Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1866-01-18

Franklin Democratic Association
IN COLUMBUS,
ON saturday Evening, Jan. q, ,G6.
Thanks, Fellow Citizens for your wei
come on this occasion; thanks for the evi.
dcnce of confidence 80 lately and so kindly
expressed at the balot-box.
To Columbus, the world is indebted for
the discovery Of Continent, which has
been the cradle, but which may yet become
the tomb, of liberty-your beautiful city is
worthy Of the name. Franklin-philos-
opher and statcsman--drew fire from the
Heavens, and trained and subdued the
lightnings, which have since been taught to
whisper messages across the Coptinent-im-
mortality to Franklin all honor to the gal
liant county which bears his name
! come, citizens, in compliance with your
Wishes to consult with you relative to GER
tain of the affairs of our State and Nation;
and do so with the greater pleasure because
in this moment Of calm, the mind is prepared
to listen with candor and decide with JUS
tice upon questions which may be submitted
for consideration. And con.urc you cit
izens, one and all, to forget partisan preju-
diccs and remember only that we are all
| Ohloans, all Americans, all Countrymen !;
with common hopes, common interests and
a common destiny
In all ages, the dcmagogue has been the
same: ambitious o I place and power, and re-
gardless ofright conscious of his own un-
worthiness-he desires to make better men
appear unworthy as himself and seeks to
inhamc the public mind and rouse the evil
passions of the heart that the victims of his
deception may be blindly led to their de-
struction.
| Against such men, citizens, ! bid you be-
ware; they are your enemies--they are the
enemies Of free institutions. And if civil
liberty be subycrtcd, and from a race offrcc
men, we degenerate into Il race Of slaves, it
will be owing to the fact that we, as people,
mistook party for country and prejudice
for patriotism.
Undoubtedly said Daniel Webster, "ii
our political system should be overthrown,
it will bc the work Of excessive party spirit
acting on the Government, which is danger.
Gus enough, or acting in the Government
which is a thousand times more dangerous:
for Government then becomes nothing but
organized party, and in the vicissitudes OF
human affairs, it may come at last, perhaps,
to exhibit the singular paradox Of Govern.
ment itself being in opposition to it's own
powers at war with the very clements of
its own existence. Such cases are hopeless.
AS men may be protected against murder,
but cannot be guarded against suicide, so
! Government may be shielded from external
| foes, but nothing can save it, when it
chooses to lay violent hands on itself. "
! With what vividness does the language of
he great orator portray the danger in which
the government Is involved by the paricidal
2 .l,,..4 Il.
cohduct OF the present Congress; where one
OF the branches or the 'Goyernment has
become nothing but organized party. But
why does the danger exist! because the
same party has an overwhelnlng majority
lnboth branches or the National Legislature,
ana there Is no check against corruption or
the dellrium OF partisan madness.
Inc great ana good ashlngton. IN his
farewell address, thus warns us against the
excess "t party spirit: 1T serves, he says,
always to distract puollc councils, and en-
leeple the puphc AdmlhiStration' iS, 1t agi-
tateS t1e community wi'hi,I-toundedl Jealous
OF one party against another, ana 1omeh'S
there heinz constant danger of excess the
effort ought to be be by force of puhlic oniu.
ion to mitigate and assuage it. -
| Deeply impressed, citizens with the wis
dom Of these precepts | will endeavor to
approach the subject of my discourse with
spirit of sincerity worthy of the grave
topics to which your attention will be in.
vited.
It's NV purposc. citizens. TO state facts.
rather than suggest remedies-to ask by
what means our country can obtain relief
rather than propose any plan of nv own.
. There are no fctters which shackle an in
/ dividua like heavy indebtedness. and when
upon that debt, not only usury but com
pound interest is exacted, the ruin of the
unfortunate debtor NAV be calculated upou
with certaintv-the creditor who receives
the usurv becomes rich. but the debtor who
paws it. is hopolesSly ruined And what is
| true toan individual is NOT less so when an.
plie9 TO n Nation. Which is bnt an Assem-
| blore of many ind;vidnojs
In his esteemed VOL on sorbo yooIth nj
Nations " the cnl,brntcJ Adam Sm;tb ro "
marks tbot the ''nro~ress If tbn enormon,
dohts which at nrnsont onnroSs @ and vii III; IN
thc Iono RIM nroh,hlv min ali tbn %ro.t n,.
tions Of Enrora Lo: Lcrn nre,t,, ,,5,it'r,,,
1''''' '"'O'"''
THE DEBTS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND TIL
UNITED STATES COMPARED.
One hundred and ninety eight years ago,
/ the foundation of the funded debts of Great
| Britain was laid, and to-day it amounts to
eight hundred and five million pounds ster-
hing, equal in our currency to three thou
sand eight hundred and nInety-six millions
two hundred thousand dollars, and draws
/ i..N.., t.a... H.. H..