Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-02
Answer of Judge u. HemPstead,
TO an InvitatiOn 10 Preside al the
Meeting 10 be Held AT WaverIy,
August 5th,

1
he present and preside at the opening of
the campaign at Waverly, Aug. 9th, has
been received.
| Permit me to express to you, and those
you represent, my thanks for this mark of
| your confidence.
Owing to the impaired state of my health
under ordinary circumstances could not
accede to your request. But feel that at
this important crisis in our affairs no one
should refuse to labor in any direction that
good can be accomplished.
You have assumed to judge for me
in the premises, and shall therefore accept
| your invitation.
| feel grateful to you for your very COM
| plimentary expressions, as to my past and
| present position politically, and indulge
in the hope that those with whom have
heretofore been associated politically will
generally award TO me the same degree of
sincerity. r..e
Having been what might very properly
be termed an ardent Republican, from the
time of the organization of that party up to
the time, that Lconceived to be its de-
parture from the principles upon which 1t
was founded, in assuming my present posi-
ton / feel truly mortiti I'd that numbers OF
my former political friends refuse to ac-
knowledge the sincerity of my convictions
f. as to what l deem necessary to perpetuate
our free Institutions. H
: Until l assumed my present position,
could not realize the tendency of many OF
my political associates to intolerance, and
J 1 have deemed it but justice to myself and
my friends to avail myself of this oppor-
tunity of expressing briefly my reasons for
opposing the men and measures of the Re-
publican party.
You are aware, gentlemen, that was a
resident of this locality at the time of the
formation of this county, and by the kind
I ~. II: 81 r,@vA I, hoo
I permitted to act in an official capacity the
greater portion of my lite.
During all this time 1 tried to divest my
| self of partisan prejudices and adopt that
! line of policy which L deemed best calcu-
lated to secure happiness and prosperity
for the people; and moreover endeavored
to be close observer of the practical work
ings of our Government, and whilst acting
as a Jealous partizan of the Wing
! and Republican parties always endeavored
to accord the same sincereity to my friends
and neighbors that | claimed for myself.
And now having arrived at the period in
my life where personal aspirations are at
| an end, deem it no assumption in me to
/ assert, that all the ambition L now have is
I, to transmit to pOsterity the Government of
| our Fathers i'm like form that it was be-
| slowed upon us.
| 1 cannot accede to the politicians of the
| present day superior wisdom to those who
A
/ it so successfully. On the contrary the in
/ novations of our modern statesmen in my
3 humble opinion have had tendency to
: disorganize our system, and threatens 1t
; with total annihilation, and desire to per-.
! petuate our original form of Government,
f: and with this object solely in view severed
I nv association with the Republican party.
4 Congress has undoubtedly assumed un-
i warranted powers, and has demonstrated
that it is as incapable of governing itself
and the country as the rebels are of gov
/ erning the South.
| cannot comprehend how we are to have
a free and independent government, when
/ the people of States are denied the right of
| self-government and are placed tempora-
| rily in charge of the military for the pur-
pose of transferring the government OF
those States permanently to the blacks.
The idea of maintaining banking sys-
tenn that is perfectly useless to the Govern
ment and the people, and inures only to
! the benefit of the stockholders of those in
stitutions, at a public expense of twenty
i millions per year; and at time too when
taxation is positively oppressive, is so in
compatible with the principles of our Gov
ernmeGt, that L feel it to be the duty of
every citizen to see that this canker upon
the treasury is removed at once.
| have looked in vain for an answer tend
ing to show the impracticability of supply
ing greenbacks to the full extent of the de-
mand for currency, thereby absorbing the
interest bearing bonds, which, if not dis
posed of by some means different from the
present policy, must inevitably bankrupt
the country.
| Intimately connected with this subject is
the question of expenditures by the Gov
ernment. --.
Military districts have been constructed
in open violation of the organic law, and
the rights of the people have been made
j iAanpnlant
manders who are naturally repulsive to
the people of their districts. These COM
manders are sustained by princely salaries,
i invested with large political contingent
fund, and are indulging in all the eXcesses
of Lords and Emperors, and thereby rem
dering themselves despots in the most
hateful sense of the term.
1t is true the people OF the South are
conquered, but if they can be educated
tamely to bear with such conduct on the
part of the officials OF the Government and
be converted to such political faith, we,
as their kindred, will be compelled to ac-
knowledge the imbecility of our race and
our inability to maintain self-government
The frauds and populations upon the
| Treasury are unprecedented in the history
of nations. But time will not permit me
1 to refer to facts and figures in detail. 1t is
sufficient to assert that it is an incontro-
| Vertible truth that these things are increas
ing instead of diminishing, and the past
demonstrates that there can be no reform
/ effected except by a change of officials.
L have referred briefly to these important
facts as indicative OF my reasons for my
present course.
But there are two other matters I deem
of still more importance. One is the ten
dency to deny the right to fair and i'm
partial trial for crimes by jury.
! 1t is true that this threatened evil is yet
in its infancy, but precedents by the high
est authority have been established and so
long as these precedents remain the danger
is imminent that upon one preteXt and
another they will be followed until militia
ry commissions will become powerful in
struments of political retaliation.
There can be no excuse for the violation
OF the legal rights of citizens.
If our form of government is inadequate
to furnish remedy for every wrong, the
lsooner we acknowledge it; and adopt a
form that will provide adequate remedies
the better. .r... ..u.
1t is apparent to me that it is the solemn
duty of every good citizen to aid in erasing
these precedents and wrestling the power
of the Government from the hands of those
who refuse to be circumscribed in their Of
ticial action by the laws of the country.
The other question is that OF Negro Suf-
trage.
A political heresy, devoid of a single
plausible argument for its defence. A
measure foisted upon the party by fanatical
leaders as stepping stone to power.
L shall not detain you with any detail of
my views upon this subject.
1t is sufficient for me to say,that amongst
all my former political associates who now
assume to favor this measure, there is not
one who did not formerly repel the accusa-
ton of being, or intending to be, what they
now profess, with anger and denuncia-
ton that this assertion was an infamous
falsehood. have so denied it repeatedly,
and at times, too; when my good nature
forsook me. The only difference between
me and nv former associates now is, l still