Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-03
NUMBER 287..

y ronage or Influence in the Federal Admin
| istration, and therefore without any special
/ organization or agency authorized or per-
j mitted to prescribe common line of poll
| cy and prompt united action upon the new
| questions daily arising; and with the most =
| vigorous and vehement central authority j
against it ever known, welding alike the
clamor of patriotism and the cry Of reli-
| gion, acting in politics, upon military prin-l
ciples and through military instrumentali-o 10
ties, and to the whole power of the purse
and that, purse the entire wealth of thes
! country, and the whole power of the sword
and that sword the entire fighting popula-
| tion OF the country, adding supervision
and constraint over press, speech, persona
railroad, highway, steamer and telegraph
all the modes of action and of locomotion
and every vehicle Of thought, such alone
as the tabled Briareus might be supposed
able to exert; with every appliance of both
Church and State, and of social and busi-.,
ness organization combined against 1t, it is
rather amazing that the Democratic party
did not perish, than wonderful, that siJ'
should exhibit signs of partial paralysis.
To-day, indeed, it lies powerful but inert
mass, yet needing only new life blood,
fresh vitality, the "promethean fire." to bel
infused into it. There are those yet amoDgR
the living who were actors, especially inI
JackSon's day, and many, younger than l.
am, who remember when the party was
POWER in the country, eXerting all the en-
ergy without any part of the terrorism of
the late Administration. ''0h, for an hour
of Old Dundee!'' Without more of cour-
age, more vigor more audacity, IL you
please, in graphing with great questions
| as in former years, the Democratic party
cannot, ought not to survive. and must give,
way to some other younger and more vital
organization. If it is to remain in its pres
ent comatose state. at now the beginning of
new epoch in public affairs. 1t were far
better that it should be buried out of sight
at once. Certainly l do not advise that it
shall move without occasioii, and waste its
superfiuous vigor upon the air. Brightly
to be great, is not to stir without great ar
gument;' and it may be months before poll.
icies and issues are sufficiently defined to
require it to act at all. But the repose of
conscious power and the lethargy of
threatened dissolution are very different
things. .........-.,.. ...,t......', ~.
| have finished now what would have
said in person, had accepted your invita-
tion to be present with you. l have CON-
fined my address, | repeat, wholly to con-,
lecture and suggestion: and desire it es-,
pecially to be remembered that have writ
tan not as one having authority, but solely
for myself. Within this limit, Il have writ
ten the more freely, because inasmuch as
Governor of New Jersey, no member of the
Democratic party is in authority-few even
are in office any where, Though among
these are some of the most eminent--each,
has an equal right to speak to and for the
millions Of freemen who make up the ranks
of that party. | am persuaded, indeed
that by pursuing a line of policy wholly
different from that which | have sug-,
gested; by rejecting all middle ground;
by Offering persistent and indiscrimI-f
nate opposition to the Administration !; by
waiting with cunning and unpatriotic pa,
tience for and seizing upon the changing
| tloodtide of popular passion and reaction
on the many and perplexing and most haz-
ardous questions which are to be met now,
and decided by the President and his advis-r
ers. the Democratic party would, after some
years and in the natural course of events,
secure through the forms of the Constitu-
tiOn, control of the government, with the;
power and dunquestionably the will, set on,
fire then by ''patlent search and vigil long,.
to take ample and violent revenge for
wrongs real and imaginary. Such is the
history of all revolutions and all great pop-
ular convulsions. But l still seek peace
and would ensue it, and know we'll that
meantime and after the event, as for years
past the country would be the victim at
last, Patriotism and the public repose
alike forbid it. a-..- ....CfaI.-i r, .,,-,
.-..,'...f =, q. l.. VALLANDIGHAM. 10
DAYTON, Ohio, May 5, 1865. .....E