The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-04-16
aBY JULIAN A. SELBY
Speech OF Governor Allen, of ohio.

AneTe WuS an Immense BaCner1nB
of Ohio Democrats at Columbus on
Wednesday night, called for the
purpose of holding O. jollifcation
over the victories at tho municipal
elections in Ohio and the victory
in Connecticut. 100 guns were
fred, and there was g fine display
of fireworks. A band of mu-
sic helped to cultivate the enthu-
siasm of the people, and altogether
the affair made an eminently re-
spectacle opening of the campaign.
A-number of speeches were made.
That Of Governor Allen is given in
part below:
Ny FRIENDS AND FELLOW CITIZENS:
Ninty-nine years have passed away
since the declaration of our indie
pendence. During oil that time
American people lave been school
ed In the theory, and have enjoyed
the practice, Of free government.
1t is at the close of the century
that we find ourselves assembled
here tonight to debate the ques-
tion, not about O practical measure,
but about the life of this Govern
ment, the continuance of our. free
institutions. You have heard the
100 guns fred "A little while ago
,;wo heard Of the 100 gums being
'firod,int the State of Connecticut to
rejoice over the first instance in our
history where the bayonet had been
substituted for the ballot in free
and independent State. Those guns
wererfred to- express the joy of the
small remnant Of the Grant party
over the reversal of the decree of
the ballot box by the use of the
bayonet, but there was IN express
sion loud and deep, conclusive and
dnmning, by the people of Connec-
ticut. For that act they put up
theimanpwho had fred those guns
and offered him to the people as a
candidate for Governor. A pretty
Governor he would have madel They
sent,him adrift by 5000 votes care
fully counted, a majority equal to
10000 majority in Ohio. I guess
we'll give about that majority next
fall. E1don't. think the people of
Ohio will fall in with the bayonet
any more than the cold, calculating
Yankees, of Connecticut. What
does all this mean? What power
wRsl this that had become so pow
erfM in the eyes Of tho President?
They had seen the effect Of the
vote in Ohio two years ago, and
the still greater effect of the vote
one year ago. They found by this
verdict that their power was con-
dsmned and their ministers in the
House Of Representatives outlawed
by their own constituents, not the
Bastile. The Democrats do not
want Bastile. All we want is lit
tie ballot box, with a hole in the top
Of It, We don't allow people in
the garb of Grant to put bayonet
in the hole This is O wonderful
country, and the ballot box is q
tremendous revolutionizcr. On the
9Th Of January, 1866, there was q
Democratic meeting in Columbus.
I, with many others, was invited
mp here. It was night meeting,
and the Democrats were 80 few
that they didn't care to hold open
street meetings. So we went into
athouse and had something to eat,
and being orthodox Democrats, we
had q little liquor to drink. I
commenced a speech by alluding to
the answer of o king when he was
about to depart on an expedition
East and was dividing his private
fortune emong his friends. When
his, steward asked what he would
have sleftetor4 himself Alexander
responded: "Hope, and that is
en0ugh.w !nI then proceeded to say
WgWetei FONT to enter upon the
elterpriiaeipf pf saving the Institutions
of our country. I said we were,
bereft of all power; we had not o
DemoofatiS State inhthe' Union,
add hSd jig, PoweE,in Congress. We
were n9t hing but q limited mass Of
private .in diNiduals, and /. asked,
when. king of the forlorn. posi-
ton Of the Democratic party, what
had that party to expect, goingiinto