The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-09-15
GFFERAL COX AT CANTON.
The Soldiers Reunion.
1O,OO0tO12,OOO Persons Present
The Soldiers Still fer the
Union.
General Cox Relates the States
Rights Doctrine.
Speeches Of General Cox, General
Geiger ans Chaplain Gel. Ter:


Speeches Of General Cox, General
Geiger ans Chaplain Gel Ter:
Especial Correspondence of tue Cleveland LrADIh.l
CANTON, 0, Sept. IL, 1855.
The Soldiers Reunion to-day surpassed
the most ssnguine expectations of its most
enthusiastic friends. The loyal men and
women of Stark county turned out to the
number of 10000 to 1 10000, and evinced q
spirit that will be fatal to the cause Of Sc
cession and rebellion on the 10th Of Octo-
Der.
DECORATIONS AND
The loyaI residents of Canton hung out
their banners, and draped their buildings
with patriotic fisgs, streamers and notices
From the Office of the Stark County Re
publican to the st. Cloud Hotel stretched
q streamer bearing these words:
sour Distinguished Guest : Major General J.
Cox" H-
Across West Tuscarawas street, opposite
the Court House, was suspended:
"oh'o's Galaxy Of Stars"
Including the names Of
saGRANr, SHERMAN, SHERDAE, McPHER-
son, Cox, scHENcK, WEITzELI Crook,
MoCooK, RosECRAEs STANLEY, HAzEE,
WOODS, BARKER, LEeGETT, GILLMoRE,
! PoE, REILLY, BEATTY, STEADMAN.
At the crossing Of Tuscarawas and
Market street was an evergreen arch, sup
porting a banner, upon which was in
scribed:
-"welcome to the Hero or orls-e~H orseA
Erected by the members of the lO4th Ohio,
in honor of the successful engagement that
General Cox's command had at that point
after turning the rebel position at Fort
Anderson. In this action n Of General
Cox's brigsdes, under command of General
Jack Easement, captured an entire rebel
brigade, and the movement compelled the
evacuation of Wilmington.
Across East Tuscsrswas street we're the
words:
"Brave Meu-The Strong Right Arm Of the VA
ton Welcome, Thrice we Welcome you Home"
Suspended over South market street
was the inscription:
"a Grateful Country will ever Remember Her
Malmsd Soldiers. Her Widow ana Her Orphans"
PROCESSION.
AT IL o'clock the people assembled On
the Public Square, and, under the direction
o. the Chief Marshal of the Day, Mr.. Z. @.
Patterson, and his Assistants, formed in
procession and moved to the Fair Ground,
preceded by the 1O4sh Ohio Brass Band.
TEE MEETING.
Prayer was then offered by Rev. Jesse
DLrbiD, of Canton, after which a choir, or
ganized for the occasion, and composed of
several gentlemen and ladies OF Canton,
under the leadership of Mr.. Ballard, sang
"Victory at Last with an instrumental
accompaniment by Prof. Leland, of Mount
Union College.
The speakers stand was tastefully or.
namented with evergreens and banners.
On one side was the sentiment:
"The Tomb of Our Father, Mt. Vernon on the
POtomaci The Grave of Our Martyr, Springfield
on the Sangamon )"
OH ~ ObASA
With Malice toward None, and Charity for All.
let Us press forward 10 do tho Blight as cd gives
US to see the Right"
sPEECH OF GENERAL cox.
Msjor General Cox was introduced BY
Judge j. w. Underhill, President of the
Day. The General opened his speech with
some illusions to those noble Sons of Stark
EOeunsy %i.h-~hsnAshaa eome In contact
during four years of military service, pay
ing a high compliment to their courage
and loyalty; and then passed to q consid-
erbtion of the cause of the rebellion.
The theory of State Rights, said Gen.
erRl Cox, is the essence of rebellion. The
advocates of State Rights claimed for the
State governments not only the right to
datarraino tho cUIst1tutionahty of the acts
Of the Federal Government, but the privi-
lege of determining the mode and manner
of redress, or, in other words, of nullifyiDg
the laws of Congress by force. Therein
lies the great evil Of the State Rights
theory. In opposition to this doctrine, the
loyal men of the nation hold that the gen.
ersl government is responsible to the
PEOPLE of the United States-not to the
State GoUeTnnents-and that the Supreme
Court is empowered by the Constitution to
decide all questions of difference between
the Federal and State Governments, and
in fact, between the Federal Government
and all other parties. Here we have q d.
rect issue, based upon principle. It wss
the ~antsgonism of these two principles that
brought about the last conflict of arms.
Union men acknowledge their first allegi-
ance TO the General Government; dis
unionists make the claims of the State su-
perior to those of the whole country. This
question the Southern advocates of
State Rights submitted to the srbi.
trsment of the sword, and, after
four years of relentless war they
were compelled to acknowledge defeat.
Many supposed the question thus disposed
of, and this is what might reasonably be
expected but the contest has been re.
newed in another field, and, until this dec
trine Of State Rights has been expelled
from our politics, we cannot have a settled
pssce. Our political opponents in Ohio
~Vallsndighsm and his coadjutors-hsve
recognized the secession Interpretation of
the Oonstitution-have adopted the JEFF.
Davis doctrine Of the superiority of the
States. Let US review the history of the
country. The thirteen original colonies |
formed aconfederstion, in which the States
were recognized as independent. Each
State possessed the power to withhold its
support from the general Government.
It was found that the General Government
did not possess sufficient power for self.
protection. It wa powerless to carry on
war without the consent of the States.
Under these circumstances a convention
was convened and the present Constitution
framed and adopted, for the avowed pur.
pose of forming 50 more perfect UnioaD-
q Constitution free from the fatal defects
and weaknesses of the original compact.
George Washington was b recognized lea
OF this movement the object of which
was to unite the nation as our
people-to establish the unity of the Re-
public. This is the great idea of our ma
tionSl motto, E Plnri6aSs Uruns-aone out
of many" This unity gave US our power
among the nations of the world, and en-
abled US In 1872 to resist the aggressions of
Great Britain. All the power and all the
we ever possessed we derived from
his central idea of unity. Still there were
hose who denied and opposed the unity of
he Government. This feature of the Gov.
was Rssailed bv domaoaso "a g