The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-01-18
An Able Speech.

Among the many able and eloquent
speeches delivered at the Eighth of
January Banquet at the Weddell House
in Cleveland, was that of General
Durbin Ward, in response to the toast
"Tbe Democracy and the Usion,"
which we republish below. General
Ward said:
Mr. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN:-
Democracy is the religion of American
liberty, the Union is her temple and
the Constitution her Ark of the Cove
nant. The freedom Of all, the equality
of all, the protection of all and the
least government consistent with social
ORDER are tha holy commandments of
liberty and Democracy the high priest
at her altar. The American citizen,
wherever and however situated, clings
with confidence to the horns of that
altar. At home and abroad, in peace
and war, Democracy administers the
sacraments ofthe true faith. The nat
ural creed of liberty is the unwritten
law of the brotherhood of man. In
spired by this faith, and fully equipped
from the aTmor of truth the soldier of
Democracy goes forth to do battle with
a zeal and courage of crusader.
Fellow members of the Democratic
party, We are the organized army of
popular liberty and federal union.
From Jefferson to Jackson and from
Jackson to the next President we have
ever been and still are enlisted for life
inthe cause of the people. In the infan-
cy of the republic, when Federal poll
tics had seduced public thought into
imperialistic ideas, the daring achieve
ments of our ancestors in the faith re =
cued our institutions from the sappers
and miners of popular rights and re-
stored the government to the orbit OF
the Constitution. Our party revived
the fainting spirit of democracy. And
now, when a generation of misrule
threatens to bury liberty and equality
under monopoly and corruption, we
must emulate the example ofthe Dem.
ocratic fathers and wrest the govern
ment from the clutch ofthe spoiler.
| Gentlemen, you have honored me
tonight by assigning me to respond tC
this sentiment: "The Democracy
and the Union" You did we'll to link
the American Democracy and the
American Union together as the CO.
equal guardians of the public welfare
for they are coevals in birth and exist
ence. Should the Democratic party
ever die then the Union dies 80 long
as the Democracy lives the Union
lives.
The relation of the Democratic party
to the Union is a study of absorbing
Interest and full of patriotic lessons
In the formation of the government
and its early administration are found
the origin and growth of our party. Its
Presidencies gave the people the puresi
administration, the strictest adherence
to the Constitution and the most pros
porous eras in our history. Its expul-
sion from power was the tocsin of civil
war and its return to power will sound
the anthem of reconciliation and peace
But, gentlemen, the Union of the
Democratic party is the Union of the
Constitution, not the supremacy of 8
section or the omnipetence Of party
rule. 1t is a federal union of states
not a consolidated empire. During the
war, therefore, Democracy demandsS
for the people their constitutions
right of free speech and free press anC
other guaranty of personal freedom
They demanded that law should reigr
and not frenzied passion. But while
they demanded that liberty should no
be dethroned in the civil state. equally
|
should not be dethroned in the United
States. Gallant Democrats by tn,
hundred thousand rallied round thu
flag" from every state of the Nortl
and from more than half the states o
the South. The blood of the UnioI
Democracy stained every battle fielC
in the struggle and the national arm
would have been palsied had not tn
patriot hosts of the Union Democrac,
aided their Republican comrades L
hold it up during the day of battle. n
prouder record was ever made by an,
party than the Democracy made dur
ing the late war. At home they stoo,
as adamant in defence of fCenstitutiona
liberty, and in the field they poured a
column of fire upon the foes CT tn
Union. And so soon as the war wa
over they generously stretched ou
open arms to the defeated South, an,
invited them again, without humilis
ton or condition, to their old places il
the Union. Let us glow with prid
that we could be patriotic without fol
getting to love liberty and fraternity
The past of our history is secure. Th
} glory of the future now dawns upo
us. We have struggled for twenty tiv
years under adversely and often suffer
ed defeat, but we have never faltered
Sometimes divisions in our ranks aros
| but not as to the great principles c
| Democracy, but as to the details @
policy. Sometimes long absence iron
power tempted us, in the hope of gain
ing popularity, to adopt temporary ex
} pedients without abandoning princi
pie. And enoe fraud stole from u
victory fairly won. And often our ar
rogant rival libeled us as disloyal t.
the Union, and even proclaimed u
dead and prepared for the funeral
But we still continue to live. The Ok
Guard of Napoleon could die but neve
surrender. The Democracy is the Oh,
Guard of Liberty and Union," an,
it neither surrenders nor dies.