Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-09-01
noltital.'
a Splendid Ecttcr GrOna Cover
nor seymour, OF Connecticut.
tO iEe Peoria (siiinOis) Meet
ing.
LETTER or THOMAS II. SEYMOUR.

LEI lEh DF IllDNAS II. SFl MOI IL.
Nesay b. s. lo,2Js, w. w. o. Brian, anti
ocHc,o, rtnen,,tccc
GENTLEMEN thank You heartily for
your obliging invitation of the 22d inst, re
ncsing me to attend the mass meeting of
The Democracy Of Illinois at Peoria, on the
3rd day of August next. You have done
me great honor by making your invitation
special one, and it pains me that cannot
return youa favorable answer. So many
thingsur importance to the cause are occur
ring every day around me, which wish to
take notice Of as they arise, that | do not
| feel at liberty to make engagements remote
from this. Besides, have thought |
could not be of much service ut great meet
ings, which is another reason FOR being com
PEELED to decline some invitations. Under
these circumstances, ! must beg you will
kindly excuse me to the friends IN whose be-
half you have addressed me.
| see by your communication, gentleman,
that the gallant Democracy OF Illinois fully
appreciate the importance OF the present
crisis in political affairs, and are preparing
to meet it like men Fortunately, circum-
stances are favorable to yourlabors. We no
ticc with satisfaction that n decided change
of sentiment on the state of the
> country and its probable future is begin
ming to prevail among the masses This is
!, apparent on all sides, as it likely to,bepro-
ducicc of good results Thousands who
have been heretofore opposed to you. we
must presume, from honest convictions,
will now flock to your standard, and power
fully assist to carry your State for he Dem
r ocracy ut the next November election. 50
at least the prospect is presented to my own
mind In this see the force Of truth
which, slow ut first to make itself felt, be
y comes in its progress rs II hrc on the praii
les, or II ircshet IN the Illinois or Connect
cut
O. Your brief yet spirited letter, presents
the true issue before the American people
!, and suggests the means Of dcliycraucc from
worse than Egyptian bondage shall th,
people preserve and maintain their consti
iutional liberties? BY all means, and u
every hazard Tho negative Of your inqui
: ry is rs easily answered-"O coward-like
sanction and uphold the dcSpotism whicl
now prevails over them p Never Tha
is not the voice of one man merely VIII,
don't aspire to be heard beyond his owl
, neiehborhood but the voice of millions, --
| say again ncvcrl respectfully asSum,
that there must be no ''its nor "ors' ii
this matter. 1t is II plain question of llbcr
ty on seryitudc, and should be met and deal
with accordingly. We were born free, and
by the blessing of God, we will maintain tn,
precious inheritance of our fathers agnins
all enemies Whatsoever Tho worst enc
mics we have to deal with at the presen
time are those who, five may judge by thoi
acts, have conspired to establish u despotisn
' over the people of these States. The seem
of their craft and iniquity is the city whicl
bears the honorcd name of the father Of tn
Republic When the Lincoln Administra
ton struck down the hdbCdS corpus, the!
struck everything with it, and left us at th
mercy of its hired bandits. Without tn
G. great Writ, constitutions are nothing
and liberty itself but name ! Hence PRO
- voSt Marshals. drum head courtsmartial
Stewards bell, bastileS and Punishment o
free citizens. The great West has had bit
ter experience IN this scale, which neithc
her sons nor her daughters will soon forget
/, She will yet take vengeance on the heads Q
the guilty. That vengeance sleeps III til
ST all-powerful ballot, which, though silence
X, for while, shall presently make itself hear
III in peas Of thunder Whilst that remains
g. we need not look for no otherrcmedy,
81 Your allusion TO constitutional right
sh and liberties" brings visbly before me tn
Constitution itself, in which those right
and liberties are clearly enumerated.
d. that sacred instrument is our only hope
We must insist on return to the Constit,
ton, or basely surrender everything OF VA
ne which it contains At this point we a,
met by the apologists of Executive usurpi
ew tions, who find in the separation OF Stat'
and war OF subjugations, an excuse tor r.
= nouncing the great experiment OF self-go'