Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-09-17
Speech ofEx-Gov. Tod,
.-.4 AT ..s
orwell, O., August %, 1868.
HowAwAR DEmOcRATTALKs.

mass meeting OF the hepubllcahs Vi
Ashtabula and other counties, com
prising the Nineteenth Congress
sional District was held at Orwell,
in Ashtabula county, on Friday,
August 2Sth,
There is no town of considerable
size within twenty miles Of Orwell,
SO that the meeting was composed
almost entirely of the farmers OF
the surrounding country and their
families. A large number OF ladies
were present.
The speakers invited and present
were ex- Governor Tod, Gen j. A.
Garfield, General Stedman and DIR.
Ames.
The Chairman introduced GOV.
Tod as the first speaker.
GovERNoR ToD's SPEECH. 2
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-l re-
member with great satisfaction our
meeting upon this ground about 4
years ago. l remember the critical
condition ofour country then. But
I felt that the difficulties which
stood in the way Of complete res
toration would soon disappear. |
felt then that perhaps we should
never meet in the same relation
again. / had become identified with
YOU under the circumstances at
tending the war for the Union, and
/ felt then that l was in the midst
of those who were doing their duty.
But we had differed in our political
policy.
Looking to an early restoration
of the government, I.then prophe-
sled that we met perhaps for the
last time as a party. l fondly eX-
pected then that the two great old
political parties would soon be ar
rayed against each other on their
old measures and issues. But |
was mistaken. Those fond eXpec-
tations have been blighted. For,
although the rebellion was put down
and that old flag floated again over
every foot of our territory, l regret
to be compelled to announce to day
that questions growing out of the
recent rebellion are still before us
to be disposed of.
We cannot 60 back to the old
issues which were before the coun-
try when Van Buren and jackson
were Democratic candidates, or even
when Buchanan was the Democrat
ic candidate. The questions that
were then up, and worthy of the
sttife of freemen, are yet in abey-
ance, The old questions of tariff
and distribution of the public lands
and internal improvements, still re-
main in abeyance; for though, as
remarked before, the rebellion, 50
far as the use of arms is concerned
has been put down, yet questions
of far more Importance than the old
issues, are yet to be disposed Of
You all know what they are.
Some sort of government it was
necessary to establish in the South
ern States. Every Democrat con
cedes that something had to be done
after the rebels had laid down thell
arms. There were but three pow
ers that could be looked to for this
work. First, the people of the reb
ell States themselves. But would il
have been safe to surrender to then
the work of reconstruction? Coult
they have been safely trusted witt
the settlement of the questions
growing out of the war? | thinl
no Democrat will say so. Woult
they have provided for the widow
and orphan of the gallant soldle'
who fell in. the struggle for the I'm
ion? Would they have proylde(
for the manned, the halt, and tn
tblind, made so in protecting the ole
flag? Would they have provided
flor the honest payment of the Fed
eral debt, created to carry on tn
war? If they would not, then the,
would have been unssfe parties t.
dictate terms.
There was another power in tn
land-the President, Andrew John
son. Would it have been safe tt
trust the President? Andre'
johnson claimed to have the pow
er, and he laid his plans and trie
to carry them out. Mr.. Lincoln
pure, upright, high-toned, honor'
BILE and just as he was-even h
would not have been a safe depost
tory of that power. What othe
power was there? The Congress
ofthe United States. That was th
: proper power to do this work. l
Congress we all had a voice.
Through our representatives /
Congress we could all speak, an
express our views and wishes as t
the terms. Surely that was the sa
est power TO lodge this mighty que'
ton with.
I Well, Congress has inaugurate
d a system and defined terms upo
: which these States can come in.
do not contend that Congress ha
been perfect; that could not be @
pected. Show me a communlt
n that claims perfection and l WI
It show you self-righteous peopl
Now, I am well pleased with ever,
= thing that Garfield did in Congress
!, / give him credit in the highest d
y gree for his attention to his dut
:. His Maker is to blame if he is, b
still We might have differed in son
things if we had been there. d
It Congress err in legislating for tho
III