M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1865-09-21

nlnu-Decause tnere lies right at the
foundation of Democratic faith-the
sacred trust of preserving the greal
T and essential rights of the great mass
} Of tue people.
That is the secret OF the whole O
it. And let me give you this one
encouraging word that just as long as
you are true to yourselves, and true
to tie great interest of the people,
; pou ara invinclble. Applause l.
The world, the flesh and the devil,
ma combine against you, but with.
out effect. [Applause And now,
gentlemen, without undertaking 10
detafn you any length of time, for
am wholly unprepared to speak to
speak to you as / would have dono-
without undertaking to detain you
for Pny length of time 10 60 over anv
ofthe various topics that now asitate
the public mind, auG upon which
you are called to act, let me for a
single moment take glance at the
past, in order the better to assure
ourselves OF our present position aud
our present duties. ..
Down to the advent of the present
party in power--a little over four
years ago--no country on the face Of
the earth presented such attractions
as tits beloved and happy couAtry of
ours. 10 no country on the face Of
earth, we're all mems rights 80 well
and SO perfectly respected. From
thilteen small colonies upon the At
fantic seaboard, we had seen grow
up, under the inspili ins influence of
Democratic principles, a population
Glover thirty millions OF people,
and more than thirty States. Instead
OF being hemmed in substantially by
the Allegheny Mountains, as We
were at the outset, we had spread
from ocean to ocean, until our flag
doated on both shores OF The cont.
nent. That was our condition four
years ago, and it was due, under God
and with Gods blessing, to those
great principles Of Democratic faith
tuQ4 Ipok to the good Of the masses
--those principle tina! were formed
at al a,aarly period BY the great patri.
otslEnd statesmen wno were the
founders of our organ zst:on.
From this pleasing state of facts,
let Us look at what exists at present.
But four years Of time have been
ne5essary for the party who have
succeeded in overthrowing the Dem
ocratic party, to change wholly the
entire face of the country aud its
affairs. Instead OF that absolute
security of person aud property which
we realized before, who does not look
back upon this sad period snd see
what has been done. Instead of a
united country from ocean to ocean,
the map has been torn assunder and
bathed ir blood. Instead of q united
and free people, standing as the rep
resentatiyes of republican govern
ment in the Western hemisphere to
the rest of the world, we have pre-
sented, in the last four years, faction
and tisunion that have torn US 9S~
sunder, and rendered US utterly
absurd and disgraCed in the eyes Of
foreign countries. Instead OF that
absolute security we enjoyed before
the accession of these men to power,
what have we witnessed' During
the past four years all our guarantees
OF liberty have been broken down,
the writ of Habeas Corpus, the right
to entertain your own opinions and
express them, and the freedom Of the
press, have all been stricken down
and trampled in the dust. With
this look at the past, let US adopt the
language of the immortal Jefferson
in his inaugural address:
"When in moments Of terror aud
alarm, we have departed from the
paths that lead to happiness and safe
| ty, let up retraee our steps and 90
back to the consideration Of those
great principles upon which our
fathers have founded the govern
ment."
That is our duty to-day. We are
not here to create, or to recommend
creation. We are not here to build
up a better system than our fathers
of the revolutionary time, made for
us--nothing of the kind. 1t is
simple effort to 60 back again to the
chart Of our principles as recorded
by our fathers, and place ourselves
upon the ground occupied, and all
will be we'll.
But, gentlemen Of the Conven>
ton, what a hsrculean task is before
us all! 1t need not been supposed
that we are to have no lot or part in
the matter. Who are we2 We rep>
.o,>k ,,oora thon l00 000 Of tho alnc