Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-07-16
SPEECH OF JUDGE THURMAN.
Delivered az the Democrafic Ratf-
fication Meeting at Columbus,
Ohio, July H, 1865. s
Reported for the Cincinnati Gazette.l
APoLOGETIC.

Reported for the Cincinnati Gazettel
APoLoGETIC.
FKLLow-C CITIzENs:-I am not accustomed,
as you well know, to making long speeches,
and could not make long speech to-
night if 1 was so disposed. 1 must, there
fore, postpone to some future time, when
my health shall be better than it now is,
the discussion of the great subjects that
are involved in the present political cam
paign. Tonight 1 must necessarily be
very brief in my remarks, and shall con-
fine them principally to some account OF
J the proceedings of the Convention that re-
suited in the nomination of Seymour for
President and Blair for Vice President,
and to some remarks upon the character of
these two gentlemen. F fafe ,-v
PENDLEToN PTTIED.
Now presume there is not in this crowd
one Democrat who does not regret our fail
ure to nominate Ohio's favorite son, George
III. Pendleton. And now, 1, as one who
feels that regret as deeply as any one here.
and who has labored for months to secure
his nomination, and who went to New
York, for the most part, compelled to lie on
my back as 1 travelled, in order to work
there for his nomination, and did so until
he himself telegraphed to withdraw his
name, stand here as good a friend as ever
he had or ever will have, to ask you as he
would ask you If he were here himself, to
lay aside all such regrets and go vigorously
| to work for the nominees of the Conven-
ton. u
Is SEYMOUR AND THE CONVENTION.
/ And come here to say to you what 1
know, that the nomination of Governor
Seymour was no New York trick. come
here to say what know to be true, that
Governor Seymour was perfectly sincere
/ when he five times declined that nomina-
ton, declined to be considered candidate
| or receive the votes of single delegation.
[ stand here to affirm what personally
know to be true, that no man ever acted
with more perfect honor than did Horatio
Seymour, throughout the whole of that
Convention. -eaFirsE lvE-z -
PENDLEToN's DEFEAT EXPLAINED.
| And now, my friends, you may want to
| know, perhaps, why it is that we were de-
feated with our candidate. Why. the most
general answer is this, that people who are
free and at liberty to think for themselves
will always differ in opinion, more or less.
did not hear one man object to the char
acter or ability of Pendleton, but there had
| got to be an idea east OF the mountains,
| that Pendleton was not the most available
candidate, that he could not poll as many
votes as some others, and it was that idea
that prevented his getting two-thirds of
the votes, and it required the votes of two
thirds of the delegates to nominate. But
yet he stands this day as high in the hearts
of the American people, as if he had been
nominated. Well. when it was found that
Pendleton could not get the two-thirds
vote, and when the names of others had
been presented and no one got two thirds
of the votes, and the Convention had set
four days and was then in the fifth day ofits
session, 1t became apparent that some other
name must be presented in order to secure
the votes of two-thirds of the delegates.
sEYMoUR's NOMINATION..
Then it was that Ohio presented the name
of HOratio Seymour, and then it was that
the whole Convention rose to their feet and
the cheers that went up were a sure index
of what is to follow-a sure index, as 1 be-
lieve, of the victory that will be achieved
by the Democrats next November. [Slight
panse.] ~ ~ AZ FtE EstEs 81
Everybody in the Convention cheered
immoderately on the announcement of the
name of Seymour. That fact alone ought
to be sufficient to show how powerful is the
hold that he has upon the American heart.
For it is utterly impossible that in Con-
vention such as that was, in which every
State was fully represented, in which every
Tcrritory- was represented, in which the
District of Columbia was represented-in
such Convention as that, it is utterly inn
possible that any man could have received
the vote OF every delegate in it unless he
was an appropriate and fit man for the
Piooo, anu uuicoo no nau poWeIlul holu
upon the affections of the American peo-
pie. "l-
,i5-r NOMINATION OF BLAIR.
Very well, then in respect to the Vice
President, who was nominated almost |
unanimously. 1t very soon became appa-
rent that General Blair was the choice of
the Convention for the Vice Presidency.
The Convention had been there five days
five of the hottest days that men almost |
ever experienced, and at last came like
uano =, urosts[s tt, " unanlLnous tt cohcIu
sented. - --' - .--' -
@ ssaass s
TESTIMONY OF DIsINTEREsTED WITNESS.
Now think am as disinterested wit
ness upon this subject as any man could
be, for am not defending nv own work,
I was not delegate at the time the nomi.
nations were made. was delegate for a
part of the time, elected to fill vacancy
his place in order that might be put upon
the delegation, and L continued 10 be DEL
egase unCh !enuIetohs Ceiegram came 70
course and the aant,anoan rssoo;UoS ~, NJ -,
rIone co r. ~ ,,ot Ta1 ,n"ri- o,,, IofoaI
place. 90 iI Is not my WORK l am defena-
ali + state. q nerfectIv c3is;nterested and i'm
martial witness 'oA '''--
THE PLATFoRM'
But then that Convention accompli lished
something more than the nomination of
these candidates. 1t adopted as platform
one of the most powerful political papers
that has ever been presented to the Amer
lean people. defy any man of under
standing to read that platform and not adj
NIT to himself that 1t is what l have de-
clared 1t to be, one OF the most powerful
political documents that has ever been pre-
sented to the American people; and it was
"uoP'ou ANONYMOUSLY
IMPORTANCE OF THE RACE.
And now upon that platform and with
such candidates as these. we come before
the American peonIe to enter into this
..oot aa,.,o;rx,, II; al, - |