Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-10-09
THE CITY.
IMMENSE MEETING f!
Five Thousand People in Capitol
Square.
GENERAL MORGAN'S SPEECH.
Bond Holding, Taxation and
Negro Suffrage.
SILENT AND FIXED ATTENTION OF THE ASSEMBLY
Adjournment 10 the Polls With
Three Cheers for Gen. Morgan.

capitol, was grand and triumphant sue
cess. The weather was pleasant, and the
citizens of both sexes turned out en- masse.
An hour before the speaking commenced,
large crowd had collected. Rockets and
other fireworks thrown up in the Square,
brilliantly Illuminated the sky with their
coruscations of light. The Band of the 18th
U. S. Infantry, from Camp Thomas, under
the leadership of Professor Trigg, were on
the ground, and made the night air vocal
with their fine strains of martial music and
national airs. ..t.
In the meantime, while the assemblaee
was gathering at the West front of the
Capitol, large Democratic meeting of the
Fifth and Sixth Wards was progressing on
South Public lane. Brief speeches having
been made by Messrs. Bingham, Smith and
M. FL. Mann, the meeting adjourned to the
State House. Preceded by Myers Band
and the large flag, the glorious Democratic
banner of the Sixth Ward, procession
was formed, and moved up High street to
the West front of the State House, where,
amid cheers and animating strains of mu-
sic, 1t Joined the throng already gathered
there, and the flag of the noble Sixth Ward
was placed on the stand from which Gen
Morgan was soon to speak.
BY eight o'clock, an immense multitude
had gathered on the steps and in the area
fronting the Capitol. 1t numbered from
four to five thousand persons. The meet
ing was not, properly speaking, called to
order, for more orderly, quiet and earnest
assembly was hardly ever gathered togeth-
er in any place. On motion of John G..
Thompson, Esq, DIR. VIM. Trevitt, of this
city, was called to preside as Chairman. DR..
Trevitt, after thanking the meeting for the
honor done him, introduced General George
W. Morgan, the Democratic candidate for
Governor. tr
The General was received with enthusi-
astic and prolonged cheers, aud then pro-
ceeded to deliver one of the most appropri-
ate, argumentative and forcible addresses
we ever heard. .. .rrr.ro.
GENERAL MoRGAN's SPEECH. a
General Morgan commenced by alluding
to the fact that this was the first time, the
honor had been accorded him, of addressing
his fellow-citizens of the Capital of Ohio,
and to the qualification he felt at seeing the
large assembly gathered to hear him. He
stated that Colonel George w. McCook, who
had also been announced as one of the
speakers at the present meeting, had been
obliged to attend a similar meeting at New
ark on that evening and could not, there
fore, be present. After some Introductory
remarks, relating to the great and vital
questions now before the people, and the
necessity of meeting them with candor,
cool judgment, and freedom from prejudice
orparty bias, the General proceeded to treat
of the several topics indicated below, sub
stantially as follows: .a.ru n Boa
THE wAR-DEBT-sLAvERY.
But must pass to more serious themes.
Our country has just emerged from the
most grand and terrific conflict known to
history; a conflict in which your city has
borne an honorable and distinguished
part, and while you rejoiced at the heroic
deeds of your sons, you have had cause to
mourn and weep over the fall of some of
your best loved and most valued citizens.
Yes, citizens, If the termination of the war
has been glorious, so was its progress marked
with Sadness with scars and DEATH. More
than amillion of Americans sleep the eterl
nal sleep of death upon more than hum
dred battle-fields, and as monument to
their fall, there rests upon their graves a
RnlnCaal mi nj lnh ,hrnn a..
lost among the clouds. Z" f''ii
Yes, more than one million of men, and
more than four thousand millions of dollars
are the cost of the war which has lust been
concluded. l say four thousand millions of
debt, although Republican journals tell us
that the debt is only three thousand mill
lions. Only three thousand millions! And
how shall we estimate that amount? How
measure in our minds that almost fabulous
sum OF three thousand million dollarsp The
value of all the real and personal property
In the United States, in 1860, between ocean
and ocean, and from the lakes to the Gulf
was estimated at, sixteen thousand million
dollars, and four thousand millions of that
amount was returned as property in slaves.
And by the action of the war; by circum-
stances resulting from the war, and by the
action OF the Southern people themselves,
slavery has ceased to exist, and will not
again be resuscitated, and consequently
that which before was returned as slave
property has ceased to- exist, and the value of
he Nations wealth Is twelve instead of six
teen bill Ion dollars. That Is to say that, TAX
ing the public debt at only three thousand
million dollars, 1t Is equal to One-f fourth Of
the, entire wealth of all the citizens of the
United States, and Of all the property own
eG by all the States and all the Territories,
andiby the Federal Government together.
And it must not be forgotten that the debt
OF which we have spoken Is only the liqui-
dated oradjusted debt, while thousands of
millions are yet owed by the Government.
For what, citizens, was allthis expenditure
OF life and treasure? Why those million
graves? Why those two hundred thousand
houses all draped in mourningP Why this
almost incalculable debt built up from
nothing in the short space OF four years
Why was 1t that the United States In that
short space OF time, made greater debt
than was created by Great Britain in two
hundred years? You tell me that it was
all for the Union. Asgtar as our gallant
soldiers wer, concerned; as far as the great,
mass Of our people were concerned
Is the fact-with them 1t was for the Union.
Tiiis, am proud not only to admit, but to
declare. But citizens, while the great body
OF our people were inspired by 4 high and
patriotic love for the Union; while 1t was
Che single sentiment which actuated our
armies, 1t was not the motive which actul
ated those who controlled the action of the |
New Epgland States, and of those who
Obeyeds and now obey, the behests Of New
in Ohio. Their object was not.
ana Is not now, the Union. Their nretand, |