Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-06-04
05io Statesman.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
The Ohio Statesman Company.
SATURDAY MORNING, - JUNE 4.
Speech of General John COchrane
before the Cleveland Convention.

on taking the chair as permanent President
of the Cleveland Convention, on the 3lst of
May, is thus reported for The Chicago Times;
and we can testify as to the accuracy of the
report:
GENTLEMEN OF THE CoNvENTIoN:-The
usual custom, on occasions of this character,
prescribes that the Chairman shall return
his most humble thanks for the office that
has been conferred upon him. am not
disposed to follow that prescribed rule, for
the reason that its formality seems to me too
heartless for the occasion. l assume the
burden of the office to which you have called
me with cheerfulness, and the hope that, as
soldier in the great army of which you
are part, may perform my humble share,
and that, our duty performed, we shall
simultaneously see that the greatest of
honor and credit is visited on the escutcheon
of all who have advanced, in a perilOus
period, to position, which, commanding
interest, may, in the eyes Of all who value
duty and its discharge, command universal
applause.
| see before me the representatives Of the
West-that word that includes within its
intonation the interests and the destinies of
great continent. | see before me the
sturdy representatives of the opinions of
y
and / feel supported and sustained-nay,
nerved to the cOnflict-with such power
by me. And look further to the eastward
slope, and see here the companions of my
early political life assembled from the
various devious courses into which the
vicissitudes of politics have driven them;
and extend to them the cordial grasp of
fraternity, and, amidst all the excitement
and combustion of war and of political
canvass, proclaim with them that we stand
here on the common ground occupied now
as ever by the fierce Democracy, the war
Democrats, of New York.
Party, gentlemen, possess no charms for
me when party is not identified with coun-
try. Applause. Above all estimate, of
paramount importance-nay, supreme in
the political heavens-is the same idea
which is clustering and grouping itself
about the standard of country. There are
those here who as they pause with trembling
interest to await the last tidings from
yonder shattered though resolute and on
ward cohorts, that move under the banner
of freedom, when rejecting upon the in
terests of this great country, hanging
charged and over charged in the balance,
turn with afiectionate emotion to the feel
ings the utterances, and the traditions of
the fatherland, on the other side of the rag
ing sea. [Applause.l And so,with those emo
tions shining through that mellowed vista
of the past, and these. exciting scenes en-
acted and progressing around us. it is that
adopted citizen and native-born, woman
and child, all spring to their feet under the
influence of this one spontaneous feel
ing, and declare, as with one voice proceed
ing from one mind. that, as to party, its dis
tinction is as the idle wind; as to country,
it is all. [Cheers.] Three years ago they
sprang to arms to arrest the Infamous tread
of rebellion, erect our fallen institutions,
and once more proclaim us united and
sustained people. In that shout went down
faction and party. [Applause.l Now the
hour is beginning to strike. The tones are
heard throughout this whole land which,
when completed, will pronounce the hour
when rebellion is disarmed and the Union
is triumphant. Loud applause.] At that
moment it is that men should review the
past and speculate as to the dangers and
the vicissitudes of the future, and, taking
their observations upon the stormy sea OF
war and desolation, make new departure
for their homes-for their cOuntry--for their
God.
sembled, and, while supporting and sus-
tanning with encouragement and applause
the armies at the front in the field, you are
about to organize a great civil army, that
shall assert the principles Tor which your
soldiers are contending, and prepare to
reap, enjoy, and perpetuate to all the gen.
erations to come the legitimate fruits OF
their sacrifices and triumphs. The rebel
lion, it must be suppressed. [Applause. !
The Union. it shall be preserved. [Ap-
plause.l Not criticism should be bestow-
ed by us which shall weaken the arm of the
Government. Not an imnediment shall be
IL l. ...L I,oll fta
ward march of those soldiers that bear the
escutcheon of the Republic on their sturdy
arms. [Cheers.] Not position or attitude
shall be occupied by any gentleman unwor-
thy of the broadcast most generous, and
catholic patriotism-unworthy of an Amer
lean citizen. You have heard controversies;
YOU have listened to arguments; your eyes
have been afflicted and your ears confounu-
ed with the barter and sarcasm and dispu-
tation of the contest of the question OF
slavery. Why, gentlemen, this self-same
slavery is rot that has penetrated, in one
direction or another. through all the politi-
cal parties which have had their existence
in this country since 1881. We have occu-
pied various sides, and haveapproached the
position in which we now stand by differ
ent directions. We now believe with unan-
unity that slavery is destroyed by the re-
bellion. Its last vestige must be wiped from
the land and expunged from the Constitu-
ton of the United States. Applause.]
Gen. Cochrane then referred to the meet
ing of so-called War Democrats at Syra-
cuse, after the Republican Convention, and
denied that they represented the War DEM
ocrats. The War Democrats, he said. are
made of sterner stuff. Applause.l They
are with the pure, radical, honest men OF
the. country. [Applause.l They, having
once left their dearly cherished party and
spurned il for their country, were not to be
governed by the corrupt influences of a
peddling parcel of scurvy. politicians
Never! Neverl [Applanse.]
He continues: But while we proclaim
that, by the action of this war, all men on
this continent within our Government are
free and equal we must have regard tor the
rights of those who remain at home. II
private rights are not respected, public lib
! critics are not. The basis of liberty is pri.
yate and individual freedom, and its ad-
vance to the general subject is through mu-
nicipal rights We, therefore, contend for
individual rights, municipal franchises. and
fo,. public integrity; and the Government
which, under the plea of necessity, in
fringes upon these, principles createst Q
wound aud produces liberation OF the
most vital parts of the Republic. Never
never, upon any plea or any action,qn0
even the plea Of necessity or the action O
war, can those Individual rights be sutfertt
to be trampled upon or effaoed. tApplause.
b OF course these individual rights are modi
fed by the operation Of law-that code Q