The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-08-15
The Great Speech
van AllLN i. 8. TTEsusn AN
vHaYhHfS Ar wAYERLY, oHlo, ON TnE
p 9th INSTANT.
M. PreIt3e1t and Fello,eF pitixens

80 fInat 70 iatio li ----- 81 if1Hrrtr no
Ar. Prettoe1t and Feilo,e pitixens.
Thirty three years ag), and in this
county, / made my first political
speech. / vas then beardless youth.
mot yet eotitled TO vote. WHAT / then
said ihassl longi 1since passed from my
recollection; but the kindness with
(which 4 was received and listened TO.
.tcan never forget Most ofthose who
then heard me have pissed away from
earth, aud Inow stand In the presence
Of new generation. But feel that
am aow, ,as ITwas then, surrounded By
friends, and that the same kindness
shat was bestowed upon mo by the
fathers will be shown to me by their
sonsl~t y MO OEl VI T.
What change these D thirty .thrcs
years have produced. When / spoke
70 your fathers we wore by far tho
freert people in the world-now abso-.
,hits despotism prevails over one-tbird
Of the Republic. Then, tie Constith.
Non Of our coun ry was regarded as
only less sacred than Holy Writ-now
outside OF the Democratic party, there
II none so poor as o.do il reverence. =
Then the great pcineiples of American
liberty were universally cherishct---
now. they are openly scohcd at md
troddca under foot. Then, a violation
OF the constitutional saftgu,T,is Of
rpblic and individual freedom was a
thinE uDknvwn--nowi they have been
violated 30 often that. Them very Hexis-
tenco is scarcely acknowledged.
Then we were the least indebted
country on the globe--our hationa,
'debt being lets than ok mIllions--now +,
we owe more than any other equal
number of mankind, and our public
debtexeeeds $1,000, 900, 900
2n hen, we were tho lightest taxed
peopie in tho wcrld-ncw, no other na.
stion Eroans under burthen OF taxa
ticn equal 10 ours. . hen we had ~
currency ofgold and silver or Oh, IL
equlvaiept-now we have rags and
ouly rags. Then, tn. balance of trade
with other countriesTwas nearly equal
now IL is against us 10 more than II
Hundred millions Of dollars year
Then, twenty five millions per annum
covored our expenses of Government
aud tho interest on the public debt
nov ,,we l,ny nearly 100000, 900 every.
year, Rud are, nevertheless, running
farther into debt every day.
n. III snort, we then had u Constitu-
tional Government, administered upon
Democratic lpiiaciples--uOw, we
have an Abolition Government, Nd.
ministered upon Abolition principles,
by fragment Of a Congress and five
military diotators. @e ~ e-a
My friends, there |as time, loss
than thirty threo years ago, when to
love and, obey the Constitutionwas re
garded IN tho .hghest eharacterIstic OF
patriot-now,l TO. even mention It
with respect is to bring down upon
your head tho appellstion of traitor.
Have you considered what this change
sportends? Have you reflected upon
Tho fact that aside from your strong
arms the oply guarantees you have OF
lifee liberty and property, are contain
cd in your Constitutions 2 ffa @r
What isit that secures your lives from
beng taken AT the mere will of a des,
pot2 The lite of II subject can DO thur
fAken in Turkey or Russia, and why
not here Because our Constitutions
forbid Vt. Whatis il that sacuiSis your
person from imprisononment at The
pleasure ora dictator2 There is M
such security IN very many countrict
why is there hero2 Because you
Consultations forbid it.
What is il that, secures yen in th'
.agqpiRition, enjoyment apd disposition
OF prcperty2
In a large part of the globe there i
no ouch .seehrity.- why Ia there here
Because your Constitutions declare u
What is it that secures the minorit,
from being 'rampled npon by the ma
iority2 There is no such Tsecurit,
whore there are no rsstrictipna upo
power; then why la athera .hereH Be
cause your Consultations forbid.
lie, then, who undermmes the re
spect Of the people for their Consttu
tions, undermines their security ia
life. liberty1 md property. He VIII
treats he words CbnstilutioHalist an
traitor as synonymous, hs meaning tn
same thing, is himselfa trpilorora foo
Understand me. my friends, do M
cay that any Constitution can, Of 1T
eelt, secure tho people from oppresslol
We have ample proc, Of this IN II
history Of the last six years. Thcl
have never heen Constitutions TIN
guaranteed thegrghts of man m, !
plainly thAn do ours, and there ha,
never been Constitutions more sham
faily Violated. Our Federal Constit
ton provides that-the Congress shH
be composed If Senptors and. Rspr
scntatives from all n States and y
ton States are depEivod of any repv,
sentation, and two cthvrs partially d'
privod, It provides that no billehS
bccoule a law withont tho Presldei,,