The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-08-17
The Campaign in Medina
County.
Eloquent Speech Of Gen. Cox.
County Convention at Medlna.
Hon. II. G. Blake Nominated
for the Legislature,
MEDINA, August 16, 1865.

for the Legislature.
.a- MEDINA, August l6, 1865.
The Getting to-day was an impromtu
affair, but wss one of the most pleasant
and profitable assem- blsges of the season.
Captain G. ". Collier, late of the 18th
Ohio Volunteer Infantry, hearing that
General Cox would nave q day of leisure
between the meetings of Warren and
Wooster, conceived the idea Of inviting his
old friend and fellow soldier to an evening
n~eighborhood meeting at Westield, in this
county, the Chaplsin's place. OF residence.
The invitation was accepted by the Gene
ersl, who was much ~sstonished, upon his
arrival, to learn that the programme had
been changed. Upon tbs publication of
the appointment the Medina County
Union Central Committee requested that
the place be changed to Medina, inasmuch
as the County Convention would then be
in session. It WAS accordingly arranged
that the Convention should convene at 10
O'Clock in the morning, and conclude its
business before l o'clock in the afternoon,
at which time General Cox would address
the meeting. The notice of the latter sr.
rangemelt was brief and the conflicting
announcements served, no doubt, 10 misleAd
a portion of the people. Added to this,
the weather has beon ~unfavorAble, rain
commencing to fall before noon and con-
t~inuing late in the day. Notwithstanding
these unpropitious circumstances, the
meeting was respectable in point
of numbers, and was composed of the best
men in the county, most of the leading
Union men of the various townships being
present together with a goodly number of
returned soldiers.
The County Convention did not find it
practicable to dispose of business in IS
rapid a manner as was anticipated, as most
of the nominations were warmly contested.
The speech of General Cox wss therefore
deferred until 8 late hour in the afternoon,
and was consequently brief.
Isppend q list of the nominations of the
County Convention. It will be seen that
the Hon. II. e. Blake is the nominee for
Representative. Of course he will be
elected without difficulty, and will do
credit to his constituents. The position is
not commensurate with the abilities of Mr..
Blske, but he will have the satisfaction of
knowing that it was the spontaneous gift
of his fellow citizens, the nomination being
unsought. Mr.. Blake's record in Con-
gress, as the Representative of this Con-
gressional District is a sufficient guarantee
that not only the interests of Medina
county, but the great principles Of human
freedom, will be safe in his keeping IS a
! member of the Ohio Legislature.
General OK was introduced to the Con-
vention by Hiram Bronson, Ksq1 OF
Medina, Chairman of the meeting.
! SPEECH OF GENERAL cox.
The General expressed his qualification
at once more being permitted to mingle
with the members of q nominating Con
= yention in Ohio, after more tran four years
spent in the military service of the country.
a The rebellion has beea conquered. We
have proven that the Federal Government
. is capable of self-preservstion. We have
4 indicated Republican government IN the
? world. The war was a struggle between
democracy and despotism The speaker
, gave 8 scsthing review Of the trsitorou!
). course pursued by the administration o.
a Mr.. Buchanan, most of the members o
which only seemed TO find in the Constitu
Z ton q rope to bind them, claiming that thu
q RIGHT to coerce 8 State did not exist. Ill
a was thankful that in those dark days loya
I men were found in al. political organizs
!. tions, men who now comprise the UnlJT
" party, the only party we know in the iRnc
A to dsv. The events of those days wer'
!, r~ecounted briefly, merely that one nigh
4 be brought down by a series OF reguls
4 grsdstions to reslizs the position we occu
nv at the present time-s position achieved
n by q spirit of determiR alton, of persever
n snce, snd of liberation. Now our tssl
begins anew, and We are reminded tina
v the conflict has passed from the Arena 0
2 cannon and muskets to the quiet dropping
. of ballots. The result of the war must b,
the complete extirpation of slavery snC
the establishment OF the fact that our frs
v allegiance is due to the national govern
+ ment 1t was not until the slave support
a ers insugursted war for the purposi
o of establishing 8 nation with SLAYER.
I IS its corner stone, that we wer'
: educated up to the point o
emancipation. He did not believe tn
q men of the South, even the most ultra o
y the Wade Hampton school, contemplate
q renewal of armed resistance to the Gov
eminent; they had been punished too Sc
Verely for that and are too much exhaust
4 ed; but they do hope to hold the freedmen
in a state of servitude little better thar
8 slavery; they contemplate a reputation o
n 1.-The national debt, and evinee q spirit a
: hostile TO the Government rs characterized
them during the war In the consumma
ton of these schemes they hope and conf
IDENTIFY expect to be aided by their allies
the so called Democratic party Of the Nortl
= An organization which has lost no oppor
tunity to embarrass the Government dur
. ing the war. The speaker called on loya
|, men to stand fast, and not permit the tri
: umph of our enemies through divisions
6 upon questions not now st issue. The 10y
: atty of the South, with q few roble sZcep'
! tions, Is not the unconditional loyalty found
in the Northern States. We had many
: good regiments from the Border States
men who fought shoulder to shoulder with
the I03d, the AID and other Ohio regiments
i doing their duty nObly but many of the
! Union men of the South are of that plastic
: character which the STAKEHOLDER has 30 long
:, known how to control The iislOysl men
! of the South expect TO csjole these man into
the support of their wicked schemes
They will not succeed if we are
only but true to ourselves. We
found the freedmen ever loyal. Their in
stincts, imbruted as they were, taught
them that the success of our arms would
bring freedom TO hem They served US
at all times and in every manner possible.
The end of the war resulting In the crush
ing of the rebellion, our military task is
ended. The system of slavery having
been the cause of the war, its utter ex-
tirpstion Was properly the first considers-
tion in an adjustment of our national
troubles. Besides our duty TO give sbso-
Lutte freedom to the slave, we lave the sd-
ditionsl duty of making that freedom q
veritable fact. Ihe only difference that
can arise upon this question between me
and the most radical man in this assembly
will be found in the manner in which this
is to be accomplished. In times past the
Democratic party WAS regarded as
the dafender of what IL termed the