The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1865-09-27
Speech by General Hayes.

Hamilton county, Ohlo,7the other1eyen-
ing, General Hays, made speech, Of
which the following is synopsis :agye ID.
This is the first time / have had an
opportunity to be present at a political
meeting, in the Second Congressional
district, since the organization of the
Union party. 1t is very natural, there
fore, that my first impulse on rising to
address this meeting, should be to make
my acknowledgment for the very crafty
ing manner in which the Union people
Of the district .honored fne with theil suf-
frages last fall. know very we'll that
the chief inducement to their action was
not any personal merit Of mine. 1t was,
nevertheless, very gratifying to me that
| was 50 fortunate, as to be selected the
person by whose promotion the Union
people of the district sought to manifest
to all. that whatever others might think
or feel, their hearty sympathy was with
the soldiers ofevery grade, whowere bat
Ting for the Union at the front. / trust
| shall never be unmindful of the obliga-
ton your favor has imposed upon me. |
can not expect, l can not even hope, to
represent the district in manner cores
pending to the Importance of its interests,
and to the intelligence, the enterprise and
the character ofits people. trust, how
ever, that I shall be able so to act, that at
the end Of my term it will be the judg-
ment Of candid men Of all parties, that
according to the measure of my ability,
/ have labored with diligence, with ZEAL
and with honesty of purpose, to be useful
to my constituents and to the country.
We are living, felow1citizens, in the
midst Of great affairs. The last four years
have given birth to more interesting and
important events in our country's history
than any othet equal period since the
adoption of the Federal Constitution. 1t
is probable that the transactions of the
next four years may almost rival in i'm
portance those which occurred during
the administration Of Abraham Lincoln.
1t is not strange, therefore, that our best
writers and speakers, in their discussions
this fall, should appear to be perplexed
in determining which deserves mainly to
be, considered, The lessons OF, the imme.
diate .plst or the7questions Of the present
and the future. In the short time that it
is proper for me to occupy your atten-
ton this evening, | propose to call your
recollection to some of the leading facts
inthe Democratic record during the great
struggle now closed, and also to consider
briefly The Denioacl2atic plan Of restoring
the Union, as. set forth in the, speeches
and resolutions of their Stale Convention
at, Columbus II think it will appear that
their acts in the past, and plans for, the
future, are in perfect harmony, and that
they both exhibit a spirit and: purpose
which wise and patriotic people will
not approve II conGne my remarks
mainly 10 the record Of the Democratic
party Of Ohio, and to their plan Of restor
ration sorurecognitions because. in this
State, the control and leadership ofrthe
party passed into the hands Of politicians
Who are Committed against maintaining
the authority Of the Government and thel
integrity Of tho, Onion by force. Besides,
the leaders of the Ohio Democracy ap.
pear to have learned less from the expo
rience of the last, four years, than the
public men Of the same. party in almost
any other State! slRgtJg 50 aoo ous
~ Let is then, in the first place, look at
the record. 1t embraces. the, most i'm
portaDt periods of urlIhistory.A When
presidents Lincoln bade farewell toiahisI.
friends at home, in February, i66I,yhe
said 70 them that 4 4 a. duty devollyed upon
him which was perhaps greater than. thatj
desolved upon anyIother man
since tlie days Of Washington" .onThe1
events Of his administration abundantly
prove. that !, he, was not mistaken in his
ofrthe, greatness of the work he
had toido. ltswas' his lot under Provi-
aenceto be our leader III the crisis ofour
National destiny The friends Of freedom
in Earops regard this period as bearing
even wider Significance. They tell us
that in Mr.. Lineuln,s, administration was
.,a,ial'i.,J e sgtuad IL n,.,bt,, ,Aobun,,