The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-07-14
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sa'EECHs OF non. A. q. THUR
MAN.
Delivered before the Ohio Demo-
cratic State Convention tst Co.
luIahus, on the = 18th day OF Nay.
1866, ora being elected CinirIaaaai n !.


cratic State Convention tat Co.
Il 1uIabIIS, on the = 9TH day CT Hay.
1866. ora being elected Chairman.
Gentlemen of the Convention: l am
very sensible of the honor conferred upon
me by being called upon to preside over
your deliberations And | am the more
bound to make my Acknowledgements, that
it comes unsolicited and without even a
wish on my part. | return my thanks to
you, gentlemen, and will endeavor toI
; merit the confidence you have reposed in
2 nc. And to do so, | am sure, will not
be a difficult task ; for never did greater
harmony prevail in our grand and time
! honored party. aud never did It's delegates
IassembleS eSip<Conyention with more Of
6 fraternal Siins, or with firmer rcsolu-
: tion to s:@bd by the principles that have
made the name Of the party a synonym of
: whatever expresses good government, and
| that will in the future secure to our or
] ganization an existence as enduring as
f time. Where all are actuated bY the
$ same noble motives, and neither envy.
E jealousy, or selfishuess finds place, the
: duties of presiding officer aresso simple
c Gentlemen, we have very often met in
: Convention before, and under the most
various circumstances times when all
was 50 bright around As that the most
far-sighted and dis,rustful could perceive
no speck of danger III our political sky ;
/ and again, when that sky was overcast
:. and menacing that even the most lion
hearted and hopeful esuld scarcely refrain
!, from despair. We have seen our country
under Democratic rule, the abode of the
> most free. prosperous people on earth ;
= and again, we have seen it, under the
!. dominion of our opponents, a prey to all
!, that human nature has ever developed of
!. despotism, horror and calamity.
r But whether in sunshine or in dark
:. ness. in calm OF in tempest, our party has
d ever followed the path of duty according
e TO IFS transformations To say that it
5 has never erred would be to claim for it a
/ more than human intelligence. TO Say
,e that it seldom erred and never intention
d ally, is but to speak the verdict OF his
70 tory. 1t is 65 years since the Inaugural
t ton of Mr.. Jefferson. During As years
N Of tkat period the Government was in
the hands of the Democratic party. Du-
= ring nearly eight of the remaining seven
teen years, though presided over BY Pres
!. idents not of our choice. it was administered
:. in main, upon Democratic principles. In
g this long lapse of time there was wit
= messed, what had never been witnessed
:. before total absence Of civil commo-
= tions, aud profound peace for fifty out
! of fity-six years. And not peaceealone,
Z but also, unexampled freedoAs sfowth
: and prosperity, aud happiness. No mar
:. ever lost life, liberty or property. for Q
a political offense, under a Democratic ad-
:, Eministration. No man was ever deprived
:. by such an administration, of life, liberty
:, or property without due prc cce $ of law
e No political bastile ever then darkened
and disgraced the face of the land, NJ
iprlson doors were ever then closel
= against the sacred writ of habeas corpus
No military commission. organized tt
y convict, eyer then usurped the functions
- of the lawtmaker and of the civil courts
of No tongue or press was ever then sllencet
= by arbitrary power. And never, no
: never, was such thing then heard of q
{ an American exile.
III Who can look at this picture of liberty
Is security. happiness and national glory
=, feebly though it be drawn, without feel
4 ing his heart swell with an honest prid
on at the thought that he belongs to part
-;s that has such history? What sa
=. reverse the last few years present nee
r. not say. Their events, are too fresh i
" our recolleetions to require recital.
We And now, gentlemen, we are again as
sembled in council to consult and to ac
for the common welfare. The storm c
RS war has passed by but we are yet yer
lg- far, | fear, from the haven of peace an
mt safety Indeed it may we'll be doubted
he whether we have ever seen.a time c
as more peril than the present After fou
ne years of bloody war to preserve the Unior
he as we are told, we see the party that ART
ry gates to itself exclusively the name {
lal Union, practically dissolying what it pr,
lp- tended to preserve. We see eleve
ne States that have laid down their arm
ire are obcdicnt to the Constitution and th
tn, laws. and are anxious to resume. the exc
he else of their constitutional rights. fore
Try bly, deprived of them, heavily taxed Will
to out representation and ruled by laws
OF the making of which they have not th
~ slightest voice. And this is done by
he party that calls itself Union and Repul
I'VE lican. Pray, gentlemen, if this be Unio
of whatis dissolution IF this be Republ
.he canism what is despotism? Did any on
oy- ever hear English rule over Irelant
he Austria rule over Hungary, or Russia
-ho rule over Poland called republican
The fancy not--and yet wherein do they diff,
asst in principle from that rule which OIL
,en Abolition so-called Congress exercis,
- and is striving to consolidate over Il
or Southern States And who does, not 81
cir that if the precedent be set and approve
r a of Congress excluding a State, or Stat,
oB- from representation, there never will
ose wanting pretext for like exclusion
cen any State obnoxious to majority of Il
I. Congress, or whose representation wou
oppose bar to the schemes of that m
- jority or to the perpetuation of its powe
u IA, If the representation of State is to d
seif pend upon the will of Congress, instes
few of tic provisions of the Constitution,
his what use is tho Constitution, or what Y
hel'tality has our Government? What wou
~ have been said had the Congress, VIII,
'r1 ~ the Hartford Convention was in sessio
rha Th, and when Massachusetts forbade h
in militia to pass ner own Dofogfs 70 ueiei
the country, excluding the New Englal
States from representation? What wou
rds the Summers. and Wades, and Stevens
+ til i of that day have said to that And y
]. it there was just as much right to do
then, as there is to exclude the southei