The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-08-02
oE'Gt.N. 4. u. EtLtTft
BEFORE THE NISsOt nI
STATE CONVENTION.

Np PRrIurST AND hESTLENES
nr TuI CONVENTION This vast a..
scublasc collected brrc to represent the
enusrrsltiye element of our >tatc--me
| If birh chlraetrr--aud thc dignity 81
| the cause which they advocate. win
| draw upou YOU lhc attention Of tho
whole cuunrly. aa vcli lprlh importance
aaa dignity Of that cause as for the
character ol the mcu who cpmc here 20
uphold tha, cause. Ny friends. that
/ cause i4 no l.s than the c1usc of civil
I and religious liberty Assailod now lor
| the Gr.t time IN tho history Of our he.
puliic. Il ia the cause of oar State Of
onr nation, and of our race, and +, does
not surprise mc, therefore that ! scc
collected from all parts Of this State tD
many gentleman ofsurh exalted chane-
trr. Who do net come hr.c rmuhiel 70
advance the cause Of this. that or the
Other plan lor the nomination 81 some
( hish and important trust, but who are
7 brought hc.e tY consult md 90 sid each
other in She restoration Of the rights Of
citizenship ol which the people Of ihi-
( State have been rHthlc.ly dcfraulcd
J The points OF attacks made by our enc.
mics uow ia power, ia tho nation aud
! in our own State are go numerous that
/ A. difficult to select that one topic
which ls OF tie most Importance and tho
/ greatest interest to our people. Aud If
/ I sbolld select auy as subject upon
which. OF to which, ] desire gt this
time ia address my remarks, il viii be
The attempt Of the so-calIcd Radical par
ty in this State to strip - the cid.
Zens Of the State their riRM Of suffrage.
I tell you. my friends, that il the most
| insidious aud most dangerous attack
which they have attempted upon the
liberties Of this people. Ii tho citizens
Of our State were allowed the liberty Of
approaching the balloi.box we need hot
| fear any tyranny, We need not apprc.
hend any assault upon any other OF the
srcat interests Of humanity; they could
| be speedily aud promptly checked and
rcetifcd If the citizens were allowed,
IN massc, 10 approach that palladium
Of all our liberties, the ballot-box |
see. my friends aud fellow citizens, in
this an attempt to deprive the citizens
Of their right of suffrage. ! see a con
spiracy to destroy all the liberties of
our people, and must confess, that Of
ter having my attention directed for
many months 10 the plans and schemes
which have been devised for the pur-
pose of efccting that object, ! confess
that admit that the men that devised
| it have shown ingenuity and audacity
unparallelediu the annals Of the country.
They have thrown around the people
Of this country a web aud q network Of
difficulties; which they will find it al
most impossible to contend with, unless
we can arouse the public sentiment Of
our people by appeals 20 The honest and
well meaning Of those who have hereto
fore been Radicals, who have been be-
trayod aud mislcd. Unless VIC can lirst
arouse the public sentiment Of the peo-
pie Of this State, and Of the people of
this country, to arrest this scheme, ]
tell you that we are in great jeopardy.
The mon who devised and coneoctcd
this scheme seem to have studied and
labored to stop every crack and Granny
by which the true sentiment of the peo-
pie could make itself felt at the polls
/ say they have displayed ingenuity and
cunning that would have done honor to
a better cause. in the first place, ap-