The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-03-30
OLD HICKORY.
Thrilling Speech of Col. Villas of
Wisconsin at the jackson
BANQUET.


the IroquOis banquet by Colonel Villas
of wisconsin, one of the most brilliant
orators of the West. 1t was in response
10 the toast, "TO Andrew Jackson" The
Chicago Times says of the speech:
"Perhaps the finest effort of the night
considered from an OratOrlcal point OF
view. was the eulOgy of Colonel Villas OF
Madison, upon the hero in whose mem
Ory the meeting was gathered. Colonel
Villas dwelt strongly upon the strong
noints in "Old HickOry's" character and
drew therefrOm his cOneepAOn of what
a Jackson Democrat should be. Almost
every sentence was greeted with cheers,
and when he sat down the Democrats
couId not do justice to themselves sit
ting. They had to stand on chairs and
wave their napkins high in the air to
show the Colonel how they appreciated
his efforts, while those near him gath
cred around and shook his hand right
heartily" -
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENrLEAEN OF
Tur IROOUoIS CLUB-The selection of
tbia anniversary for your first festival
is a SIGNAL mark of the patriotism,
wisdom and political courage which
animate YOUR organization and prOph-
ecy of its usefulness.
1ndrew Jackson! What a flood of
o,Inrions history rises on the mention of
6is namel A generation ago, and more,
tbe old Democratic hero passed oehlnd
the eurtain of death, but only III the
flesh to die. The mortal change was
his apotheOsis to the celestial company
of the gods of our political religion.
we'll worthy of his immortality was
thai heroic life! Riven by passion and
Scared bv the strokes of strife, yet it
stands colossal figure among the he
roas and statesman of mankind, pre-
aminnnt for sinCle-heaTted honesty of
nnrnosa and exalted bravery to do and
hear The iyy of affection and the lau-
rel Of ranOwn, rich with the growth of
wears. now hide with their beauty the
scars and seams of human weakness IN
that splendid tower OF GOd's archltec-
tnre in man. The features OF It's mai
estv and strength alone are left open to
vieV Turn we our gaze upon them,
bahoId the beacon which blaZes from its
lofty head and fitly celebrate his day by
invoking the inspiration OF that char-
aeter to rule again our political WOfld.
This country ever loved, and, as 1t
shall he ever free, ever must love, In lts
tTue ideal. the Jackson Democracy:
False leadership and the turbulence or
war distracted its cOunsels, ODscured lts
distinctiveness, and scattered It's FOL
lowers among various parties. The
alOud for their patriotic reunion ana
the restoration of its power.
II was not great intellect that made
Andrew Jackson a great leader of men.
II was his towering character. He had
great intellect; and for war, genius.
ant hiob above all as mountain peaks
ascend above the lOwer-lying hills, rose
aminences of his stupendOus character.
TApplause.l It's paramount features
were indOmitable will and daring and
courage. No page of history tells OF one
who, before him, survived seYenty-elght
wears and 40 continually performed
such and so many actions of desperate
audacity.
From early bOyhOOd to whitened age
he was beset by peTils and involved in
strife, sometimes crippled by wounds,
and often broken by disease. Others
would have yielded; or, not yielding,
would have died, But not he! Through
every year of life, in every danger, in
difficulties unmeasured, the hame OF
that matchless soul burned undimmed,
his courage never flinched nor his iron
will surrendered. His personal hardi-
hood was not more remarkable than
his moral courage. The two went hand
in hand. He as boldly met the judg-
ment of men and angels as the efforts
of an enemy, for he was founded on. alb
sOInte honesty of thought. Not always
right. he always thought he was right.
His acts were sometimes wrong; his
purpose in them, to his mind, never. 1t
guided him in quarrel with his enc
mics. it ennObled his intercourse with
friends. 1t governed his individual
transactions, and rose to eXaltatiOn
when he dealt for his country and fell
Iowmen. There his example voiced the
teaching: The man is felOn who in
politics cheats the people, and he is a
traitor who betTays public trust. lGreat
applause.
which has seen secret plOtter, because
his corrupt arts turned awTy States
election on which a Presidential con-
test pivOted, wined and feasted as pO-
Iitical herO-which witnesses even now
at the capital of its greatest State the
eOnsummatiOn of a shameful compact
for the barter of public offices of trust
while vet we have not ceased to shud-
der from the horror of Presidents as
sassinatiOn in time of peace; because of
the passionate intrigue of factiOn-may
we'll turn an anxious eye to the lesson
Of honest conviction and integrity of
purpose taught by JacksOn's open war.
Applause Better far to the country
were all his upright errors than sin
gle drop of the subtitle poison or the
blood inOculated by the chicanery and
fraud which have been too long the
instruments of power in the republic.
[ADplause.1 These were the qualities
which made the leadership of Jackson
great and successful. These magnet
ICED and unified the Jackson Democracy
of fifty years ago. These were their
principles of action: First, to see the
right blazing with the authority of the
burning bush to Moses; then fight for
it, reekfng no peril. Applause.
Above all things, and first of all the
Jackson Democrat, as Jackson did,
loves his country with a love which
knows no higher duty but to God. He
loves this complex frame of government
which, when young, king derided and
the world cannot comprehend; this
mystic child of liberty, heaven con-
eeiVed, of one in many and many in
one; this fast bound union of independ-
ent States; this system of the stars, rest
ing on the equipoise of cOntending
forces, safe as law and free as space
[Applause.1 He loves it without rea-
soning and with reason; not alone be.
Sause it shelters his wife and babes
and household gods, protects his labor
and opens limited possibilities to his
manhood, but because it satisfies the
natural lOngings of his soul, because
nrrr forafofharc xunn If 90 tho Y1riaa M