The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-11-28
apEECH OF JUDGE THURMAN
AT COLUMBUS, OHIO,
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER Cru, 1867.


My FRIENDS I'VE have ASSEMBLIES
ia commemorate a series OF victorie
achieved ut the ballot boX-victoflc
that caused no tears or blood to flow
but yet are Us potent as many that hay
been won by arms. The soldier VIII
dcvotes himself to his country deserve
and receives our grateful applause
And the citizen, who casts his ballo
with an eye single to his country's wei
fare, also merits our heartfelt common
dation. Itis said Of the latter that W.
are to speak tonight. We meet tc
give praise to our brethren, from Maine
to California, for what they have done
this year to free the land from the fet'
ters Of ~dcspotism, to rescue the Con
stitution Of our fathers from impcnd-
ing destruction, to secure to lis and oul
postcrity a future Of freedom and hap
pinoss. And we meet to rejoice ovel
this grand work; to rejoice as the pa.
triotic and wise rejoice, not cXtrava.
gansly and i~nsultingly, but as men who
have escaped Il dire calamity and arc
profoundly grateful for their escape
us Democrats, who believe that what
is best for Us is best for all the people.
And have we not cause to rejoice I
Twelve months ago a dark pail seemed
to cover the Republic 1t seemed as ii
majority Of the people preferred 'lsur-
patton to constitutional government,
despotism to liberty, party to country.
The most sacred precepts of wisdom,
the ~profoundest teachings of history,
the most solemn utterances Of the il
lustrious dead, seemed to have lost all
their force. On all sides we heard it
said, sometimes openly, but oitener in
whispers, "the experiment Of self-gov
ernment has failed, the fate OF all 9th
er republics is ours free governments
have but.one destiny, and that is dca-
potism.'
Who will say so now? Some may
think so, because they wish it to be so.
Amiaes, ID quod volaat, Hjeater c G 'ant,
said Caesar Men willingly believe that
which they wish. But who that loves
American institutions will now say they
have failed? Some may still fear it,
but their fear is no longer despair. No
longer do we hear the cry, "Ali is
lost" No, thanks be to the Almighty,
we have escaped that degradation
And to whom under Providence are we
indebted for our escape? TO whom
but the Democratic party and the thou
sands Of patriotic men who have had
The moral courage to sever their Old
associations and unite with us. In the
gloomicst hours Of our history we
clung 70 the Constitution, though to do
so we brought down upon our heads
the Interest denunciati0n. We chung
TO it because we knew that with its de
strlction liberty would also be destroy
cd And we knew that when it should
cease to exist, the Union Of oar nth
crs would be forever gone. How com
pletely have ovr foresight and wisdom
been vindicated by events. We fore
told that the overthrow Of our instltli-
tions would be attempted. Five mill.
tary despotisms in the South proves
the truth Of the prophecy. We fore
told that an attempt would be made to
Africanizo one bird ofthc Republic
Ten States delivered oyertO negro rr!e,
and that rule enforced BY the bayone's,
attest II sagacity. We warned tht
people that local self government VAS
in danger. Ten States virtu lily blot.
ted out by Congressional enaetmcnts,
taxation without representation, mill
try commissions instead Of civil
courts, the State banks destroyed by
acts OF Congress, and the whole sub
ject Of the currency drawn within the.
province Of its legislation; bills pend
mo in Congress 10 take from all the
States their right to regulate the cleo
tive franchise, and to compel them to
allow the negro to vote, Il mighty ma
tional debt exempt from'local taxation,
4 system Of revenue the most linguistic
rial and vcXatious the world ever saw,
al immense standing army, composed
in part Of negro troops & navy large
aud powerful enough fora time OF war,
and a host Of office holders 50 great rs
almost to defy cnumcration--these,
end much more that might be mention
ed, show how w~eil-lUunded were our
lcars, and what mighty strides toward
Il consolidation OF Ill powers i'll the
hands of the Federal Government have
been taken within the last few years
But right across Tie march Of Tyranny
and oppression stands the Democratic
party, its ranks u%nbrokcn, its spirit I'M
subducd, its purpose unaltcrable. De
termined to preserve and perpetuate
free institutions, it toleratcs no such
word as fail. Bat q short time since it
was asked to disband. What unpreju-
diced and unsellish patriot would ask
that now? What wise man hut secs i'll
it the great conservator of well regula-
ted liberty?
NV friends, on the Sth Of January
last, / said to you that no party that
habitually disregard TIE Constitution
could long retain power in this coun-
try. Is not the truth Of that remark
being rerified--ve lied more rapidlyo
than the most hopeful ofus dared
expect? Look ut the elections of this
year--Connecticut, New York, New
Jersey, PennsylvaniH, Delaware, Mary
land, Kentucky, California, all redeem
ed-Ohio substantially 50. Every
,,ho,o cleo, whe.. tho DaIiut DON was
rec immense Democratic gains. Nay,
nyon in Massachusetts, u Conservative
cain of 10000 makes Radicalism trem-
lie in its very citadel. True,much re-
mains TO he done before the country
will have been rescued from the clutch
ogthc dcst oyer. But believe me, my
friends, It will be done. The people
were never more in earnest than they
$50 now Demago9ism, abuse, ana