Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1866-01-25
SPEECH OF
HON. WILLIAM ALLEN,
DEMOCRATIC FESTIVAL,
Held In Columbus. ohio, Janua-
ry Sth, 1866.
AT THE

When Alexander was about to dcpar
upon his great expedition to the East il
the exurberancc of his generosity he dis
tributcd the whole of his private FORTUNE
among his friends. His steward, when or
dered to deliver over the last piece of it
said to him: And when this gone, wha
will you have left for yourself?' Hope
and it is enough" was the sublime answe
Of the great son of Philip. The Democrat
! ic party is about to renew its efforts for tn,
restoration and perpetuityof public liberty
1t is at such an hour as this that the partl
| finds itself utterly bereft of all power in thu
States and in the Federal Government, anc
if under these circumstances, it should b,
asked what that party has left, | answc
with the Macedonian, Hope, and it i
enough
Sometimes the pcrturbations Of the ali
swell into a terrific storm-the waters O
the sea are violently rolled up into noun
famous ridges-the quick lightning flashes
! forth from the black bosom of the inpcnd
ing cloud, and the prolonged rcvcrbcration,
Of the lurid SKY might, to an uninstructed
observer, seem to portend the immediate
dissolution Of nature; but the philosopher
looks upon the scene without any such ap.
ing and cvcr-acting principle Of gravitatiou
will eventually silence these warning Gle.
ments, and bring back every particle of the
displaced waters down to the old ocean
normal level.
For four years past, over the great deer
Of the national mind, such storm has been
driving men passions have been convul-
siyely hither and thither, and their actions
have responded to their passions. The
wrecks Of broken Constitution: the desc.
lation af vast regions Of the Republic; thc
number Of prisons; of executions; Of fresh
graves; Of hospitals; of cripplcs; Of wild
Ows and Of orphans; the ominous mutter.
lngs Of the whole people, under the pres
sure Of intolerable taxation; the immense
order for the payment of four thousand
million of dollars which we have drawn up
on postcrity in the form Of Il national debt
| the mortgage which the Government has
taken upon every mans lands, goods anC
muscles for the payment OF this debt; the
prevalence Of crime everywhere, and in al
its varieties; the sense Of insecurity-thc
doubt, the dread, for the future-whicl
peryadcs the mind of the entire nation
| these things show where that storm ha
been, and measure the intensity of its VIC
lence. \ man of even high intelligence
looking upon this sad scene, with its threat
ening iuturity, might well imagine that ou
social, qs well as political; organization, wa
about to undergo total disruption; but
philosopic statesman will look even upol
this dismal prospect, not without sorrow
and sadness, but without despair. Ii,
knows that the li-embracing and ever act
ing principlc Of Democracy, will, in til
long run, speak order to this chaos, anc
bring back States and men, with thei
rights and liberties once more securely with
III the old guarantees Of the Constitution
and the law.
But when will this consummation be re
allied? This question can be answered on
ly when the present session of Congress
shall have adjourned. If this Conngres.
miscellaneous misery which its predecessor.
be able to see the direction in which its du.
ty calls it, it may find an example worthy Of
is imitation in the history of the greatest
people, politically considered, who have cv
er yet appeared upon the globe.
! Ancient Italy, from the Alps to the ocean
was originally subdivided into large mum
ber Of small, but independent States
Rome, one of these States, had, after si2
hundred years of war and negotiation, sue
ceeded in establishing an Italian Union
herself holding the position Of central anc
paramount authority, so far as to exercise
the right of highway for the march of hel
iegions and the passage of her couricrs
throughout the whole Of Italy, together
with the exclusive power of peace and war
and the corrclative powers Of levying troop:
and revenues for foreign conquest. In ev
cry other particular the other States, styled
allies of the Roman people, retained theil
! respective State Governments i'll all thei
integrity, for every object of local and mu
nicipal legislation. In the year 662, from
the foundation of Rome, corresponding
with the year 50 previously to the birth o
Christ, the allied States, claimed of til.
Central Government Of Rome what wer,
known as the rights of Lartium, or in othe
words, Of Roman citizenship, so far as t.
vote in the election Of Roman Consuls, ant
other magistrates; and, also to vote in th
assemblies of the Roman people upon al
questions OF peace and war. They predi
Gated these claims upon the admitted fac
that for sixty years they had contribute,
more than two-thirds of the recruits to tn
Roman legions,. and more than two third
of the revenue to the Roman treasury; ant
that, whilst with the aid of these troop
and revenues, Rome had affected the con
quest Of large and rich countries beyonC
the limits OF Italy, the proceeds arising from
those conqucsts, the lands, the prisoner
of war made slaves, and the immense con
tributionsi in money levied upon subjugated
kingdoms, had all, and in every instance
been appropriated by and to the exclusiv,
benefit of the Roman people.
| Notwithstanding the manifest justice o.
this demand, Rome refused to grant it,
Having exhausted all the means of reason
and persuasion, and all in vain, tenor twelv,
of the allied States seeded in body
They proclaimed their independence of the
Central Government of Rome; they pro
ceeded to organize what they termed tn,
Italian Confederacy; they adopted as the
Capital, the city of Continum; they organ
| lied Senate composed of delegates from
seeded States; they elected Consuls ant
other magistrates, with titles and function.
corresponding with those in the Roman or
ganization; they organized large and pow
erful army, and having done these things
they despatched ambassadors to the Senate
of Rome-they making one more peaceful
appeal for what they deemed but justice tC
back with naughty and defiant answer
Upon the receipt of this answer, the Con
federate Government ordered its legions t,
be drawn up upon the military points inter
vening between the two capitals, and thert
to stand upon their defense. Rome begar
by comforting the rights of Lartium, or Ro
man citizenship, upon the border States
which had not ioined the new Confederacy