Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-10-21
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Lafayette. Indiana, Oct. lst. 1865.

.
1 Lafayette. Indiana, Oct. lSt. 1865.
il LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.-I am
sOrry that an unexpected change IN
the time tableSpf the railroad prevent
ed my being here at the time this
injecting opened, and that i have not
been able to reach here before the mid
die of the afternoon. reached home
but Yesterday, and at once came here
to look into the faces of the noble Re
publican men and women of this part
of my beloved State of Indiana. And
because [ knew that here / could look
into the faces of many from the ad-
.ioinine counties on the north, who,
for almost a lifetime have given me,
as their representative, their eonti-
dence and support; and ! may add,
without the fear of beingcharged with
egotism, the love and affection OF their
hearts. How much love the people
Iof that district, my poor tongue can
never tell. To them l owe every
| tthing-alI that l armand all that may
lever hope TO be in connection with
public affairs. They took mein every
vicissitude in the days of my editorial
profession; and when they thought
| The proper time of life had arrived,
they saw fit to give me n seat in the
national council. They sent me there
and continued me through all the
changes of political life and exciting
| issues which followed, without any
abatment of confidence, or devotion.
or zeal, until, at last, the American
people, seeing this long-continuedcon
| fidence repOsed in me by my cOnStitu-
ents at home, saw fit TO bcstow upon
me the nomination which places me
so prominently before the nation in
this presidential canvass. / longed
once mOrertO come among you, and
feel as of wore that magnetic sympa-
thy which comes to me to-day from
the thousands who stand before me,
and remember the contests of the past,
in which you so generously and nObly
sustained me. God bless YOU all.
don't know what else L can say to show
YOU how much appreciate yOurl long
continued devotion. Prolonged cheer
ing.l Et Essf1 -- tE
/ come here with another object, to
perform pleasing and willing duty,
to bear testimony to the answering
fidelity of the man who stood as your
representative and proved true to lib
erty and the grand principles. of hu-
man rights, and followed them as
faithfully as ever the mariners follow
ed the compass in crossing the ocean.
TApplause. This he did without Va
riableness or shadow of turning from
the pledge he made to you; and now
he can come home to you and look |
YOU in the eve and say, Il have full |
filled every promise and performed |
every dutyyOu required atmy hands"
a thing many public man can not
do. He is worthy of your confidence,
and when you find such public SER
want YOU are derelict in your duty ifI
YOU do not continue him in the sphere |
of duty. This was the lesson taught
us by the South when they eXerted so
powerful an influence in the national |
legislature. When they found a rep
resentative that was faithful to them |
and carried out their wishes and poll
CIV. they continued him there with in
creased influence, from his increased |
service and experience.
/ come here for still another pur-
pose. 1t was not TO make a political
speech. 1t is unnecessary. You know
right well, as YOU read the newspa-
pers, what my opinions are on the
great questions of the day. / have
felt that self-respect and propriety for
bid my entering the political arena,
to analyZe, discuss, and criticize the
principles and policy of those arrayed
against us. / will not deny that / /
have longed thus to speak inthis CAM
paign, but | have felt that when per-
sons are selected for the two highest
offices in this nation, as they are in
deed the highest in the world, that q
sense of prOpriety should restrain
them from bitter or personal attacks
or criticisms on the position and char
acter of opposing candidates. What
ever, therefore, others may do, | must |,
be faithful to my own convictions, and
avoid such a course. In regard to the
principles, policy, platform, and let
ters of the Democratic candidates and
party, my lips are sealed.
But there is one subject on which
my lips are not, and never can be seal
ed, until they are sealed in death, and
that is the glorious record made by ]
this noble, patriotic Republican party.
That record will stand forever, writ
ten in letters of living truth and light,
on the most brilliant pages of our {
cOuntry's history. OF this record +,
can feel and say, as you can, let pos
terity read this and tposterityjud L
Oh, what a record il is! When this !
was racked to its very center +;
by the shock of cOntending armies I
when the degenerate SONS of the cOun- {
try raised their rebellious hands against I
our flag; when men proved themselves {
of their birth, snd sought j
10 trample in the ftsU that banner of
beauty and glory; when they sought '
70 make il the winding-sheet of the {
worlds hope-there was one party 4
lmong whose numbers not a single Y
nan was unfaithful to the Constitu- I
ion and the flag, and that was the I
party. Where, ask,
would have been the country to-day '
f there had been no Republican party? c
You would not have had a country | 7
eft to be proudof. Our country lives.
we dared to stand up and saw '
he last man and the last dollar shall a
20, if necessary, to put down this in ;
would build up large public debt, | i
o pay il. We knew these things [
we're unpopular, but we said; ''This I
s necessary for the salvation of our 1
lear land, and must be done" Your d
representative and j said: "If it y
irives US into private life We will vote +
or these tax bills, for only by these a
an our banner be kept flying in the d
ield." d
l don't speak tO-daytO gain votes.- d
It would be unnecessary, if was dis
)osed TO do so. The result of theelec- C