The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-09-09
Grand Democratic Ratification Meeting-Great
Turn Out of the Masses-Speech by Mr..
Hoffman.

|
| st. James Hall this evening. Additional interes
was given to the meeting from the fact that John
Hoffman, the democratic candidate. for Governor
| was to make his opening speech Of the campaign
| Long before the hour Of meeting st. James Hal
was packed to its utmost capacity. Cannon belchet
forth welcome bands OF music discoursed nationa
airs from every section Of the city, and the larges
procession Of civic and military organizations, will
torches banners, &C., ever witnessed in Buffalo, pa
raded the Streets The military organization of thu
| party In this county, independent OF ward clubs
| numbers over five thousand members Outside O.
the hall, Notwithstanding drizze OF rain, speeches
| were delivered to vast crowd At haf-past seven
O'Clock the needing inside the hail was organized
| by the nomination Of Mr. Israel T. Hatch as presi
dent with one vice president from each ward in the
city and township Of the county and several secreta
ries. After a stirring address the president intro
| duced Mr. Hoffman, who was received with deafen
| ing cheers. After silence had been restored Mr.
Hoffman held the. vast assemblage in breathless at
tention for over two hours, SAYING: -4sss..-a.-.
| FELLOW CITIzENS-I come among you rs your
chairman has said. from that great city which is the
head Of foreign commerce, to this great city which
the head OF the inland commerce OF the country to
address you as American citizens. need not say
that rejoice in the greatness Of this demonstration
not that take 1t personal to myself but because
look upon 1t as demonstration in the interests of
the cause OF constitutional law and constitutional
liberty Cheers We are citizens Of one great re;
| the Union-thirty-seven States, which under the
constitution OF the country are sovereign. independ
thirty seven millions, an average Of a million to
every State population as hardy, as industrious, as
ABIDING as constituton.lovng as any people upon
the face of the earth. We recognize one flag from
one end of our broad domain to the Other-a Tag
which ought to be- even II it is not protection to
every citizen, native or adopted, either at home
abroad. (Cheers) We have vast oceans upon either
have the greatest inland lakes: have the greatest
arteries OF inland commerce. we have millions upon
millions of acres of land which have yielded to the
| culture Of the husbandman, and we have millions
| upon millions of acres of land upon which the foot
of man has never yet trod and which has never yet
| known the influence of the agricultural art. Far
away towards the great Pacific railroad il
now being built, passing across the plains,
up, the slopes Of the Rocky Mountains,
ing upon our shores every year three hundred thou
sand hardy immigrants, adding, by careful computa-
try one hundred and fifty millions Of dollars. We
have people now, thank God at peace with one
another and at peace with the world. (Appausel
secure for themselves for their States and for the
Union great and glorious destiny. Such people
prosperous in the world. God and Nature have
given to them advantages equal II not superior to
men have made them more burdened by debt
more oppressed by taxation more insecure In their
property, uncertain for the future than almost
any people on the face OF the earth. (Applause.)
What do people complain OFF They complain that
that nag which has been borne by gallant and brave
men all the world over, which has been borne upon
battle fields Of our country, and which now waves
trumphanty over the capitol of every State s not
at home protection to every American citizen, and
that abroad In foreign lands citizens adopted into
American nationality languish In prison for words
spoken and acts committed on American SOIL They
complain that this country, In five years. has accumu
lated debt large az Great Britain accumulated in
two hundred. They complain that while our popua-
ton numbers thirty-seven millions and the popula
ton of Great Britain including England and the
colonies, numbers two hundred and thirty-seven
They Complain that although they have entrusted to
the party which has been dominant In this state and
nation for years full powerto do as pleased unllmit
everything they eat upon everything theydrink,
upon everything they wear, upon the clothes which
are upon them when they are born and upon the
shroud which is to cover them when they die.
(Cheers.) They do not complain because this debt
was accumulated in the war for the preservation OF
the Union. on the contrary they give their hearty
aye and amen TO the expenditure OF every dollar
honestly expended In that contest to preserve our
nationality. They do not complain that taxes are
wrung from our people to pay the honest expendi-
lures Of the government or the interest upon the
debt. They will cheerfully submit to give MP the
last dollar and the last cent pay all necessary
penses Of the government and TO fulfil its honest,
honorable and Just obligations But they 30 com,
our midst an army OF sixty thousand men,
paid for to the last dollar and last cent
the Northern States. (Applause) They complain
that this army OF sixty thousand men, maintained
four times as large as was the whole army employed
by this government TO conquer Mexico They COM
plain that In this time OF peace we have navy the
expense OF which Is at least four times as much as
were the expenditures for the army and navy before
| the commencement OF the war. They complain that
Although war is over, although rebellion against the
authority OF the government is ended, although
| those who were In the rebellion laid down their
| arms and submitted in absolute and unconditional
surrender TO this national authority, these States
| to preserve which within the common Union
| $4,000, 100000 were expended and three hundred
| thousand lives were lost are to-day, notwlthstand-
ing the many reconstruction acts Of radi-
cal Congress, practically out Of the Union
Of the States. They complain that in ten
| Southern States the white man Is subject to the
| domination of the negro. Applause That by an
act OF Congress negro suffrage is forced upon thcm
] while white men are disfranchised. Shall pursue
this indictment further Shall pursue this cate
| CORY Of charges against them2 1t is unnecessary,
| my friends. Whether you be democrats or repubii.
cans you will not find Inc uttering word In this
vast assembage TO disparage you. (Applause) re-
| cognize In the masses OF the people one common
object, one aim and that Is the public good.
desire to address myself to all, irrespective OF
party, and shall utter no word against any citizen
| unsparingly with the men who have been entrusted
| with power and who forfeited their obligations to
filed the promises which they made to the people.
After a lengthy and puugent allusIon to the
| States and other matters Of public policy.
| Mr.. Hoffman reviewed the financial issues Of the
have called your attention to the fact of the great
| power which has been committed to the radicals In
| Congress and IN control OF the government. IL Ia
not necessary TO say that President Johnson vetoed
this or that bill, because they were passed over his
vetoes fast as the veoes were sent in. Now with
all the resources OF this great country, TO which
have already called your attention, Its wealth, It's
| energy and it, emigration, one would suppose that
| by this time the party in power would have made
| our securities worth at least much a. those OF
1 New Zealand. think that even the South Carolina
| Legislature could have done that But let us see
| what Is the market value Of our securities. take
| the quotations OF the first OF January, $685. The
| nvetwenty bonds OF the United states were then
selling about T0k; that IL, one hundred dollars In
bonds was worth $40 In gold aud fraction over.
| The bonds OF England pay per cent gold for "a;
ours paid per cent In gold theirs paid per cent
| In gold. Canadian bonds paying per cent In gold
| sold for 104 and New Zealand bonds sold for 100;
Russian bonds sold for 81 Egyptian bonds for 80 to
| 81, Turkish bonds for 81 10 &c. and the bonds OF
the state Of Massachusetts,, with oil honor for her
| doing It, had the magnamnity, courage and bounty
during the war to continue to pay her interest In
gold sold for SIS TO 81, although they paid only five