The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-01-23
9esTEN, GEsEG.
Fig htn Of January Cefebrat7or,
The Spirit Of Gid Hickory ssiil
alive,
Letter from Esen. George e. Pan.
6bc&SR,
Especial Dispatch to the Fnouirsr

WOOSTER, OHto, Jan. S-The auni-
verssrv Of the Battle Of New Orleans
was celebrated tonight by tho Demsc
rscy OF Wayne County by q graad ban.
quet at Arcxdome Hail Hon. John
McS,een.y presided, and in = few in .
troduetory remarks recited the historic
glory OF our grand old party, urging
its members TO labor for success, and,
more, to deserve it. lie paid an elo-
quent tribute to tho memory Of Val
laDdi9hsn.
Speeches were also made by VIM. A.
Lynch, Esq, of Canton, Ohio; j R
Clymer. OF Bucvrus; C. G Parsons,
Esq. Hon. George Rex and Professor
L Firstone, OF this city. They were sll
attentively listened to and loudly sp-
pIsuded.
The table, prepared by the Democrat
ic ladies, was the finest ever spread in
this city. A grand ball succeeded the
speeches, ard is now in progress
A letter was read from Hon George
W. Morgan and also the following com
munication from Hon. George II. Pen
dleton:
LETTER OF EoS. GEORGE Fl. rENDLEToa
CINcIEHATl, Dec 80, 1871.
MEssRs AN,FERlsTo1E, RAUGH-
MAN, Committee OF Invitation-GENTLE.
MEN: | regret that | can not accept
your invitation to lie present st the nex'
annual ceiehrniien of the Sth of January
1t would have given me great pleasure
to meet and take counsel OF those whC
are so well grounded in the faith ano
the practice of Democracy as the men
of Wayne County, and with them to re.
call the principles and example of the
founders of our PARTY.
Two great dangers impeIil free insti
tutions under the policy of tue party
ROW in power The spirit of central
lied military government attacks every
where the Constitution, and corruption
in office des roys the civil administra
lion do Rot speak merely Or chiefly
Of special defslcations however start
ling, but Of the general degradation O
the standard Of official integrity unit
the Offices in both the civil and military
service seem to I've considered the prop
erty Of the party, to he dispensed anC
administered primarily for party ag
grand jzsment or personsi profit.
These dangers grow out of and arr
insepsrsDle from the present organiza
ton Of the Republican party Its foun
dation, It's philosophy. its history anc
lis leaders recognize military power sn(
the corruptipg use of money by ofiicia
patronage as legitimate forces in ordin
airy civil administration, and now NOR
than ever are they brought into activ'
exercise The Democratic party con
fronts this theory and denounces thes
practices.
Founded upon the idea of local gov
ernmeut, jealous Of powers granted t.
authority. taught that simplicity ant
economy are essential to the honest
necessary in republican institutions,
msintsins with more determined purpos
that the military must be subordinat
to the civil su,hority, and that Office
are trust for the people, not spoils 70
the victors.
Its powerful organization enters ever.
village in the land, and numbers amoni
It's sdherents nearly one half the peopl
AS intellectual, SIS pure, as patriotic
a. unselfisb, as any of their fellow Cit
zens, They are too numerous to b
cowardly. They arc toe patriotic to b
lukewarm. They are too sincere i
their purposes and convictions TO b
driven to despondency by ten years Q
reverses. They have shown constsnc
in defeat as vel! as wisdom in victory
Ii understand their feelings, they wi
neither dishaDd their organization no
fee the field before the contest com
mences Either course, they believe
would yield undisputed sway to til
present Administl alton, which coul
then give undivided attention to the ds
serters from its ranks An advaEcint
army, with the enemy either disperse
or in fight, never loses divisions or reg
ilReats, OF even companies, and is ger
erslly able to pick off or to pick u
trcacherous or thou2htless strssglers.
II there be, as is claimed, many men
bers of the Republican party who dis
approve the ideas which dominate th
Administration of President Grant, an
are prepared to oppose his re election
they should declare their purposes, ol
aanike their party, develop and man
fest their strength, and if may predt
the future, they will have no just cause
even the most sensitive and timid anon
them, for refusing to co operate wit
the Democratic party.
When its authorized Convention sha
speak it will remind its adherent, tha
the ultimate and highest purpose of ii
existence is to secure The greatest pro:
pcrity, in its best sense, Of every hUma
being IN the land that principles OF GOV
eIument are true or untrue, as they cor
trioute TO this result; that parties an
policies aud Offices are hut means to thi
end that principles are of different al
plication, and questions lose their in
portance III the ever-shi!ting changes {
lumsn affairs; and discarding sll nal
row ideas, abandoning the consider.
ton OF all questions which have bee
decided or buried By the events whic
have passed; recognizing the accom-
plisied facts of the present, and appr'
cisting the dangers Of the future, it wi
invite, both by words and by deeds
both by resolutions and by nominations
the zeaious, hearty co operation of a
men who believe that the Constitutio
is 8 better system Of government tha
martial law, snd that reform in the civ
service is higher duty than rewardn
prospective partisan effort by distrib,
ting spoils.
BY this course the party, ] shoul
hope, would attain success. If it shoul
once more fail, as an honest, faithful
patriotic minority, it will hold an impe
tsnt position and exert an immens
moral power over the majority; and
may we'll wait with faith the inevitsbl
hour which will crown its fidelity an
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