The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-09-27

L
ing. have for II long time desired to
visit these new Northwestern States.
had heard-who has not? of the fer
tility of their soil, of the beauty of their
scenery, of the healthfulncss of their
climate, of the wonderful development,
which has, rs If by the magic ofa fairy's
wand, converted their forests into farms
and cities. | had read from one who
wrote with Il masters power, of these
great central plains, where the st. Law
renee and the Mississippi kiss each 9TH
or before they separate for their long
journeys to the oceans, above which the
sun at its zenith seems to linger in adj
miration for moment in its ceaseess
course to the Pacific, where the icy
blasts of the North are melted to cool
breeZes in the warm embrace of sultry
winds of the South, and where under
the influence of all that is beautiful in
nature and all that is impressive in the
character of people made up of all the
families of our Caucasian race, the soul
Of an American citizen rises to the
full measure Of his country's opportuni-
ties and his own duties. But | wished
to see them with my own eyes, to know
them by my own experience, that l
might, by the intimacy of personal as
sOciatiOn, warm up still more, if that is
possible, the fervOr of my patriotism,
and add one more to the unnumbered
ties of affection and admiration and in
terest which bind my heart to my coun-
try. l desired especially to visit Min
nesota, for, like him to whom l have
alluded, | was one of those who aided
in admitting her to the Union-Iap-
pause and welcoming her to the full
possession of all the powers and rights
and dignities of the original States.
When your committee invited me to
meet here to-day, vast numbers, not on
Is of my cOuntrymen, but of that por-
ti0n of them who are one with me in 4
common political faith, one with me in
opinion as to the true administration of
the government, with the assurance
they would give me Il hearty welcome,
! determined at once to crafty my
wish. And so | came, threading the
valley OF the Miami, travcrsing the fer
tile farms Of Indiana, the vast prairies
of Illinois, the teeming green fields and
the Mississippi with its castelated
bluffs, across the upland plains of your
river counties, carpetcd with the most
brilliant wild flowers, and laden with
the weight of the coming harvest, to
find in your attractive city, in this une
qualled scene, at the very threshold of
your peerless State, every promise of
grandeur and beauty fulfilled, and every
anticipation more than realized. Cheers
In Ohio they are fond of telling us that
the Democratic party Is dead. The
newspapers assert it, the stump speak
ers announce it, the State Convention
annually breaches its funeral sermon
and writes its epitaph. If their wishes
were consulted it would not only be
dead but damned also. Loud Cheers. J
The Democratic party dead |! Within
Il month | have been to the far East.
| have seen the brave and constant and
uniinching Democrats of Massachusetts,
have seen the Democrats of Connecti-
cut jubilant over the result of the late
conflict. Cheers have seen the
Democrats of New York and Pennsyl-
vania, and Ohio, marshalling their pow
ers for the contest in October. | have
seen the Democrats of Kentucky vigor-
Gus, unialtering in the very midst of
| their tight,-and everywhere, whether
in the East or in the South, or the great
central States-in every condition,
whether enjoying the fruits of victory,
or gathering up their forces after the
pressure of defeat, or putting on the ar
| NOR for another struggle, | find it liv-
Inc, vigorous, energetic pa' ty; and here
| Il thousand miles away. in the great
| Northwest. | find the same marty. sus-
tnincd bv the same courage. animated
by the same hope, and vitalized by the
same devotion TO the principles and
| form of government which have for
seventy years permitted developement
/ of individual liberty and collective
prosperity without parallel i'm the histo-
~ of the world. More truthfully now,
perhaps. than ever before. NAV I'VE saw
! That our part is neither sectional nor
local, but that i'm all the Union, from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Lakes
to the Gulf, there is not State or coun.
ty nor township, nor town, nor neigh.