Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-09-26
The Democratic Meeting at SID
ney.

Mr.. VALLAsDEGHAM was received with .
every demonstration Of joy. AS the
carriage in which he had taken his seat,
passed toward the town, regiment Of
soldiers 1.-THE llth Michigsn) Just return
ing home to be discharged. were drawn
up. all with their muskets, along the road
side, at the insiigstion chiefly of one
0GDEN. the editor Of the Abolition paper
in Sidney. aud were called upon by him
and other abolitionists to give three groans
for VALLANDIsHAM. But TO their great
surprise aud modification. fully one half Of
the regiment took off their caps aud cheer
ed, and then gave three ronsing cheers for
McCLELLAN. A little while afterwards
some twenty-five or Thirty Of the Lincsln
party Of the soldiers came down into the
town aud began to threatens disturbance.
The Democrats at once prepared to organ
ize into companies to protect themselves
by arms, aud the leading Republicans were
notified that they and their property would
be held reponsible for any trouble that
might occur. Most Of them then united
with the Democrats in strenuous efforts to
get the regiment to leave for the cars, aud
in little while succeeded aud the soldiers
were on their way to Toledo. The officers
OF the regiment for the most part, behav-
ed well. One of them warned the Re
publicans that if any trouble sprung up
the result would be fight among the sol
diers themselves, as at least one half of
them were for MoCLELLAN. Mr.. VAL
LANDIoHAN thus alluded to the affair in
opening his speech
am glad, fellow. citizens that the efforts Of
some persons Of this place to occasion trouble
through the instrumentahty Of regiment of
soldiers, casually here, utterly failed am
glad for the interference of the proper officers
having charge Of the soldiers, for | think |
may safely say, that whoever shall ineite, or
shall fail to suppress any effort on the part of
those under their command, TO interfere with
the public assemblages OF the people, of the
citizens in the exercise Of their rights, after
the fourth Of March dext in case OF the elec.
ton Of Gen. Mcclellan, will have very brief
period Of service ia the armies Of the United
States | am glad for the sake Of a man whose
name is Ogden, who was the principal insti.
gator in the attempted trouble and take oc-
easion TO warn him If he should again COW
Rrdly seek 10 influence men who wear the uni
form Of the United States, TO do that which
he dare not himself attempt be will not es-
cape as luckily through our forbearance +
rejoice for the sake OF the quiet aud good or.
der of the town Of Sidney Tor had any attempt
been made to modest this peaceable Assem-
blage, an sssemblsge under the Constitution,
| tell you it would have beeH resisted to the
uuermost. Applause Aud the men are
here, ready to make good this determination
TO exercise their rights. GApplause This
is meeting assembled under the Constitution
and according to law peaoeable public meet
ing; political meeting, TO canvass the claims
Of rival parties and rival candidates in the
Presidential contest We have a right to be
here, aud we mean to be here and wherever
else we choose to discuss the great questions
involved in this contest Applause. We
have right TO meet, to remain and TO depart
unmolested, having exercised our privileges
as freemen. You know, aud this Administra-
ton, through its spies knows, # its spies have
told them the truth that | have done my ui.
most 10 prevent the organized arming of any
body Of eltlzns of this State or any other State,
for any purpose, but the right of the indiVid,
uRl citizen TO bear arms cannot be inlringed
his right to assemble, his right to defend him
self being assembled, is one that never can
be surrendered, for the assembling Of the
people together is the FIRST step toward the ex.
ercse OF that great right in Republican Gov
! ernment - the elective franchise Without
free discussion and the unAolested meeting OF
the people, it Is vain to talk Of elections
say, therefore, that any attempt at interference
with our meetings to day would have met with
the resistance and the consequences which
such attempts so richly deserve, and upon the
heads of the men who instigated it would
/ have fallen the responsibility. | acquit the
soldiers themselves from blame ia the matter
There never has been an instance yet since
the war began where OF their own accord, not
instigated by towards behind them, soldiers
have ever interIered with the rights of oiti-
I zens. have mingled, in three years, with q
hundred thousand OF them, aud never but
once was an offensive word or gesture heard,
and then IL was at the instigRiion Of these
z men, not soldiers. This is due to these brave
. men. The brave man is always a courteous
man, always recogr iEing and respecting the
S rights Of others These are brave men, aud
= one thing grRtifed me very mueh--notwith-
standing the organized and determined efforts
to procure insults through the lnstTumentality
5 Of the very men | have named calling for
three eroans for your speaksr--more than one
half Of these brave boys, not only refused 10
7 join ia the groans but actually took o6 their
caps and cheered, and afterwards oiusd in
three hearty cheers for George Mcclellan.
Applause. So much by way of introdue-
ton pertinent b the occasion