Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-30
rFrom the Cincinnati Commercially
f S p E &c II
JUDGE ALLEN.G G. THURMAN,
Wapakoneta, Auglaize County.
'','- AUGUsT go.
WApAKoNRrA, AUGLA1zE Co, Aug. 27.

ed out IN force TO hear THE Issues of the
hour discussed by their candidate for Gov
ernor, Judge Allen g. Thurman. The
Governor spoke in a beautiful grove, near
the town, to about two thousand people,
including a number of ladies' His re-
marks were well received and frequently
applauded. arf Hi1TH2 J'7dh ''i tlH'
THE meeting was organized by the ap-
pointment of Col. G. w. Andrews, of Wa
pakoneta, as Chairman, who said, that be-
fore introducing Judge Thurman; he wish
ed to say few words in regard to per-
sonal reflection upon Mrs. Judge Thurman,
which had been lately published imseveral
Republican newspapers, to the effect that
she had visited rebel prisoners in 1852, at
Camp Chase, near Columbus, and attempt
ed to furnish them delicacies, extended
sympathy, &c. The Colonel said that tenn
porarily, during that year, he happened to
be in command of the Camp In question,
and during that time Mrs. Judge Thurman
visited the Camp, but only as other per-
sons visited it, and that the assertion that
she had visited the Camp to render assist
ance ITO rebels was without foundation,
though perhaps those who had made the
assertion believed it to be true. He wish
ed. however, to contradict the statement
and to say that it was merely fabrica-
ton. lral3F'ii % 5Hhi s.'o HH'.
The Chairman then introduced Judge
Thurman, who spoke as follows:f
JUDGE THURMAN's SPEECH.
Mr., CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLE
MEN, have many a time, in long
experience, had the pleasure OF meeting
with my felloW-citiZens, AZ but L have
never experienced more pleasure than do,
now in meeting, for the first, time in my
life, the noble Democracy of this goodly
county of Auglaize; and 1 shall endeavor
to repay the kindness with which you have
honored me by coming to-day to listen to
what have to say, by speaking to you in
such manner as shall commend itself to
your judgment, whatever may be its fee
bleness in execution. ...-- ....- -
come before you, my friends, to speak
upon some of the great questions that con-
Germ our common country; say to speak
upon some of them, for no man in the lin
its of single speech could speak upon all
of them. shall, therefore, have to leave
some topics entirely untouched, and deal
with others in very brief and cursory
manner, leaving to those who are to follow
me TO treat them more fully, if they see fit
to notice them at all. Upon the themes
as fully and as candidly as it is possible for
me to do within the proper limits OF sim
gle speech. .srr i IL. .4rfifss-.
PERSONALITIES TO BE AVOIDED.
But before begin to speak upon the
questions intend to discuss, desire to say
what do not come to speak upon. do
not come to defend myself against any of
the miserable personalities that have been
uttered or published against me. All that
own in the world every near relative that
havein the world, except one; my wife and
ctiIdIen my whole family are in this State
of Ohio; and if have lived here for forty
seven years, and been somewhat known to
the people of this State by reason of their
Kindness, as a1awyer and a member ofyour
Congress, as Judge of your Supreme
Court, and as private citizen, If l have
lived here to so little purpose that Thave to
defend myselfa gaihst the miserable charges
of treason and the like, made against me,
the mere slang words of political stumpers,
without ideas and without argument, why
/ then / have lived to very little purpose
And what foolish thing it would be-
Why. If l were to put down to-day in the
most conclusive manner one of these slam
iders that sun would not have set behind
the western horizon before twenty Others
would be invented against me; and who
ever thinks am so utterly green as to
waste my time and weary my strength by
| speaking upon such topics as those. pays
the poorest compliment to my understand
ing that ever has been paid to it yet; and
whoever thinks that | am going to ask an
audience of the people of OHIO, who are SO
deeply concerned in the dangerous condi-
I
hearing me discuss any thing about myself
personally. pays as poor a tribute to my
understanding as it would be possible tC
pay, for we are in a crisis that demands Of
the people their most careful and deliber-
ate consideration. We are in a crisis which
demands every speaker who aspires to ad.
dress the people, to address them with facts
and with arguments, and not to occupy
their time with frivolty or denunciation.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEEDS NO DEFENSE
Nor. am l here, my friends, for the pur
pose of defending the Democratic party
aud that for the very plain reason that i
needs no defense. l am not here to trea
this great old party as if 1t were criminal
and | a lawyer defending it before any ba
! whatsoever. For nearly fifty years ou
party administered the Government of thi
4 country, and in all that time there prevail
ed within our limits the prOfoundest do
mestic peace the world ever saw; in al
that time the Constitution of our common
: country was obeyed by the Government
and furnished the rule of its action in al
that time no man in all the length ant
breadth of the republic lost his life for
political offense; In all that time no maj
was deprived of life, liberty or property
without due process of law; in all tina
time no law was passed or act done to re
strain the free exercise of our holy religion
in all that time freedom of speech and o
the press was never intertered with eithe
I by the Government or by the people; il
all that time we were the least indebted ant
the most lightly taxed people on the fac
: of the earth; aud in all that time the SUI
] in his annual round shone on no part o
the earth that exhibited such advancement
in civilization, such advancement in pros
f perity, ard so glorious and happy and con
tented people as ours. That was wha
/ this country was under Democratic rule
4 |, NsFaff 30 oh,
0 as that needs no defense. I will not sal
9 what this country has become since powe
!, passed from our hands, but yet ma,
briefly remark that when we lost powe
then peace departed from the land; whel
we lost power then came an indebtedness
such as the world never before. saw; ther
. came taxation such as no people eve
grosned under before; then came tn
silencing of ministers of the gospel
of public speakers, and the pub
lie press; then came the bastile and ban
ishment, where bastiles and banishmen
were never heard of before; and then cam
suffering among the people such as thi
continent never witnessed, and / trust i
God never will witness again. Now. m
friends, l say once more, that this party o
ours needs no defense. -.f
: d ... THE RECORD OF THE PAST. ..r
: But these Radical speakers say, "Yer
Thurman, Pendleton,F Vailandigham, an
the rest of you"-for they are particularl
glad to couple our names together and 4
am sure l am not ashamed of it [laughte
and voices, No,"l-"are seeking to aVoi
4 any inspection of the record of the past
= s'You seek to avoid it,' says Mr.. Senate
: Wade, in that exquisitely courteous an
. chaste style for which he is remarkabl,
y .'for the same reason that a horse thief seeB
to ignore the past, and asks that all ma
!. be forgotten and forgiven."f Laughter
! Well, now, before Iget through will Ii
e Mr. Benjamin F. Wade know, and all VIII
Z make similar charge, that forone Il al
y not afraid to look into the record of th
; past. And first, / give him and all ofSthel