Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-26
SPEECH OF
HON. r. p. RANNEY,

In our report in yesterday mornings pa
per, of the proceedings of the Democratic
State Convention, we were obliged, owing
to the length of the report, to omit the con-
cluding portion of the address made u
Judge r. p. RANNEY on taking the chair as
President of the Convention. We give
the speech entire this morning:
SPEECH OF HON. R. P.RANNEY. p ..
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION IL re-
turn to you my sincere and heartfelt thanks
for this undeserved expression of your con-
fidence in me. Bringing to the discharge of
the duties of the chair no experience, un-
der some circumstances | should distrust
my ability to conduct the proceedings of
this Convention, as they ought to be; but,
knowing, as | do, that the gentlemen of
the Convention are here for one single, un-
divided purpose of accomplishing, decent
ly and in order, the business for which they
have assembled, do not. anticipate that
any particular ability will be required on
the part of the chair. And while return
my thanks, gentlemen of the Convention,
tor the honor you have conferred upon me,
allow me, tor a single moment, to eongratu-
late you, and, through you, the Democracy
of Ohio, for your present position, perfect
organization, and great strength. (Ap-
plause) 1854 o.. 1. H.
1t is now many years since have been
acquainted with the assemblages of the De-
mocracy of this State in Convention. For
the last four years-I need not say to
anybody-through which we have passed,
what a fiery ordeal the Democracy of this
State have encountered; and the astonish-
ing fact stands out prominently that, not
withstanding all the prosecutions. and all
the assaults to which the Democracy of this
State have, during that unfortunate period,
been subjected, still each returning year
has shown that the body was growing
each returning of the votes, ais they came
in, showed that, instead of persecution
running you down, and diminishing your
strength, and decreasing your numbers,
they are all the time elevating them. Why
is this? No association of men-no party,
gathered together for mere sinister, or tenn
porary, or selfish purpose, could say this.
They would have been broken into atoms
with the amount Tof persecution and op-
preston which we have encountered. 1t is
because, fellow -citiZens--and we should al
ways bear this in mind-becausei there lies
right at the foundation of Democratic faith
the sacred trust of preserving the. great
and essential rights of the great mass Of the
people. , -'I. FRS.
That is the secret and the whole of it..
And let me give you this one encouraging
word, that just as long as you are true to
yourselves, and true to the great interests
of the people, you are invincible. (Ap-
plause.) The world, the flesh and the devil
may combine against you, but without eff
feet. (Applause.) And now, gentlemen,
length of time, for am wholly unprepared
to speak to you as L would have done
without undertaking to detain you for any
length of time to go over any of the various
topics that now agitate the public mind,
and upon which you are called toact, let
me for a single moment take glance at the
past, in order the better to assure ourselves
of our present position and our presentdu-
ties. .'A''" .I ' %.
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 this beloved and happy
country of ours. In no country on the face
of the earth, were all mems rights so well
and so perfectly respected. From thirteen
small colonies upon the Atlantic seaboard,
wehad seen grow up, under the inspiring
influence of Democratic principles, popu-
lation of over 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 flOated on both shores of the continent
That was our condition four years ago, ana
itwas due, under God and with Gods bless
ing, to those great principles of Democratic
faith that look to the good of the masses
those principles that were formed at an
early period by the great patriots and states
men who were the founders of our organi-
zatiOp AIIt" d 'T'IIf't