Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-11

office holders so great as almost to, defyI
enumeration-these, and much more that
might be mentioned, show how we'll found
ed were our fears and what mighty strides
toward consolidation of all powers in the
hands OF the Federal government have
been taken within the last few years. But
right across the march OF Tyranny and
Oppression, stands the Democratic party,
its ranks unbroken, its spirit unsubdued,
its purpose unalterable. Determined to |
preserve and perpetuate Free Institutions, |
it tolerates no such word as fail. But
short time since it was asked to disband.
What unprej JUDGED and unselfish patriot |
would ask tbatnow? What wise man but
sees in it the great obstacle to Despotism |
the great conservator of well regulated |
Liberty. "' 3}lt-.tAa2 zle
My friends, on the 9Th of January last.
said to you that no party that habitually |
disregaided the Constitution, could long
retain power in this country. Is not the
truth of that remark being verified-veri- |
fled more rapidly than the most hopeful of
us dared to expect? Look at the elections of
this year, Connecticut, New York. New |
Jersey. Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mary
land, Kentucky. California, all redeemed.
Ohio substantially So. Everywhere else,
where the ballot-boX was free, immense
Democratic gains. Nay, even in Massa-
chusetts, Conservative gain of 10000
makes Radiealism tremble in its very eta
del. True, much remains to be done before
the country will have been rescued from
the clutch of the destroyer. But. believe
me- my friends, it will be done. The peO
pie were never more in earnest than they
are now. Demagogneism. abuse and emp
ty defamation go for nothing. The peo-
pie demand the truth and they will have it;
they demand common sense in the conduct
OF our affairs, and they will have it Z; they
demand Constitutional rule, and they will
have it !; they demand relief from unnec-
essary taxation, and they will have it; they
demand a fair apportionment of the public
burthens, and they will have it; they de-
mand just and Ineligible revenue laws,
aud they will have them; they demand
retrenchment and economy, and they will
! have them; and, to give effect to their
will, they demand honest rulers and they
are determined to have them. On the o her
hand, there are some things that they are
determined not TO have. They won't have
Negroes put above White men they won't
have one-third of the country given up to
destruction; they won't have the prosper
Try of the whole country sacrificed for the
saae of politicians ; they won't support tens
of thousands of otiice-holders. in idleness
who ought to beturned out to honest work
they won't be taxed to support Negroes
who are able to support themselves. while
poor White men and Women have to earn
their daily bread by their daily toll; they
won't have Gold Currency for the Bond
holders and Paper Currency for the Peo-
pie; and they won't have the social Gus
toms to which they have been habtuated
arbitrarily interfered with by vexatious
and oppressive legislation. So l read the
Elections Of this year.
My friends, nearly seven years ago the
Democratic party lost power in the United
States. 1t seems as if we are about to re-
gain it. 1t took our forefathers seven years
to achieve American Independence. Let
us, within the same time, re-establish
American Liberty. l know what diff
ficulties we have yet to overcome;
know that it will task our energies
and wisdom to the utmost to overcome
them; l know that our rulers will not
yield up power if by any effort, OR artifice.
or expenditure they can retain it; l know
what mighty interests will rally to their
| support-how the hosts who feed and fat
ten at the public crib, who draw tribute
| by millions from the pockets of the peopie,
and those who, by means of partial legis-
lation, tax us. for their private emolument,
even more than the Government taxes us,
will strain every nerve to perpetuate rule
| that ruins us but enriches them. [ know
| that we are TO have the votes of African :
| lied States in the South to conntervail
the votes of White men in the North. l
| know that the scales of victory hang
so evenly balanced, that the weight of a
mere feather may turn them. l feel all
this; but yet am full of hope. We have
made a glorious beginning in the work of
redemption, and L have not forgotten the
old maxim of Horace, that, freely translat-
| ed, reads: "a work well begun is half
DONE" We have begun our work well-it
is half done-it is in our power to complete
| it-everything dear to Freemen, every
| true interest of the People, calls upon us to
complete it. Let them not call in vain.
Let no man lay aside his armor; let every
man go earnestly to work and the year 1868
will be forever memorable i'm the annals OF
our country as an era when Tyranny and
Misrule departed from the land, and Con-
stitutional Liberty and good government
reassumed their sway.
My friends, do you know that If you
carry OHIO next year, Democratic Presi-
dent will surely be elected? Do you know
that upon the result in our State may, very
probably, depend the general result? Do
you know that upon that result may pos.
sibly depend the future existence of popu-
lar government? -Do-you realize the i'm
mense responsibility that this fact imposes
upon you? D, you wish to be remember
ed and applauded, as long as time shall en-
dure. as the saviours of popular rights? Do
you wish your children, and chIldren's
children, to bless your memories? Do you
wish this grand State of ours to become
the citadel of freedom? Do you wish her
name to inspire the hopes of the oppressed
even to the uttermost parts of the earth?
Do you realize the truth, the profoundest
of all political truths, that the world is
governed too much? Do you know that
too much government is always in the in
terest of the few and the selfish, and op-
pressive to the many and the generous
Do you know that father and a mother
are better Legislators for their family, than
the wisest Congress, or Parliament, that
fhnt
of the individual is superior to the dignity
of the governments; for where the individu-
al is debased, the government is infamous?
Yes, my friends, of franklin, you know all
this, as well as know it. You have proved
your faith, not by words but by
deeds. Under circumstances, that might
have appalled, the hearts of the bravest,
you have increased your Democratic ma
jority, from year to year, for the last seven
years. You have endured denunciation:
you have suffered persecution; you have
been prescribed in your business; you have
seen your social relations broken up: you
have trembled, not with unmanly fear, but
with paternal anxiety, for your wives and
your children; you have slept an uneasy
sleep, when mobs threatened your homes,
and yet, | speak it in the fear of God, no
truer patriots ever lived than you. No
truer friends OF the Union of our fathers
ever existed, than you. And when history
snail come TO Oe truly written, When that
long, and dreary, and apparently hopeless
reign of terror in our State shall be truly
depicted, then, Democrats of Franklin, one
of its brightest pages will be devoted to
you. l say this, not to draw comparisons.
not to detract from the merits of others, for
full well do | know what the Democracy
of the whole State, nay,. what the Demo-
cracy everywhere, had to endure. L know
how they were misunderstood by good
men, reviled by bad men, distrusted by
timil men, hated by narrow minded and
passionate men. But yet it is appropriate
to this occasion, it is right, here on this
SPOT. to speak of You Ii is riuht while