The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-09-23
Speech of Gen Garfield In Cincinnati.

Speech OF Gen. Garfield IN Cincinnati
An immense Union Mass Meeting came
off in Cincinnati, on Saturday night, The
l0gh inst. 1t is said to have been the
largest ever held in that city. Gen. Gar
field made the speech Of the occasion, O
which we find the following report in tic
! Gozeie
FELLow- w-CIrIzENs:--The speaking you
want TO hear TO night is ali around YOU
aid not here on this stand. The speaking
you have just beard from those pound
ers is of more consequence 10 you and the
American Republic than any speaking
any man can give from this stand or any
other. Notwithstanding all the joylu
surroundings tina, awaken every American
heart to night, will endeavor to be heard
by little circle about me, a mere frag.
ment Of the grea. gathering of interested
spectators, as | consider some Of the great
issue OF the present campaign.
THE PARTIES coNrRAsTRD.
win not tax your patience with any
thing elaborate, but will merely attempt
10 show what those issues are. The great
American people have taken their DO ,i,ion.
Tho Union army is drawn out in line OF
battle, and the army Of traitors have taken
up their line Of battle. We have laid
down our platform, and they have laid
down theirs. We bave placed our stand.
ard bearers at the head of our columns,
and they have placed theirs at the head
of their columns. Whist is their platform.
and what's our platform? What is their
line OF battle, aud what is our line of bat.
tie? Look at the two, and then Judge
which Iine you will f'e into.
On the last day OF las, month, body
Of men met at Chicago 10 transact certain
business. Let me inquire, tirst, who were
they? Second, what did Ihey do?
First, who were they? Go around tn at
great Convention, and ask who were the
men who gave lone and sentiment to it.
In the frs, place. you will find that grea;
apostle of cowardice from our own State,
Vsllandigbam. And you had lin going
there from that great convention o! cow
ards at Syracuse. where he said, we shall
put but one issue before the American
people, peace or war, and we will want
that convention a, Chicago to say, peace
at any price. war at no price, under no
circumstance. And this was said by a
man who was sent out Of his country for
his country's good, because he was an
enemy 10 II. There were many other
men there of similar character. The
Ia If n
nando Wood, who said in Congress that
such thing as war Democrat was i'm :.
possible: that this war was an accusasd
thing, because il was made against The
rights Of the South And there was Voor-
hees, OF lcdiana, the man who has been
concerned in the extensive plans for ship.
ping and supplying arms to the base COW.
ards Of the State.
What, in the second place. did the con.
venlion do, or rather not do? The great
Democratic party, that for SO many years
has boasted that it was brave party,
and was always ready to tell the people
just what it meant, that party. a, Chicago,
spoke in the language OF towards by eva
sion. Their platform is more remarkable
does say. They say not word against
Jeff Davis and his traitorous associates.
Go through all their speeches, read the
platform, word for word. and there is not
an ulterance finding fault with the con-
spiracy Of the South; and for the very
good reason that the great bulk OF the
party are CO coniederates with the REBEL.
ion. They have plenty Of fault TO find
with your Government, and with you who
cheerfully lend your aid in the work Of
putting down treason in arms.
IN the second place, they have no word
to say on the subject of slavery. although
they have been harpipg about it conlinu-
ally for the past three years, bowling
against the use of slaves and colored men
in the army. We have contended, and
acted accordingly, that tho black man
might as well fight for his country as the
white man. They have opposed us at
every turn; but when they came to make
their platform they did nor dare to make
an issue on that subject. They have ex.
claimed against the emancipation procla.
nation OF the President, until they came
TO their platform, when they decline 10
make an issue on it. They make no issue
on the question of the public debt. They
have nothing TO say about keeping France
out of Mexico. Ii is all negalion; it is all
cowardice; it is all evasion. Such is the
character, such the omissions of the plat
form made at Chicago. Now, what have
they said in that platform? If there is
anything the American people want in
times like the present, ii is to know the
frank, honest opinions and purposes of
their public men. They want especially
to know what the great political parties of
the country propose to do. The people
want TO know where the danger OF the
country lies; they want to measure it,
and then bravly meet it. But did that
Convention at Chicago tell you where the
danger was, or how to meet it? Voices,
"No. no."l Not word of it.
THE WAR A FAILURE.
After spending their breath in finding
fault with other people, they start out by
al 4, =. FL