Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-01-12
0klo Statesman.
Response of Hon. Barnabas Burns,
To tue Eighth Regular Toast. at the
b., Democratic Festival I'm COIum-
bns, o., January Sth, 1866. 4, Q

Mr.. PRESIDENT II came to this reunion
of the Democracy with the fixed purpose of
being listener and not an orator. / de-
sired to listen to the words of wisdom which
might be uttered by others, and gather in
| formation therefrom nor was | aware until
| less than five minutes before / entered this
hall, that was expected to speak. In the
absence of my esteemed friend, Judge
Jewett, was urged by the Chairman Of the
Democratic Central Committee to respond
in his stead to the toast just read. re-
luctantly consented. This apology seems
necessary as an excuse for the brevity of
the remarks which shall be able to make,
| as well as for the imperfect manner of pre-
senting them. % i''..
Ohio, sir, is truly great in her geographic
cal position. She is che gateway between
the Atlantic States and the great West, be-
/ tween the manufactures of the East and
the great grain-growing and stock-produc-
! ing valley OF the Mississippi She occupies
the position through which all the great
lines of railway must of necessity pass
which carry the merchandise and manufac-
tured products Of the East to the vast
prairies and manufacturing districts of the
| West, and in exchange therefor transport
the surplus grain and live stock of the
| great basin which lies in grandeur and
| TlCUIIcSS UCbWtcI bnC AllcHuClIy IlOChy
| Mountains. Washed by the waters of the
lakes on the north, and by those of the
beautiful Ohio on the east and. south-her
position may be truly said to be not only
great but enUia6le. Her geographical posi-
ton is such that nearly all the emigrants
from the old world who pass west of the
Atlantic cities in search of home in this
once happy, and trust soon to be reunited,
country, y,mustnecessarilyp pass through it,and
may we not reasonably suppose that many
of them will be attracted by her fertile soil
--her mineral wealth-her political power
her free Institutions intelligent peO-
| pie, and last, though not least, by her 1885,,
600 Democratic voters-and by reason tnere-
of, cast their fortunes with us, and in due
time become part of us, and thus aid in the
development of the yet undevoloped treas
ures which lie concealed in her hills and
valleys-and which, like the marble in the
quarry, may be found in her almost un-
broken forests of the Northwest. Ohio,
| with her two thousand school houses, her
numerous Colleges and Seminarics of
| learning, her Churches and Benevolent In
stitutions, her Railroads and Canals, her in
eXhaustible and truly fertile soil, stands
preeuinently the keystone to the national
arch, and, in my judgment, it would be do
| ing no I'M ustice il that title were transferred
from our sister State of Pennsylvania to our
own beloved Ohio. She is now the third
State in the Union, and in her onward march
will doubtless soon outstrip those now in
advance, and stand ere long in the front
rank.
Great in her 10000 Democratic voters
what proud record! what a consoling re-
| Election! what high compliment to our
gallant champion, Gen. q. w. Morgan! AL
though defeat stared the Democracy in the
face, although his competitor was the mill
| tary commander of the District, drawing a
Major Generals pay, and clothed with
plenary powers, Gen. Morgan qnailed not,
but like gallant soldier, marshaled his
forces, and whilst he hurled shot and shell,
| grape and shrapnell, into the ranks of the
foe, was only vanquished by superior num-
bers. Three times within the last
thirty-four years, has Ohio cast her vote
dency-once for Jackson, once for Cass,
and once for Pearce. May we not reasona-
bly, hope that by judicious course on the
part OF the Democracy, with sound plat
form and sound candidates In 1868, Ohio will
| again be found numbered amongst the list
of Democratic States? Nay, more; may
we not rightfttly claim that the Democratic
nominee shall be son of Ohio? We are
entitled to it. Ohio has never been honor
ed with Democratic candidate for that
| high office, although her Democracy have
many sons who would do honor to the ex-
alted position, although her gallant Democ-
racy have never faltered in the darkest
| days of the nations trials. Her brave BOYS,
| to the number of more than two hundred
thousand, went forth to battle for the glori-
GUS flag we all love so well, many of whom
now sleep in soldiers graves, although her
statesmen have stood, in days past, as a
| break-water between the SeceSsionists of the
South and the Abolitonists of the North
(who are worse than the secessionists), and
have gone down, for time at least, beneath
the waves of fanaticism which have swept
over her political surface. Notwithstanding
all this, she has been studiously passed by.
Let 1t not be so in the future. With
proper organizaton, competent leader,
and the ranks in good fighting trim, in
stead of $4,000 Democratic votes, the num-
Der will be swelled to 250,000-whieh will
insure us a glorious triumph, and victory
will again perch upon our banners,-
Then, and not till then, we may look
for the return of the better days of the Re-
public, when Massachusetts had her Web
ster; Michigan, her Cass; Kentucky, her Clay;
New York, her Silas Wright; Missouri, her
Benton; Texas, her Houston;i Illinois, her
Douglas, and ohio-glorious Ohio = her
Allen. ~ -.''A'..'' 'l. org 'fH e'i1tI s-aIj