Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-10-12
The Great DcmocratIc HIeeting M
Athens.
ATHENS, Ohio, oct. sth,

ATHENS, ONO, OcJ. Stn, 1864.
EDITORS ONO S7ATESAL4H:
This has been a gala day for the Democ-
racy of old Athens. Notwithstanding the
rain last night and the storm of wind and
rain this morning-changing in few
hours from summer heat to almost the
boreal blasts of winter-the Democracy OF
Athens county turned out en- masse, men
and women, to our Mcclellan meeting held
here to-day.
"They came the winds when forests are rend-
edi 1ssle =.
They came, as the waves come when navies are
stranded" on az ryFI stBN1fA
1t would have done you good to see the
Abolitionists of this benighted village open
their eyes and stare as the crowds came
pouring in. There were more people in
town by II o'clock, than attended Gallo
ways meeting on last Wednesday--and all
| The arrangements were perfected, and the
professions from the out townships moved
| in at 1890. First came the flag that was
presented to the Democracy on the 18th
| ult., by the ladies, accompanied by soul
stirring music; then followed wagon
| beautifully decorated with evergreens and
| freighted with thirty -four handsome young
ladies, dressed in red, white and blue, sing
| ing Mcclellan songs-the whole drawn by
eight splendid iron-gray horses; after them
came the people from Ames, Trimble and
Dover townships, in buggies, wagons and
on horseback. As they filed up Main
street they were followed by the boys from
Canaan township, with huge wagon
drawn by nineteen yoke ofoxen. Upon the
wagon they had rugged ahickory pole forty
feet high, from the top of which
fioated the stars and stripes
They also had an immense hickory
BROOM upon the wagon, with which to
sweep out the Galphins and Shoddyites.
Upon the horns of each yoke of oxen were
boards fixed. bearing, in large letters, the
ominous words, ITO WHOM 1T MAY CON.
GERM" This was followed by a long pro-
cession of people from the townships east
of this place. l-atE
The procession, as thus formed, moved to
the south end of the town, where they were
Joined by another procession, equally as
large, from the south and west part of the
county. And here another of those fancy
wagons loaded with thirty-tour pretty
girls, from Waterloo, York and Lee, came
in. They then made the attempt to move
the procession through. the streets; but
after circling the entire town, they found it
necessary to take out some of the teams
from the procession, to enable them to
move in order. A prominent Republican
remarked that he never saw so many peo-
| pie in Athens before i'm all bis life. / think
he spoke the truth. Remembering the trou-
bles of last fall, the people were determined
that 1t should not be repeated this time with
| impunity. Hence they came in force to-
day, determined to have free speech and
fair play, or to be prepared for any other euent
that might transpire. But, from some cause,
| we were not disturbed, except by few
boys and questionable characters of the
opposite sex, making themselves ridicu-
| lous, shouting for Lincoln along the streets
as the procession moved by. / also saw one
NEGREss and some of her ,cliite associates, pa
rading the streets with "Lincoln" printed
on a strip of white paper, and fast
ened to their hats. They came in a
body to the grounds while the speaking was
progressing. They came there to create a
disturbance, at the suggestion of their more
cowardly fathers and brothers, who well
knew that the same conduct upon their
part would have been rewarded by a gem
teel thrashing. But they equally well knew
that Democrats would not lay their hands
violently upon female, euen If it tods OF
the dog species. Their effort was, however,
unrewarded, except by the contempt of all
the Democrats, and many of the more re-
spectacle Republicans. The meeting was
an entire success. and the Abs feel it.; for
madder set of fiends you have never seen,
and never will this side of hell, than they
were to-day. But they could not help
themselves. sif'aiaih a
have heard Morris several times during
the campaign, but must say his speech to-
day was the best one have heard him
make. He seemed to catch the enthusiasm
of the crowd, and although worn down by
his excessive labors, he handled his subject
with mastery hand and without gloves
AS to our numbers to-day, place them
at from 6.000 to 5000. II Galloway's meet
ing, on last Wednesday, be put at 1000.
then my number, 6,0O0, is right; but if you
take The Athens Messengers count of the
Abolition meeting of the 9th inst-5, 000-
then you must add 1000 to my 5000, for we
certainly had three times as many as they
had upon that occasion. p7 '7
You will recollect, as you were present
at the meeting last fall, that we had to have
guard to protect the flag, both at the
stand and in escorting it home. But this
time Lieut.. Bratton, who was our standard
bearer last year, carried the flag floating to
the breeze, alone, and deposited 1t in Col.
Constable's Office.
Although we are hopelessly in the mi
nority in this county, you may be certain
of large gains on the vote of last fall.
ral Hi hYe Xxx,