The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-08-06
THE POLITICAL ISSUES.
speech OF Hon. George "a. Per-
0'esOD, as Grafton, West YIr-
giEia, Ja!y rs, 1865.

will be impossible for mo to make mygel
heard IN this immense audience unles
you keep quiet; and shall ask that Will,
l an speaking you will allow no to pro
ceed without Interruption I thank YOU
gentlemen, for the very cordial reception
you have just given me. The chairman
OF your state executive committe, who in
vited NE TO attend your meeting to-day
told ME I had no truer friends in the un.
You have proven his statement true.
come obe'iient to your bidding. desired
to see you to make your personal acquain-
tance and to return to you my thanks for
tie warm and constant support Of your
delegates to the national convention.
came to show you that no personal disap-
poiutmen, fingers in my breast or dampeIs
for an instant the srdOr Of my efforts for
the success OF our party; that far above
all personal considerations [ rate the sue
eoss of the principles in which l believe,
and that whoever shall bear the flag on
which those principles are inscribed, |
shall be found close by his side in the
thickest of the fight, to cheer him with
1ny voice and to aid hin With my arm
come TO urge upon you, democrats and
republicans alike, to trsmple under foot
every prepOsse-sion and prejudice and
passion, if it were as dear as life Itself.
and, rising to the height Of this great
struggle, to remsmbey that We have only
little life to give, and npble, enduring
government to save.
AN party man. I ayow it. but not
L trust, IN any narrow and sectarian sense.
an attached from conviction to the prin-
cipiss Of the democratic party. l have
studied its history from the foundation of
the government. Ia the states I found it
the party of liberty and progress In The
federal government found it to be the
exponent Of that fundamental principle Of
the constitution that call powers which
are not granted are reserved" 1t has
been she consistent opponent Of consolida-
ton il the oDe system, and Of excessive
sdrlinist ration in the other. It has been
at once the firm supporter cf the rights Of
the states and Of the just powers OF the
federal government. In every yicissitude
Of our history it has appeared to direct Us
with It's wisdom, and to extricate US bv its
courage, aud to-day it stands as ii did in
1877 and 1899, under the guidance of Nr.
Jefferson, pointing Us the path of safety,
which is now. as it vas then-.he consti-
tutien-the path Of ffraternal harmony and
peace.
The convention which 81 n New York
was an august assembly 1t was the true
council of our party 1t embraced cur
beat, rurest, aud wisest men. The roll Of
the states was called and not one was mis-
sing. The doctrine Of state su;c ide was
not recognized The dissolution Of tn .
union was not acknowledged. Every
state was invited to be present, and thus
is happened North Carolina, and South
Carolina, aud Georgia, and Virginia, sat
az in the days CT the revolution, in frater-
ternal council with Massachusetts, and
New York. and Pennsylvania and New
Jersey; and that Hampton, and Preston.
and Forrest, sat side by SIDE with Steed-
man and Morgan The convention vas
the sign, and the symbol, and :he propii-
ocy Of a restored union and harmonious
people. 1t rose TO The dignity Of IT'S high
duty. The eyes Of the world were upon
Its proeeedings-greater than tie Holy
Alliance, which subjected peoples and d.
v.ded empires, its mission sas to enfran.
chise the people Of our own race to re-
store the union Of cur states, and to main
tain the institutions of civil liberty. For
the hrst time in their history the American
people realized that free government was
in danger, and that the fate Of the renuh-
lie trembled in the balance. They had
oeen taught to believe that freedom was
Indigenous to our sol, and shutting our
eyes to the teachings OF all history, shut
ting their eyes to the facts connected with
our revolution, they had hugged to them
selves the delusion that whatever the storm
Of faction, or passion, or revolutionary fer
vor, liberty. at least, was safe. They had
awakened from the dream As they sent
representatives to the convention, they
charged them, as the Dictator Of old was
charged: See to it that no detriment
happens to the republic
by unanimous vote thev adopted dec
laration of principles fidelity to The con-
stitution," "fdelity to the union :" ofdel-
ity to the rights of the states - fidelity
to the rights of the citizen y "fdelty to
the principles of civil liberty" "ideIity
to thai policy in matters Of finance and
taxation, which, by paving the public
debt in legal tender notes, will be lifted