The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1866-06-07
Mistellaneolts.
SPEECH OF
SPEECH OF II
HON. GEORGE H. PENDLETON
DELIVERED AT THE
Democratic State Convention held
at Columbus on the Oath ult.

Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the Con-
vention:
/ congratulate you on the results
of your deliberations-the wisdom
and harmony of your action. The
questions submitted to the people
are too grave, the results of their
determination upon the public lib
critics are too momentous to per-
NIT the indulgence of premature
or vain exultation; but the scenes
we have witnessed to-day may well
inspire our hearts with courage
and zeal and hope for the future.
Another year has rolled around,
and the Democratic party is called
again into council. AS you see, it
has come with its strength undi-
minished-its spirit unimpaired-
its zeal unabated-its fidelity to its
principles unshaken-with its or
ganization as perfect and It's num-
bers still greater than ever before.
1t is the party whose origin is CO.
eval with that of the Government
the same party which Jefferson
founded, and Madison organized
and strengthened, and which, by
its self-denying and just admins.
tration Of the limited powers grant
ed to the Federal Government has,
during the largest portion of om
history, secured an unparalleled
measure of order and peace and
prosperity and liberty.
| love the Democratic party. I
admire its organization and discip-
line. l honor the name and fame
of its founders. | revere its prin-
ciples, so broad in their applica-
ton and so beneficent in their in
fluence, that in all this land-dis-
severed as these States now are
there is not State, nor county, nor
township, nor town, nor family, nor
house-from the Lakes to the Gulf
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
in which, it has not a eplesenta-
tive and a member. ! Irevere the
wisdom which could mark with
such unerring accuracy the true
limits of the powers granted and
the powers reserved, and could in
practice with such fidelity establish
them; which could make from the
discord of States then contentious
the harmonies of confederation,
whose powers were confined to in
ternational and Interstate affairs,
while to the States was left the en-
tire guardianship of the rights, the
liberties and the political status of
its citizens. And l believe it is
only by adhering more closely to
the teachings of its precepts and
example that We may have the
least hope of preserving our Gov
eminent from the perils of consol-
idated despotism on the one hand,
or Of lawless anarchy on the other.
The party is the same; its princi-
pies and convictions are the same;
they will continue as long as the
Government shall endure, but each
day and year produce their ques-
tions to be answered, their prob
lens to be solved-and thus, while
parties and principles remain, pol
icies change. The duty of the
hour is to meet the questions OF
the hour, and to modify the appli-
cation of principles, as the exigen-
cy of the times may require.
The question of to-day is Union
or Disunion-the old Constitution
or a new Constitution-the old
Government as our Fathers gave it
to us, or revolution and change, and
a new system. The Constitution is
in danger. The Union is broken,
not by the collision of arms, but
by the political action of parties.
Its enemies are in the high places
OF poWer--they sit in the seats OF
the Capitol-they have their grasp
upon its throat-they throttle it to
the agonies of dissolution. The
President confronts them-and the
question presented to-day to the
Democratic party and the people
of Ohio, is simply this, whether
they will support the President in
his effort to maintain or the Con-
gress in its effort to overthrow the
; Government The Constitution
grants certain powers to the FEEDER
al Government. 1t reserves all
other powers to the States, and
guarantees certain rights to the
people. The same powers were
granted alike by all the States.
The same powers were preserved
alike to all the States. The same
rights were guaranteed to the peo-
pie of all the States. The States
are equal. They were eoual be-