Nebraska advertiser., 1867-10-17
Speech of Senator Thayer In Ohio

Speech Of Senator Thayer In Ohio.
From Cincinnati Gazette.l
Saturday was a lively Gay for the Re-
publicans of Hamilton county and the city
of Cincinnati. BY a fortunate arrange
ment of the appointments, of our United
State Senators, it happened that the
Hons, Wade and Sherman could
spend the day and night with US, and
their services were used to some purpose.
In addition to them, the Campaign Com
mittee secured the presence of Gen. John
NJ. Thayer, United States Senator of Ne.
braska, a man of fine appearance and a
good speaker.
Hon. Ben. Eggles.on being presented
by the President, thus introduced Gen.
Thayer as the first speaker:
We have here to-day Ohio's two dis
tinguished Senators-men who have moi
quite grown gray in the service, but are
now in their fulness of manhood, battle
ing in the cause of freedom and liberty.
In addition to the Ohio Senators, we have
a distinguished gentleman who fought
bravely in tho cause Of liberty and free
government during the rebellion, and as
a reward for his services he was sent
from the yeung State of Nebraska to
represent her in the Senate of the
United States. That gentleman will adj
dress you first this morning; and l have
the pleasure of introducing to you Gen.
Thayer, the live Senator from the State
of Nebraska.
GEN.. THAYER's SPEECH.
1 suppose. my friends that your deep
interest in public affairs has drawn you
tog ether to-day, to try those issues which
are now pending before the American
people. When the conflict of arms ceas-
ed, in 1865, you and the people of every
other city in the State of Ohio, and every
other loyal state, had reason for believ-
ing that you had achieved a victory which
would be lasting-that your arms had
triumphed-tEat the rebels of the South
had submitted to the Government of the
country, but it seems that it was other.
wise disposed. The conflict was only
transferred from the field to the ballot box
and the issue had to be tried there again
IN the autumn of 1866. The question
then really was whether we were the
c~Onquerors, or whether we must receive
terms from the conquered. Such was the
issue then presented, which resulted
directly from the detection Of one who
had been honored by the suffrages os the
loyal people Of the loyal States. | mean
Andrew johnson. BY his detection, the
rebels in 1865 were led TO claim that
they were the %victors; that they would
come Into Congress TO make laws and
dictate the terms to the people who had
shed so much blood and expended SC
much treasure TO preserve the Govern
ment.
WHO SHALL RULE--REBEL OR LOYAL MEN
One might have supposed, after the
verdict was pronounced in 1866, that An
drew Johnson would have submitted tC
it that he would have submitted to q YER
dict so pronounced, so decided, and thai
never again should the American people
have been insulted with my policy
When the thunder notes of victory rolled
from afar off, all along the line of the
Pacific coast In the autumn of 1866, de.
claring that "my policy" was condemned
by the American people, one would have
supposed that a man who had professed
so much regard for the people would
have yielded up his policy. and would
have submitted TO the fiat of the Ameri.
can people. But no. Il seems we are
again to try the same issue-we are
again to try the issue whether the will Of
the American people, as expressed
through the loyal Congress, shall prevail
or whether this one mans will shall sub
vert and overthrow The expressed voice
Of the American people. The question
to-day is whether loyalty shall contrnl
the destinies of this nation, or whether
rebels who fought through four years Of
war to overthrow the Government, aided
by a man who, in an evil hour, was pla-
ced on the Republican ticket, and theI
through the act of an assassin became
Chief Magistrate of this nation. That j;
really the question to-day whether you
who gave your sons and husbands, aye.
whether you who fought the battles tC
preserve the nations life shall still control
the destinies Of this nation, or whether
you shall yield up all the results of the
war and try the issue over again. / say
these are the issues of the present hour
Now, my friends what has been the re.
cord of the two parties of this country
the Republican party and the Democrat
&c party? / say that a party is to be
Judged by Its record. If it is found true
If It has been true to It's professed prin.
ciple, if it has stood by the Government
In all these years of its trial, if It has de.
veloped and shown its loyalty, that party
is the one to be entrusted with the direc.
ton Of public effairs. Now, has not tha
been the record Of the Republican party