liberty and free insti-
tutions came down from the Revolu
tionary Fathers. Aua that cause is
imperilled to day by the men in power
to whom, unfortunately, are committed
the reins of government and knowing
this, on the day Of election you went
forward and acquitted yourselves like
men and patriots. 80
Yes, my friends, it IS imperilled by
our rulers. This is the first time in
the history of this country when we
have been compelled to speak Of those
who were elected to be the servants of
the people, as rulers. But the iron
had that is stretched abroad so oppres-
sively upon the people-thc shackles
that are put upon free speech and the
press as we'll as upon the limbs Of the
citizen-the utter insecurity of the
American people, since the great writ
of Liberty, the habeas corpus, was
struck down, all these things force up.
on US the melancholy truth that kingly
words, and kingly words alone, can ex-
pres. the fact when we speak of the
men in power.
I do not propose to 60 into the origin
of the fearful struggle; neither am I
! going to ask you tc oppose the war. 1t
is in the hands of men whom we can
t not control. I suppose they will live
out their political terms, and it is to be
hoped that in the mercy Of God the
country will not again be subjected to
their rule. But I ask ycur attention
to the fact that this struggle is in the
nature of civil war. Disguise it as
we may this truth cannot be concealed.
1t was begun with the declaration that
it was simply and only war for the
Constitution and the Union of our faith
ers. But now we see leading Repub-
licans openly declaring that they are
opposed to the Union as it was. They
tell US that we can never have the Un-
ion again. 1t is declared unblushing-
" San abolition war;" And the
course of the Government towards the
seeded States Is clearly destructioe
to the Union. 1t Is Civil War. 1t is
J; brother against brother, wherever a
;. gun is discharged, or sword drawn
: and the only difference between it and
4 Ill ,,,.r. of +ho M;Idlo Aooa Il