The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-18

On the 10th, at Columbus, Ohio, the
Democracy had a meeting to ratify the
action of the recent Democratic State
Convention. Gov. Allen was chairman
and the Hon. George H. Pendleton the
chief speaker. We make the following
extract from the admirable remarks OF
Gov. Allen:
One word as to the history of this par.
ty. 1t derived its life from a great strug.
gle at the beginning of the Government
to check the tendency of the Government
in its silent and secret march into mon
archy. 1t had its origin in its efforts to
repeal law passed before this party had
any existence, by which the alien-born
population of the county was sought to be
put under the frown of the Government
and to that extent emigration from
abroad retarded at the beginning, and pre-.
vented finally in the end. Every foreign
er that treads our soil is indebted to that
first and great effort in which this party
received its birth to render our soil the
home OF every honest man who wanted to
make an honest living among US.
Another law leading TO the same end
had tor its object the restriction of the
right OF speech, and limitation upon the
liberty of the press. 1t was to repeal
these laws that the Democratic party
came into existence, and it did repea
them; so that every man who wants tc
speak or write freely can date back his
right to do so to the old Democratic party
in the first years of its birth. Every for
elgner, from whatsoever cline he may
have come, can date his right to live on
and cultivate the American soil in the
character of an American citizen back tc
the day when the Democratic party was
born. That party held the control of this
Government for nearly sixty years. That
party annexed every acre of land to the
original limits of the Republic which
we're ever annexed, except some snow
clad region in the North, which the En-
peror of Russia had the cunning and the
duplicity to pervail on our Government
to take off his hands. Laughter and ap
plause.l The Democratic party conduct
ed every war with foreign country to a
decided and triumphant issue. The
Democratic party, after ffty-fye years OF
debate, received for every measure it had
ever urged the sanction of the American
people, and put that measure upon the
statute-book. The adverse party, strug-
Cling to ingraft their measures upon the
public law, failed in every instance, and
stood condemned as bunglers in the max.
ing of laws up to the year 1860.
Now, mark you, we claim that we have
acquired all the land under Democratic
rule, and the accessions haYe been i'm
mense. We claim that we carried
through every war with foreign countries
to a successful termination. We claim
that every single measure of the party
was Endorsed by the American people
through the long series of fifty-fve years of
this Governments life. And another
we claim-and not the smallest-that in
ALI this time the Democratic party never
shed one drop of human blood for politi-
cal offense. Applause Not one drop.
We did make one mistake-a great and
terrible mistake. We made the mistake
of opening our ranks and opening a wide
chasm through which an adverse party
came trooping into power fourteen years
ago, and have done all the things that
you remember. They contrived to i'm
press the minds of the American people
with prejudicial notions with regard to the
Democratic party But we have lived
to see all that reversed; and now this ma
ton, recollecting the old history of the
party; recollecting its illustrious deeds
all patriotic in their conception and wise
in their execution; recalling all these
things, this people are now stretching
forth their hands and crying to the old
Democracy of the Union, Come back,
come back, come back!' And we are
coming back. [Applause.l We intend
to come back; and when we do come
back, mark you, we will administer the
Government just as our predecessors of
the Democratic party administered it
not exclusively for the good of the Demo
crats-that is not our policy; but for the
good of the people, for the good of
every man, woman and child in the whole
republic-and that is in the nature OF
of our organization, which confines itself
to general laws that set equally upon all
men, no matter what may be their politics
or what may be their religion.
The other side wants special laws. for
special interests, to conserve special pur-
poses. Our party recognizes the law OF
nature. We seek, as far as possible, to
apply the laws of nature TO the laws OF
the country, by making the good and the
evil of the Government rest equally, and
not oppressiyely, upon all who enjoy the
benefits of the Government. That is our
idea of the law, and that is the reason
why there is now such loud call from
the AroOstOok to the Southern ocean for
the old Democracy "Come back, come
back, and revive that confidence by the
loss of which this nation has been drawn
close to the brink of ruin