Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-09-05
SPEECH OF
HON. JAMES {. ThAYER
REFORE THE
CHICAGO CONVENTION.

delivered his able and eloquent speech be-
fore the Chicago Convention, the President,
Hon. HoRATIo SEYMOUR, said:
We have heard from a distinguished
friend of Andrew jackson; you will now
listen to the words of one who was the first
friend of Henry Clay during his lifetime;
and if he had lived till now, God knows he
would have been with us.
SPEECH OF HON. JAMES e. THAYER, OF NEW
YORK.
Mr.. THAYER said:
1t may be considered inappropriate by
some, for member of this Convention to
rise at such an hour as this to make speech,
but as have said nothing since Ihave been
here, beg the Convention will excuse me
for occupying small portion of its time.
know that this is not place for words,
but that it is the grandest stage of human
action of our day and generation, and for
the future of our country. 1t will be mark
ed, in my judgment, as great event in his
tory, that the Democratic party assembled
in solemn council in 1864. Three years and
half of civil war, that has destroyed many
things and changed almost every thing,
leaves to-day the Democratic party inde-
structible and unchanged. Amid all the
rude shocks of the conflict, with some aber-
ration of its own, you can still mark the
grand curve of its orbit, and the promise
shat it will circle round to the fulfillment
Df its highest grandest destiny-the recon-
itruction of the Union, and the re-estab-
tishment of the Constitution. [Applause.]
And this, while all other parties, factions
lnd organizations, after long revelry in
lhe guilty glory of this war, self-destruc-
live, are about to expire in the very chaos
ind ruin they have produced. l say, then,
30 Io ha IL
Imposing and august presence and aspect,
lends forth its heralds for the campaign of
1864, with Washington us sacred Mentor,
ind Mcclellan as the living leader. Tu-
tnultuous applause.l And now let me
not call the roll of States, but ask you,
ms you come from the North and the
East, what will you do? What an
swer does New Hampshire, Maine and
Vermont make from beneath their noun
tain homes; and old Massachusetts, from
the sweet swelling mound of Bunker Hill;
what say you? And Connecticut from the
| shadow of your Charter Oak, what Is your
response? "A voice: "The Constitution
| and the Union."l The Union, the Consti-
| tuition, is your answer! New York, with
| her Empire voice, responds to them, and
tells you here to-day, that on your platform
and with your principles we will recon-
struct our government, and again restore to
this land, peace, prosperity and happiness
to all. [Great applause.l And now let me
say one word here, and it is this: we want
in this contest brave men. We have plat
form, we have candidate, and will you
| not come up, We men who hold the conf
dence of the Democracy of this country,
over the North, in the central States, and
over the West? We want, say, brave and
intrepid men, because no man knows what
| is i'm the future. Yes, do you not see, that
while this Convention has been in session
they are seeking to strip your western
States of your sovereign robes of power,
and twist it into bowstring to cast you
into this Bosphorus of wild and mad rage
and enthusiasm. [Voices--"They cannot
do it."] l do not believe they can do 1t, but
let the men stand forth-men who will ac-
! this contest in all the grandeur, if need be,
of accepted death. [Applause.] Men, like
Mirabeau in the French revolution, who,
when the populace cried, Grand treason of
Count Mrabeau," and their voice rose to
the cry when he marched to the tribune,
and his friends whispered of danger, said,
~ know'it, and / come from it with victo-
ry, or to be torn in fragments" [Ap-
plause.] He came, as all men will come,
when they rise to that sublime attitude in
| public affairs where they strike the stars,
|
bath in which the people will follow them.
That is what we want, and you will have
Union, and you will have peace with Union;
that is the voice of New York.
Who, in reviewing the last three years
and half has not often despaired of the
Union and of the Constitution and of peace?
How often have we thought that the storm
of revolution would not abate; that no sub
siding wave would reveal the mountain top,
and that the dove of peace would fold at
last her tired, batlled wing, and sink to a
cold, wild, ocean grave. But here, under
the auspices of the Democratic party. an
nouncing that they are for Union, they
give YOU promise of peace, under those au-
spices. When the windows are opened the
white winged messenger will come back
with the leaf plucked, the entire leaf, in her
mouth. Wait little longer, and when
she goes forth again she will not come back
to us any more, for there will be no more
blood, no more tears, for the face of the
land will be dry. [Applause.
But how will the patriotic hearts OF the
people of this country thank you that you
have given them the promise of restored
Union, of re-established Constitution
How will they thank you-the first body
of men that have assembled within the last
four years to utter any political doctrines
or principles-that, in your calm delibera-
tions, in your solemn Judgment, you have
closed your eyes for one moment to the
sound Of martial music, and the rustling OF
banners, and the tramp of armed men; that
you have turned away from ensanguined
fields, where blood runs and men are dying,
to breathe an atmosphere of melodies only,
and the harmony and beauty of nature
where you can listen for one moment to
the songs OF birds and the music of water
falls. They will thank God that, If we can
not have an abiding and lasting peace, We
know that we shall have, at least, mo-
ment in which to cool this quick round o.
the blood aud calm that wild and fe-
verish brow of q nations de-
lirium, ere the golden bowl Is broken ant
the silver cord isloosed forever and forever
Ave, and If the Democratic party to-day
was in power, and it could send forth it
note to the people Of this land, what choru
of seven-fold hallelujahs at the prospec
that the Union with the Constitution re
stored and peace following, would b
. brought home to theml How many heart
would thank you If there could be one sun
that for one autumnal month would ripe
the fruits OF the season without lighting tn
way of contending armies to battle, to muI
k der and to sudden death; If we could gaz
on one moon as It fulls. and wanes, who's
| pale, cold beams did not fall on ten thou