Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-08-07

Corinlhian style Of architecture, but il
was emphaticaliy in the Indiana style Of
architecture. [Laughter.l remember
distinctly that il was Just exactly as long
as II was wide, and Just exactly as high as
Il was wide [0reat laughter, and cries OF
That's So" II was the model Of the
Temple Of Justice in old times in Indiana,
and j have found, in speaking over the
State, q few Of these venerable and anti
quarian relics left yet. .--
Then, coming down later, | shall np
speak to you OF my public life, which !
have had to lead for u has been familiar
to you. My political life has been cast in
the stormiest period Of the history Of our
country, from the days of the revolution
to the present time. With all the excite
ment unparalleled in the political contests
OF the past, | rejoice to be able to say be-
fore you to-day that never when return
ed to your midst has there been one man,
be he even the bitterest of my opponents
there has never been man, however an
tagonistic he might be to me, that ever met
me with the repr0ach that had turned
my back upon a solitary pledge made
when asking your suffrages, or that had
proved infidel TO the faith professed to
you when | was n candidate before You
for your favor tGreat applause Differ.
ing with some, all knew my convictions
were the convictions ofmy life. Ibelieved
in them as unreservedly as / believe in the
inspiration of revealed truth. They were
the Polar star that guided my political
course. They were the chart by which
marked out my public career. / have
proved faithful to them in the past, and
whatever is to be before me in the future,
God helping me, shall stand by them as
earnestly and inhexibly in the years 10
come as l have in the past [Great ap-
plause
You remember that the most of my life
has been spent amongst you in the edito-
rial profession, and all of you almost
especially those who have lived here for
years-can bear witness to the fact that ]
was no sluggard in the performance of
those duties. l was generally the editor
the publisher, the proof-reader, the mail
boy, the collector, all rolled into one
Laughter But performed them to the
best of my ability, and have this to say:
Looking back TO my life as an editor, | can
say that, while l antagonized with my op
ponents because believed their principles
wrong and my own right, l antagonized
without opprobrium, and | opposed them
without invective And every one of you
here, Democrats and Republicans l can
call as witnesses that, in spite of all the
political storm of the last six or eight
years, have not as you know yourselves
in this district, ever designated the Demo.
cratic party by any other name than that
which they have chosen themselves. OF
all the hundreds of speeches have made,
you have never heard me allude to them
as Copperhedds, or anything that they
might condemn as personal or opprobrious.
l have given to them the name that they
see fit to give to themselves; AMI l have
borne patiently, and without such retort,
every epithet that has been heaped upon
me by those who have seen fit in that way
to oppose me. believed that to be wiser
course and experience has proved its cor
rectness to me.
There is one thing that embarrasses me
in speaking before you to-day. As l ad-
dress you there comes thronging into my
mind the great issues which the millions
of the American people are to settle at
the polls at the November elections But
my lips, from the position that now oc-
cupy before this people, are to be sealed
in regard to those issues. l cannot speak
in regard to the platform, nor can speak,
as / deem propriety forbids me- of the
candidates that are arrayed against us.
have not deemed 1t proper or fitting,
when one is presented by the people, or
party representing large portion or
majority of the American people, for the
national offices for which General Grant
and myself have been presented, to go
into the political arena and there discuss
these exciting and agitating questions.
My record is made up before you. It is
written on the pages of our country's leg
islation for the past fourteen years. 1t is
inscribed there, where could not erase it
If would, and where l would not erase
it if could. 1t is there for good or for
| evil 1t is my convictions expressed in my
votes, in my speeches, in my letters the
convictions of my life and of my heart I;
believed in with all my soul, and strength,
| and mind, Not one word of it shall
ever take back every word of it is con.
firmed to me by the experience of past
years, and there is not, as look back at
it, one single sentence that dying would
wish to blot. What may be the future for
me depends not now upon the people of
this district alone, but upon the millions
of the American people
have faith. You know how my faith
has been in the times of national and party
reverses, never tagging, never quailing,
never abating. / have faith to-day; I
think can see in all the signs Of the
times, the triumphant victory that awaits
the great leader of our Union hosts, II
valing in its brilliancy and its beneficent
effects upon our country the brilliant vic
tories won by him against the armies of
the rebellion. / believe an overruling
Providence holds the destinies of our
Union in His hands. He preserved us as
Union when treason seemed to threaten
our existence; he strengthened our hearts
for every sacrifice required at our hands.
He lifted us to nobler plane of patriot
ism, because He had determined, as be.
lieve, that treason should never rule in
this fair land of ours. L"Good, good!"
loud applause.1 He saved our Union for
us, and the same overruling Providence
that watched over the armies of the reyo-
luton and led them to press on year after
year until the glorious light of victory
shone upon their banners, and that in
this late war saved us when the rebellion
seemed to the world outside likely to
destroy our national existence, will stand
by us in this contest and although the
men who were put down by the arms of
the American people may rise again and
proclaim their treason throughout all that
region, He who ruieth In the Heavens
will, as believe, bring upon them iudg-
ment-a judgment which the polls shall
manifest at the coming November cleo
tion. Loud applause,
Meeting many of you here, as / do to-
day, looking into your smiling and happy
faces as you greeted me upon the depot
and here upon this stand, cannot but
remember that there are hundreds of my
friends of past years whom l am never
to meet again. Here, upon this fair
ground where we stand to-day, spoke 10
regiment aner regiment of the brave men
who came from every township and every
school district in this county of ours, and
throughout this district to offer their
young lives as sacrifices for the preserva.
tion Of our beloved land. / had been
throughout the district over and over
again, attempting to inspire them to this
noble and patriotic work, and they had
come hither to lay aside the garh of the
citizen and 10 enroll themselves in the ar.
niaa Of tho IInion rraav ~ naptad g., -