Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-10-02
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HON. D. w. VOORHEES,
srogTpq a7OFINDIANA. esH9umi od
Al the Great Mass Meeting at the
a. East Front of the Capitol,
in CoIum bi,s, on WON,
-i'o"'l7'i day. September ,'''
3Oth, 1867. t1D 9''A 7.i'
Mr.. VOORHEES,, native-born- son of
Ohio, on being introduced to the vast
crowd by, Col. GEoRGE' wv. MANYPENNY,
Presidentef the Day, in a neat speech, was
received with the most rapturous applause.
Heispoke substantially as follows: ea57 senl
MFt FELLOW CITIzENs fpE THE STATE OF
OHIo-I have come here to-day for the
purpose Of discussing, in plain and sim 3
pie manner, the great questions that cont
duce to good government aud the public
welfare. ! shall do so, as | have; said, in a
plain and simple way, and without that
preparation which I would gladly have
made before leaving homea if my health
aud engagements had permitted, W., .e}
CONDITIONS FAvoRABLE To- POLITICAL DIs7
CUsSIoN.
3
trv have,n been favorable TO the public
discussion OF many important questions in
which you are deeply interested. 1t is a
matter ot history throughout the world
that periods of civil war are not favorable
to. calm reasoning about matters of popu-
lar interest. ! am not speaking of the
matter by way of complaint, but such Is
human nature. When the'elash of arms Is
heard throughout the country, aniimartial
music, is sFesounding, in our, ears, it arouses
the hot blood. Men take counsel of their
passions, become pref eJudiced against their
nei9hbofs who do not see as't they see, and
the result is contention and strife; and we
know that contention and strife are not
friendly to calm reasoning and cool calcu-
latfon. This has been our condition for
the last six years, and. although warts over
in the country, and, L trust, oyer forever.
even yet, entire calmness has not settled
down upon the. popular mind. After q
storm upon the ocean. long after the winds
have gone to rest, the waves contini;e to
role So it is with the popular mind.
There is some of this passion, some of this
prejudice, some of these elements of strife
yet.abroad in the public mind !; but there
has been some progress made toward the
tribunal of reason, and | thank God; to-day
for as much progress as has been made,
After two years aud a halt OF peace we are
better prepared now to reason about utpubliC
questions than we were when peace first
came. Last year was better in that respect
than the year before. This year is better
than last year. and next year will be better
than this; and each succeeding year, as we
go oaway from, the scenes of strife and hOr-
ror and bloodshed, will bring us nearer and
nearer that blessed day which will break
like a political millennium on the land. when
men will ldcease to war with their fellow.
men because OF their political opiuions
but settle down side by side and take coun'
eel with each other in reference to the pub
lie, good. trust, on this occasion, that
have in SOME degree anticipated that day
I feel as If could seize in anticipation
that glorious period of calhnessa and io
peace r and in that, spirit l. come before
you to discuss the questions that now agi
tate the public mind. For the brief timt
that talk here it will not be my parpose-
far be IL from me-to give ofense to sin
gle human being who has done me the hon
or to eomesand hear me - II there are thos,
here differing with me in opinion, return
them my thanks for the honor of their at
tention, and cannot repay it better thar
by treating them wfth-respect, courtesy
and kindness. Ihave no other desire, nom
whateYef.o5 sss5 5ss = sssivS 2sFs7st2 fsl-s.,TI
TILE GREAT QUESTIONS OF THE DAY. "a
NV fellow citizens, let US now, for a few
moments, consider what the great ques
tions are which you have to pass upon thi
fail lin the State OF Ohio. The people o
Ohio are moving in every direction. Yoi
are one of. many meetings transpiring to
day. There is a popular commotion, ant
You must have some good cause for it,,
am here to talk ateiIyOu plainly about thi
cause. Before proceeding, however, to 9dt
that, Twill make one or two observations
The Republican leaders Of Ohio, i see BY
the papers, insist that the best questions Il
discuss before you, the most profitable up
II, f<,n aro hos
relating to the record of political partie
| during the war. l do not think so. If
\ did, would engage in it too-engage in j
willingly and cheerfully, for. 1 do not fea
to discuss the record of the Democratic
4 party. Wrongs we may have committed
la voice; IF they did put You % out OF TN
4 cars."l They did not do that. They neve
4 got me out of any place except Congress
I and was not anxious to stay there 5.-i.
/ But let us pursue ourline of thought.
| remarked to you that If thought it wa
| more useful for the voters of Ohio to be in
formed in regard to the position of politi
cal parties during the last five or six years
than any thing else, I would spend my tim
/ in that way 1t 1 thought it most profit
able to discuss how political parties hav
stood for the last thirty years, woul
spend nay time in that way, Irwould shel
j you who has been the Union party, wh
4 has been the disunion party. who, long age
when you old men were not white-heade,
4 as you are to-day, proclaimed your Unio
! death, that the; Union was not worth pre-
4 serving, and told the Southern States, a
4 the Meao York Tribune did, when they sc
| ceded, to go, that we would not have
i Union pinned together with bayonets.
| say that if thought your time could b
most profitably occupied by discussing tn
i past position of political parties, woul
! discuss them with these men to thei
hearts content, and show them that thes
| Northern leaders, these most violent Unio
I men Of to-day, were the original disunior
4 lists Of this country, and furnished
4 Southern disunion leaders the fuel
7 which they fed the flames of disunion an
4 civil war. So history will record it;
1 God, In his truth, will record it in the grei
4 day. 1 fear not the record, my friends.
am not one of those that come here
A plead, t"let 1by-gones be by-gones."
1 never gave vote, I never made speech,
know of no substantial part OF the DEM
: cratic record which am not ready, on q
Fl occasions, to stand by and defend. TAI
plause.1 d5tE s55I g-E "71' ,-t=H5
But, my countrymen, let me pass fro
; this point. L undertake to say that the
are more vital questions for you to vo
upon than the dead issues that live only
theparty; divisions of the past. We ha'
an ever-changing, progressive country.
We must live in the present in order
Il control the future. Let us hear what Il
II present issues ARE. The Congress of I'll
4 United States has arrayed itself before I'll
!, country as the great embodiment of a po
u icy which itf is said the people must Il
4 rise. This policy of Congress, then,
shall discuss and see what it embraces.
. shall arraign it before you, and see whetl
crit conduces to the public good r7to ti
, public injury. I shall examine what CLAIM
oI Congress has to the suffrages of this pc,
pie. stand here to denounce its polio
| to oppose it, and TO show the reason why
II doso. 81 etc s9 .gfi' s.-+ 'af-2h H'ia1-fl