Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-20
FROM MANSFIELD.
Republican Mass Meeting at Mans.
field. F.

field.
Correspondence of Ohio Statesman
You were promised report of this meet
ing by express, and it would have been 50
sent, instead of by mail, had the import
ance of the occasion warranted 1t. This
''mass meeting" was one of the state ap-
pointments for Gen. John e. Lee, Repub-
lican candidate Ior Lieutenant Governor,
and Congressman Hamilton, and was wide
ly advertised. Last Tuesday afternoon it
rained handsomely, and oats harvest being
nearly over, and Wednesday being splen-
did day, made it fine time for a political
gathering. Although the time was favor
able enough, the people were not. The
enthusiasm of the Radicals had so waned
that their leaders backed square out of a
day meeting, and night meeting only was
concluded on. Evening had come, but the
yeomanry from the rural districts didn't;
in fact, not farmer, not farmers vehicle
or horse was to be seen. A fife and two
drums were heard. and folks then inquired
what was going on, and on being told that
Radical meeting was going off, small
crowd, which included your correspondent,
went into Miller's Hall, where Gen. McCook
had addressed Democratic night meet
| ing over week before. Our crowd was a
big accession to the one in the Hall. At no
time in the evening did the audience num-
ber as many as McCook's. He had two
thirds more lady hearers. At his meeting
the heat was so intense that it would have
delighted Satan himself. Wednesday night
was comfortable and pleasant. @
Only one speaker came, and that was
General Lee. He said that the Republi-
cans believed in the sovereignty of the
Federal lGovernment,a and that the Democrats
believed in State rights and that there
was nothing to forbid secession; that the
Democrats were the cause of the war, &c.
AS these profundities did not seem to sat
isfy or enthuse the meeting, he began on
supper, or had heavy job of up hill work
on hand. He would like to see Ohio Demo-
Gratis tax U. S. bonds and himself the law
yer TO enjoin the tax collection. AS this
did not bring applause, 1 thought that
some day he might get many such profess
sional retainers. He then brought up the
.'nigger" as reserve. He said that " the
$500 colored men of Ohio a0ere better fitted to
oote than the same number of aohites man,
times told" That the blacklist, the thickest
Tipped, wooliest and longest heeled Negro
of the Union army was better fitted and
entitled to vote than the tallest and best
educated Rebel. The "nigger" brought
Int 1ryhap c,,f
trage was mentioned, part of the Republi-
cans looked bored. The war, and what
the Democrats did for it, was the last re-
serve and was mainly dwelt on, it seemed
to me, in order to divert from the live is
sues, and to awaken the vindictive party
spirit of the war. Ever and anon
Judge Thurman, and one whom the speaker
s0ittily (?) termed "Vallanding-ham- tuden-
ham," appeared to haunt the General like
ghosts. He spoke his piece in an hour and
quarter, and then called for Senator Sher-
man. who was present.
Our distinguished fellow-ci citizen, having
Ranney on the brain, was indisposed to talk
long, not being quite ready to answer Judge
Ranney's argument here of the 9th inst.
which the Senator heard. Our illustrious
townsman said Ohio couldn't tax U. S
bonds, but Congress could. But he, as a mem
Der of the federal legislature, prudently gaze nc
reason eohy Congress didn't tao them. In de-
fiance of good taste, he used the term "Cop-
perhead" continually.
The meeting was not satisfactory to the
Radicals. The Negroes present did not
give it SO much eclat as color.
SHAWN