Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-11
The Great Jollification
ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
The Columbus Democracy in the
Field to Rejoice.
SPEECH OF 7 JUDGE THURMAN.
SPEECHOF Mr.. E. T. DeLANY.
MUSIC, FIREWORKS. sc.

The Democracy, on Saturday night, re-
joced with exceeding great joy, over the
country saved by the long list OF politicai
victories which marked the October and
| November campaign of the present year.
The meeting was an almost impromptu
affair. 1t was got up in haste, and was
brilliant success. Although the notice was
short-the whole afftlr the result of but a
few hours notice, the gathering was large as
any during the campaign. and enthusiastic
in the highest degree. When SHELLABAR-
GER made his speech in the Atheneum, the
Cincinnati Republican papers estimated
5000 persons present. If that count was
accurate, fifty thousand persons stood at the
west front of the Capitol on Saturday night
VIII lie we claim no such numbers present,
We do claim that it was more than ten times
the size of the SHELLABAaGER meeting
doubly as large as that of any Republican
meeting during the campaign and larger
than the monster Democratic meeting of
the Both of September, which, up to that
time, was the grandest gathering that ever
stood in front of the Capitol to hear the
words of wisdom and of truth
! "'Twas worth ten years of peaceful life
| One glance of that array" aIrf.5ri ur3
OF the Democracy rejoicing, as men should
rejoice, over CO untry saved.
The white Boys in Blue-the gallant
men who fought for the Union and not for
Radicalism-who braved death on the bat
tie field from the purest and noblest mo-
tives that ever animated patriot heart,
formed procession, and to the number of
two hundred marched to the meeting, with
banners flying. They are still in the Army
of the Republic-enlisted to whip the Rad
ical disunionists with their ballots. as they
did those of the Southern enemies of the
Union with their bullets. 5i
i From the upper parts of the city came
the stalwart men of the Eighth and Ninth
Wards, whose maiorities increase at every
election. Marching to the music of fine
band, they kept step to the music of the
Union; and with them came, lighted with
Chinese lanterns, and surrounded by flags,
the Democratic Emblem of Victory-the
Irish grey game cock, the counterfeit pre-
sentiment of the one that crowed and
cheeIed the hearts of MCDoNoUGH and his
men at the famed naval victory on Cham
plain. They were from the coop of G. A.
WAGNER, whose public spirit is not bound
ed by party creed, but is as great as his de-
votion to his country and his love for his
fellow men. @
Sounds of distant music soon announced
tn. veterans of the Fifth and Sixth Wards,
the men who through evil and through
good report have withstood all attempts to
swerve them from their faith, and are now,
as they always have been, ready to honor
any draft made upon them for Democrat
ic maj ority sufficiently large to scare Rad
icalism from its propriety. God bless the
Teutons of the Fifth and Sixth Wards, and
may their example be initiated by the Ger
M element in other palts of the State.
From the First, Second, Third, Fourth
and Seventh Wards, there was no process
sion. The Democracy came singly and in
parties-by tens and by twenties, until
they stood in front of Ohio's Capitol, to re-
| ioice over Ohio redeemed, and in conjunc-
| ton with those who came with music and
| with banners, stood in full strength that
Democracy of Columbus which has made
their proud Capital city, and Franklin
| COuuby3 buc Udllici Ciby anu COuHby Vi buO
Democracy of Ohio. -= ~
| Hon. z. F. BINGHAM, asPresident of the
evening, in few, well chosen remarks, in
which he referred to the recent election,
to rejoice over the result of which the De-
mocracy of Columbus had assembled in
their strength, introduced Judge THUR
MAN to the vast assemblage. iAs
AS soon as the cheering, which the sight
of the gallant standard-bearer of the Ohio
Democracy in the recent contest, had
somewhat subsidized, Judge THURMAN
said ls. a.,.. 7 -a.. 5.t za s.ss ot--7i1
MY FRIENDS I'VE have assembled to
commemorate series of victories achieved
| at the ballot box; victories that caused no
| tears or blood to flow. but are yet as potent
as many that have been won by arms. The
| soldier WHO devotes himself to his country
deserves and receives our grateful applause.
| And the citizen, who casts his ballot with
an eye single to his cOuntry's welfare, also
merits our heartfelt commen lation. 1t is
| of the latter that we are to speak tonight.
i We meet to giUe praise to our brethren,
from Maine to California, for what they
have done this year to free the land from
the fetters of Despotism, to rescue the Con-
stitution of cur fathers from impending
| destruction, to secure to us and our poster
And we meet to rejoice over this grand
work; to rejoice as the patriotic and wise
rejoice; not teXtravagantly, not insultingly,
but as men who have escaped a dire calam-
ity and are profoundly grateful for their
escape; as Democrats, who believe that
what is best for us is best for all the peO-
pie.
And have we not cause to rejoice?
Twelve months ago dark pail seemed to
cover the Republic. 1t seemed as if a ma
iority of the people preferred Usurpation
to Constitutional Government, Despotism
| to Liberty, Party to Country. The most
i sacred precepts of wisdom, the profoundest
teachings of history, the most solemn ut
terances of the illustrious dead. seemed to
have lost all their force. On all sides we
heard it said, sometimes openly, but oftener
| in whispers, 'the experiment of Self-gOv-
ernment has failed, the fate of all other Re-
publics is ours, Free Governments have but
one destiny, and that is Despotism."
| Who will say so now? Some may think
so because they wish it to be so. Hon1ines,
id Quod uolunt Hbenter credant, said Cesar.
Men willingly believe that which they
wish. But who, that loves American in
stitutions 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, "All is lost" No, thanks be to the
Almighty, we have escaped that degrada-
tion. And, to whom, under Providence,
are we indebted for our escape? 70 whom,
but the Democratic party and tn thousands
of patriotic men who have had the moral
! courage to sever their old associations and
unite with us? In the gloomiest hours of
our history we clung to the Constitution,
though to do so brought down upon our
heads the Interest denuuciation. We
clung to it because we knew that with its
destruction Liberty would also be destroy
ed. And we knew that when it should