The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1865-09-13
SP E E G HI OF
Hon. R. P. r A N N Ely,
DELIVERED BEFORE THE
State Convention, August "a, 1865,


turn to you my sincere and heartfelt
thanks for this undeserved expression of
your confidence in me. Bringing to the
discharge of the duties of the chair no ex
perience, under some circumstances I
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, undivided purpose of ac-
eomplishing, decently and in order, the
business for which they have assembled,
l 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, for the
honor you have conferred upon me, allow
me, for single moment, to congratulate
you, and, through you, the Democracy of
Ohio, for your present position, perfect
organization, and great strength. Cap
Iplause)
1t is now many years since | have been
acquainted with the assemblages of the
Democracy of this State in Convention.
For the last four years. need not say to
anybody-through which we have passed,
what fiery ordeal the Democracy of this
State have encountered; and the astonish-
ling 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 return
ing year has shown that the body was
grewing-each returning of the votes as
they came in, showed that, of per-
secution running you down, and diminish
ling Jour 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 temporary, or selfish purpose,
could say this They would have been
broken into atoms with the amount of
persecution and oppression which we have
encountered. It is because, fellow-citi-
zcns--and we should always bear this in
mind-because there lies right at the
foundation of Democratic faith-the sa-
cred trust of preserving the great and es-
Eseatial rights Of the great mass of the
people.
i 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 with
out effect. Applause. And now, gen
tlemen, without undertaking to detain you
any length of time, for am wholly un
prepared to speak to you as I would have
done-without undertaking to detain you
for any length of time to go over any O.
the various topics that now agitate the
public mind, and upon which you art
called to act, let me for single momen
!, take glance at the past, in order the
better to assure ourselves of our presen
position and our present duties.
Down to the advent of the present par
ty in power-a little over four years ag'
mo country on the face of the earth pre-
, sented such attractions as this beloved ant
happy country of ours. In NC countr,
on the face of the earth, were all mem
rights so we'll and so perfectly respected
From thirteen small colonies upon tn,
Atlantic seaboard, we have seen grow up
} under the inspiring influence of Demo
! cratic principles, a population of owe
thirty millions of people, and more thai
thirty States. Instead Of being hemme,
in substantially by the Allegheny noun
: tains, as we were at the outset, we hat
!, spread from ocean to ocean, until our has
9 ioated on both shores of the continent
!, That was our condition four years ago
and it was due, under God and with God
2 blessing,to those great principles of Dem
e ocratic faith that look to the good of tn
masses. those principles that were form
:, ed at an early period by the great patriot
q and statesmen who were the founders G
! our organization.
u From this pleasing state of facts, ,Fet u
look to what exists at present. But fou
years of time have been necessary fer th
party who have succeeded in overthrow
II ing the Democratic party, to change who
- ly the entire face of the country and i
II of person and property which we realize
before, who does not look back upon tn
a sad period and see what has been don
r Instead of united country extendir
from ocean to ocean, the map has bee
10 torn assunder and bathed in blood. Il
stead of united and free people, stan'
n ing as the representatives of republics
ca government in the western hemisphere
= the rest of the world, we have presente
" in the last four years faction and disul
ion that have torn US assunder, and re-
r. dered US utterly absurd and disgraced
the eyes Of foreign countries. Instead
re that absolute security we enjoyed befo
the accession of these men to power, VIII
a have we witnessed? During the past fe'
ce years all our guarantees of liberty ha'
been broken down, the writ of habe
ly corpus, the right to entertain your ov
Sc opinions and express them, and the fire
id dom of the press, have all been strick'
down and trampled in the dust. Wi
this look at the past, let us adopt the la
4 guage of the immortal Jefferson in h
er first inaugural address:
r. "When in moments of error and alar
,d we have departed from the paths that lei
at to happiness and safety, let us retrace o.
steps and go back to the consideration