The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-01-12
SPEECH OF C. |. VALLANDIGHAM
At ROssViIIe. Butler County, Ohio
October 4, 1865.

I am here as a Democrat, to address
Democrats, in support indeed of the pol
icy of the President as great living Is
sue of the hour, aud because that pulley
is thoroughly consistent With Democsatfc
principles, and because / could not ad-
dress to you DemoeFatie speech unless l
advocated the Union and tie Copstitu-
ton.
| am not here tonight as a Democrat
to eulogize the policy, or principles, or
personal attributes of Mr.. Lincoln. l
leave that entirely to those who supported
him during his administration, whether
they voted for him in 1860, or became
subsequently his friends. 1t Is not for
met is not for Democrats who opposed
him to argue that the present Executive
is but pursuing the line of policy pre-
scribed by Abraham LINCOLN. Neither
am here to assail men who were his
supporters, and whom | am accustomed
to hear denounced.
1t Is the fashion TO assail Beacher. and
Lloyd Garrison, aqd Wendell Phillips,
and Sumner, and Wade, and Stevens.
and score or two of others like them,
for their tanaticism, radicalism and vio-
lence; and for their disregard and con.
tempt for all the ancient and settled prip.
eiples snd institutions of the GoYernmenl
and the country. And yet they were the
men whose pioneering steps Lincoln,
more slowly in his own time, but most
surely in the end, followed till the close oi
his career. L viii not deponnce these
men and spare Lincoln.
1t is the fashion, or was till the other
day, to assail William II. Seward, because
it was he who spent lifetime IN creating
and gathering together the elements ol
fanatieal and sectional discord and strife
which burst, at last. with such desolaiine
fury all over the land he who, first ci
all men, proclaimed the doctrine OF the
"Higher Law" and of the lire pressible
Conflict )" be, who, schooled in the dey.
ilish politics of the Medici, the Macbia.
vels and the Richelieus OF Italy and France
ip the fifteenth agd sixteenth centuries
developed, complete in all its parts, in tbs
very first weeks of the late civil war, q
system of despotism and terror never ex
eeeded ip conception, detail or execution
IN ancient, oriental or medieval tyranny
he at whose instance the privilege of the
writ of habeas corpus was, by Executive
order, FIRST suspended, and the Supreme
Court and theGbief Justice set at def
ance he who first closed asd barred the
classmates of Forts Warren and Lafayett,
upon prisoners of State" and then b,
special order declared TO them that h
would Hnot recognize any one as an attor
ney for political prisoners" and would re
gard tue empl yment of counsel b,
them as ian additional reasons for declin
ing to release them p and finally, VIII
boasted to Lord Lyons, the British Min
igter, that he could touch bell at hi
right hand and arrest any man in Obi
at his will, aud toRch it agaiD and arres
another thousand miles distant in Mass
aehusetts, and then with charming affec
tation Of simplicity, which Sejanus 0
Godoy might have envied, asked hi
Lordship, "Cap Her Majesty do a
much z" And yet. for each aud ever,
one of these things, or in spite of them
was he applauded, honored, cherished a
his chief counsellor and friend, by Abra
ham Lincoln, to the day of his death.
will not condemn the servant and approx
the master. will not denounee Sewar,
and spare Lincoln.
It is the fashion to assail Edwin M
Stanton for his rudeness, his brutality
his cruelty, his reckless disregard of hu
man liberty, human suffering and humal
life for his heartless refusal TO exchang
prisoners duringthe war, Whence the hor
rors of fAndersonyille; and for thousaiIi,
other crimes and enormities by which hi
name and memory are blackened and dc
fled day by day, And yet Tor every on
of these, his characteristics, or In spite @
them, he, too, was retained in Office
honored and cherished as counsellor an
friend, by Abraham Lincoln, to the 'ho,ut
of his death. [ will not denounce Star
ton and spare Lincoln.
It is the fashion to assail Joseph Hol
for his merciless and cold -bIooded' pefst
/ I'ssfsJI. II F'