The Portland daily press., 1868-10-05
The Contrast i'm Indiana.

tember, the leaders of the Democracy have
been on the stretch to devise means to eclipse
it. They had the same ambition in this city
prior to our election, and everybody in the
western part of the State knows how small
was the end OF the horn from which they
emerged.
The Indiana Democracy were not discour-
aged by the defeat of their brethren in Maine.
They went to work with will. The meet
ing was to be held on Wednesday of last
week. They had three weeks to work it up
in. Money was collected from various CEN
tral points, circulars issued to county
committees directing as many men as posi-
bic to be sent along. Eight thousand torches
were ordered Of one house in indianapolis tor
the torchlight procession. Extra trains were
chartered aod thousands of passes were dis
tributed. Blair, Pendleton, Doolittle, Hen
bricks, de-, were engaged to speak. So much
for the preparations.
Now for the result: The meeting came off
as promised. But the vast assemblage was
not seen. The disappointment was intense.
The Republicans, who do rothing in that re-
gion by halves, ascertained from undoubted
sources, that the excursion trains of the great
Republican demonstration on the I'd, carried
thirteen thousand more persons into the city
than arrived there on the day of the Demo-
cratic gathering, although it was shown that
they distributed between 5000 and 1000 free
tickets. OF the numerous splendid buildings
Tn t grace the Capital but three or four were
handsomely decorated, but the thousand and
one drinking saloons which had been clad in
sackcloth and ashes during the Republican
demonstration, were in full blast, with their
banners thrown to the breeze on the congen-
ial occasion of the 23d. Of the 5000 torches
ordered, more than 5000 were not used at all.
Only 5000 men and boys carried torches, and
less than 1000 men, women and children par
ticipated.
The first speaker was Gen. Blair. The i'm
preston he made upon his friends was far
from fattering. He disappointed the Democ-
racy sadly. The correspondent of the New
York Times says that his speech had been
looked forward to with most intense interest
but that it chilled the audience like blast
from Alaska. His description is SO forcible
that we quote bis words:
Of the 1000 persons who had assembled
round the stand no more than 1000 were able
10 near distinctly what he said. Instead of
Iery, OH hhand, "rabbe-rOusing" address.
which most OF his hearers had been led TO ex,
pect, they heard the Democratic candidate
tor the Vice-Presidency read in a feeble. boI-
low voice, tedious, laboriously prepared es
say, which bored them, and which, alter the
first cheers had died away, was received in
ominous silence. Such remarks as, "Why he
is poor speaker" Can be not make bet
ter speech than thatp "He might lust as
well staid away at is not worth while to
listen o him." were heard on all sides. Gen
Blair, himself, looked cross and dissatisfied
lie had been led to believe that an enormous
| mass OF Hoosier Democrats, overfiowing with
enthusiasm and flushed with bright anticipa-
tlons of victory, would meet him at Indian
| apolis; and now he saw before him only a
crowd interior in Lumbers to the Republican
mass meeting which he had addressed in the
same city eight years ago, and at which he
had called the Democratic Party, a party OF
"hel-hounds." Gen. Blair, it may De safely
asserted, so far from adding to the number OF
his friends, has positively lost votes by his
performance at indianapolis. He is a poor
speaker, and it was evident that he made
any thing but favorable impression on an au-
dience which was willing to cheer HIM to the
echo, provided he had given it the slightest
chance to do so.
Pendleton succeeded, and by contract with
Blair was received throughout with more fa-
vor. 1t was thought, alter the Maine election
that these repudiators would change their
policy somewhat. But not so. Like the
Bourbons they never learn by experience
Lilies lessons are blank to them. His speech
was tune On the sane instrument-the
same old story, which he has so often told
this autumn-and by the time he had closed
his well-worn tale, only about $500 person,
surrounded the stand. The correspondent
we have quoted above, adds:
understand that Mr.. Pendleton did no
respond very readily and willingly to the in
vitation of the Democratic State Cenlra
Committee to address the Indianapolis mas
meeting, and that the most pressing repre-
sentations had to be made to him in order t.
induce him to come. He is said to have Civ
en- the managers, who are the very men who
slaughtered him at the New York Couven
tion, to understand that he regards the pros
poets OF the Democracy in Indiana as hopeless
and that no efforts could prevent the success:
OF the Republican party.
senator Doohttle, though promised, did no.
appear. He sees that that ship is sinking
and he keeps at safe distance. Thus ended
the demonstration which was promised to bt
the greatest ever seen in the West. And thu
ends the hopes of the destructives of addin.
the thirteen electoral votes of Indiana to tn,
rebel lumn of votes they are trying to erec
for Seymour and Blair.