Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-09-09


period a c6nsisten: and continued support
,y our population Of the Democratic party
md of its candidates. This record also
shows the Importance Of party orgauiza
ion, of patty union, Of party harmony
md that whenever we get TO dlsputing up
,u candidates and divide and dissipate
our strength by our own action, we fall
down in majortie, as the figures show we
fell down in 1890.
Fellow citizens, have thus briefly
sketched the political career ofthis county
from tho foundation OF the Government
when tho party Of Mr.. Jefferson was os-
tablishcd and when ho corresponded with
citizens oI distinction amongst US. | have
shown you how those who preceded you
in this portion Of Pennsy ylvania thought up.
OH public policy and how they acted. The
record is remarkable one and may al
ways be referred to by our people with
pride and satisfaction,
Now, OF the end Of great war the
pressure of which has fallen upon the
country with extreme severity, and the
burdens OF which are to remain with US,
it is most important that our people in
popular assemblies and wherever they
meet together, should confer upon public
affairs and deter mine their course Tor the
future. We have arrived, so to speak, at
new point Of departure The war is
closed, and new questions are thrust upon
us which must be met and solved by those
who arc charged with the conduct oI gov
ernment, and by us also in selecting them.
Therefore, the question l have now to
submit to this audience assembled at the
base of our great mountain on the closing
day of August, 1865, is this Are you
satisfied your fathers decided wisely in
choosing their political associations ! Do
you think they displayed sagacity and
virtue in selecting the creed Of Mr.. Jeffer.
son as their standard of political faith and
in supporting policy founded thereon in
the practical administration of the gov.
ernment! That creed has been read in
Jour hearing, You have heard its en-,
phatic endorsement of econc my in govern.
ment outays; of free elections, (unco,
creed and uncorrupted y of state rights /;
of an unfettered press, and of trial by ju-
ry. These are leading points Of its text,
and they smte existing and recen. abu.
ses as they smote those of former times,
with most righteous condemnation.
| understand that a few persons have
been greatly troubled very much exercised
in mind, with reference to the object Of
this meeting. Why does it assemble !
There is no President to elect there is
no Governor to elect; no one is to get all
office now by political action. There is no
question OF patronage or of individual pro
fit involved at this time The little coun-
~ offices that are to be filled in this county
are not matter of debate or of contest !;
nominations for them being equivalent to
election. There is, repeat, no Governor
to be elected to distribute the little drip
pings OF patronage left to our Executive
under the present State Constitution.
There are no offices of Pres. ap' 'tment to be
filled. Why then, some low minded men
may think and NAV iDquirc-tha. class Of
men with whom politics consists in getting
office and Of going through man1uvres for
the purpose of getting ofice-wh then
should there be popular meeting here :
Such persons cannot comprehend, they
are so constituted that that they are una
BILE to comprehend, the meaning of a
meeting when there is not some personal
object in view. l can tell you,g gentlemen, ,
why this meeting assemblies. | think 1
understand the significance Of thus large
gathering of citizens upon this quiet morn-
ing, in this quiet grove. You assemble
yourselves together as independent free
men to determine your course for the fu-
iure. You meet to review the history of
the past from the beginning of our ex
perimen! of free government. You meet
to pass judgment upon your fathers, and
to form or fix opinions for yourselves; in
short, to answer the question l have sub
milted and to give that answer a practi-
cal application to your own future con-
duct. What then shall we say what
conclusio draw from our inquiry what
determination, useful to our country shall
we announce now, and maintain hereal-
ter Shall we not say that in future there
shall be honesty in the Government of
this country; that Shoddy shall no, rule
in all our borders that so far as our pow
er extends-so far as our influence will
go-corrupton and waste shall be put
down and kept down in the land Shall
we not say, also, that in this fair land Of
ours, given to us in its integrity by our
ancestors, the constitution they made for
US shall be kept-kept in its letter aud
spirit -keptin Penns ylvaHia, ,and in Georgia,
and wherever the flag for which our boys
have fought throws its folds to the breeze :
Shall we not say that we will keep and
preserve and maintain with our whole
power, that body Of liberty aud of liberal
principles which came to us from our
ancestors those principles of English
liberty which were brought here by them,
and which have been established if not
consecrated by the most express proyis-
ions of our fundamental laws!
Now, what has been our especial boas,
in this country upon which we
have talked sometimes, perhaps, extrava.
gantly) upon Fourth of July occasions
and gala-days ! We have boasted ia thi,
wise "Wc are free people. oh T.! how
foolish the French are, to have an EN-