Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-12
A BANQUET TO GORMAN.
OVER 200 REPRESENTATIV
MEN AT THE BOARD.

=
oquent Words What JefFersonian Dem.
ocraey Means and Is-Simplicity One
of the C0untry's Demands
BALTIMORE. Dec. u. "a. M.-The business
mems dinner to Senator 4. p. German. Chair
man Of the Democratic National Executive
Committee, last night brought together a great
number Of representative and distinguished
men, About zoe subscribers and invited
guests were present. among the latter being
Senators Bayard, Charles W. JONES' McPher-
son, Jonas, Hampton, Lamar, Pendleton.
Oroome, Vest of Missouri, and Camden, Gov.
Mcl4ane, Representatives S. 5. Cox and G. A.
Post. Commander GOrringe and Franklin Il.
NoWen II Pennsy lvania, and others. Tie IN
Nlteu guests were met in Washington by
CouihlLJee. ana brought TO this city IN special
cars over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Ihe arrangements for the banquet and the
decorations of the hail were of the most taste:
ful character.
THE FIRST TOAST.
The first toast on the programme was ssThe
Chairman of the National Democratic Fxecu-
tive Committee, leader to whose thorough
and sklllful organization we are happily in
debted for the brilliant victory of last NOvem-
ber.' Hon. A. p. German responded with
sincere thanks for the kind mention of his
name, and mOdestly disclaiming a monopOlv
of the credit for the work of his committed
persons.
The second toast, 'The State of MARYLAND
was responded TO by Gov. McLane. He spoke
OF Maryla land as the first colony to guarantee
religious liberty $50 years ago, and paid a
tribute to the work which Senator German
performed during the late campaign.
BAYARD ON HIS FEET.
The third toast was 'The Democratic
pafty-lOunded by Jefferson, associated with
al that Is glorious in the past, alive to every
demand of the present and every hope of the
luture.r II was responded to by Senator Bay
ara, or Delaware, whose appearance was re-
celved with strong demonstrations of gratif-
cation. Beginning with handsome cOmpl-
ment to Mr.. German, who. he declared. was
ono OF sidney, Smiths square, men in
filled, Mr.. BaYard proceeded to speak
OF the Democratic party as founded
by Thomas jefferson. do not, beg of yOu,"
he sald, "De appalled, by the breadth of the
subject because / shall not attempt to
cover it; and yet there are two or three things
That at tins hour OF our great and heartfelt
c0ugrdtulatiOn, not to Democrats not for
ourselves, but, as we feel it, congratulations
to every man of every party, and of every
race that lives underneath the American
flag. Applause. Gentlemen, il is no
narrow party victory. 1t is vic
tory Of the institutions of democracy over in
stitutiOns that would DESTROY Applause
JEFFERSONIAN DEMOCRACY.
ave talk of Thomas jefferson and Of the
Jelersonian Democracy. The great question
Is, What was the meaning of Thomas Jeffer-
sons life? What did he mean by the things
hc said and the phrases he usedF What do
we mean mingling here tonight and putting
On our printed lists. What is JefersOnian De-
mocracyr' Is it a tinkllng cymbal and sound,
OF Is IL something to affect our daily lives, to
pass with us through those lives and sustain
Us in the dread hour when lives
shall ends Who was this man whose
name has been given to party? We all
know that he was a plain Albemare
county (Nlrginia) country lawyer. He was a
wonderful production of VIII atever of civili-
zati0n that country could present. We NAV
not return to the simple forms Of life which
surrounded him; we may not cOniine, per-
maps, men born now and to be born hereafter
10 the conditions that surrounded him, for
Virginia was then mere backWOOds colony
Of the crown Of Great Britain. The place Of
his birth ana such schools as she had, and none
other, nOursh -G the intellect of Thomas JEFF
fersOn. Was there not something in the sim
plicity and in the truthfulness of that life that
had better be considered before it Is carelessly
cast aside 10y men who prefer mere glittering
Outsides:
WHAT BROUGHT SUCH MEN TO THE SUR
FACE.
May there not be something in the forms of
society. and the tone of morals and of reli gion
and of thought that brought such men to the
surface as Thomas Jefferson, rs George Wash
ngtOn iapplausel, as John MARSHALL? These
are the products of that simple civilization
which Virginia presented to the United Colo
mics and the United Colonies have presented
to the civilized world, not yet to find their
pcriOrs. LApplause.l May we not, we sim
pie men of Delaware, of Maryland, of Vir-
glnla, Of Carolina, OF these other states,
may we not ask has it been an accident that
has caused such names as this to stand and
TO stand forever in the great coronet
Of the worlds respect? What was it?
Not wealth. surely, for these men were all
nurtured in plain condition and many in
poverty. Was it in force? That cannot be,
because they We're feeble, and were without
those surroundings that compel fear and
obedience whether they shall add respect or
coincidence or no. No, gentlemen, they were
4 aF arr.Tf saYr1F
plauseI, and the question, as your toast sug-
gests TO me, is, What did those men mean?
What did jefferson intend? What was the
ruling spirit and idea which his Almighty
Creator had shot into his soul, and from him
proceeded to irTadlate the minds of men? In
1913 he was a member of the Virginia State
House Of Delegates Of that colony, of that
province. There was in him something that
then stirred, and it took the shape Of written
words, for he was no orator.
JEFFERsoN's PAMPHLET.
''Ie wrote a pamphlet he styled "A sum
mary View of the Rights of America" and it
went abroad. In England it went through
many editions and none less than the hand of
Edmund Burke amended and edited the work
of Thomas jefferson until it became the hand
book of the British opposition to the tyranny
OF George the Third Applause. That was
an expression of this mans soul and thought,
By that expression upon printed paper he
placed himself in the front rank of the advo-
Gates of American liberty. They termed it
then revolution. So much the better if it re-
vOlted against injustice and wrong. That
was the history of l777, and years glided on
until l776 found Thomas jefferson chairman
of the committee OF the American COntinen-
tai Congress to give expression to the causes
and reasons why the people or these colonies
should sever themselves from the government
of the King Of Great Britain, and then came
a paper, the name of which will never
die the meaning of which will never
die the meaning Of which inspired your
toast to me tonight, for it was the
Declaration of American Independence.
Applause. And in years afterwards, when
Inis same plain Nirginian came to speak of his
immortal handiwork, he SAID that the decla-
ration of independence was but perfected
transcript of his summary OF the rights OF
American liberty Applause and SO on. This
thought, and this truth. which believe came
from on high, came TO the heart OF TINS man,
flashed from peak to peak of popular opin-
ion until its light irradiated US on Nov.
last. Applausel.
WHAT he CLAIMED.
What was this summary of the rights Of
America? What did ne mean in the plain
terms which he then wrote? He made clam
for liberty of conscience. He made claim
for liberty of speech. He made claim for
liberty OF person. and these claims he followed
unto their uttermost demonstration. what
was after all the meaning of those
claimsE t was Il question question, Ina, Inat
in organized society. BY what cOntrivance
and by what human methods VIII you excl
else and preserve a restraint upon mans
nOwer over his weaker brother? How shall
the liberty of individuals be preserved? That
was the question asked, and, IN my Judgment,
the Democratic organization of this country
is the best and more practical answer.
rApplause.l Therefore, we find that
this man jefferson was at all
times and in all ways steady
advocate Of local self government. He as
ever the foe of centralized government. He
was ever the friend of State government.
More than that, he knew that by sub dividing
power he lessened its dangers. But there
was another thought that ran through him
when ne became President of the United
states and issued to the American people his
personal message. He never failed to feel
himself and call himself, in every power that
he exercised, the trustee of the people.
PUBLIC POWER AND PUBLIC TRUST.
There was his strength and there was the
peoples safety, IApplausel All public
bower is a trnst. Applause.l And what
public power is so great and mighty and per-
vading as the power of taxation? John Mar
SHALL whose name 1 have reverently pro-
nOunced tonight, in one of those decisions
that made the government of our country
almost as much its noted
constitution John Marshall declared