The Portland daily press., 1884-10-25

GREETED BY THOUSANDS.
Mr.. Blaine's Reception at Spring
field, Ill.
TEN THOUSAND ENTHUSIASTIC
REPUBLICANS IN LINE.

DANvILLE, ILL.,, Oct. 24.-It was IL o'clock this
morning when Mr.. Blaine left Lafayette for Spring
field, Ill. He was accompanied by large recep-
tion committee who had come from Springfield to
meet him. and by several friends from Chicago.
among them being Joseph Medill and G. B. Farwell.
The first stop this morning and the last in Indiana
was at Attica. There were about 5000 persons
saying it was too late for argument aud that the
time for action was at hand No other stop was
made until the train reached this place.
SPRINGFIELD. Ill.,, Oct. 24.-The Republican
sidered to have beeu the largest political demonstra
tion ever held here. Speeches were made by Gen.
eral Logan, Secretary Lincoln and others. The
rival of the train bearing Mr.. Blaine was delayed
until O'Clock. AS soon as it arrived Mr.. Blaine
was Immediately driven to the main stand where he
made the following speech:
/ could not stand upon this ground without hav
ing my mind irresstibly carried back to the spring
of 1861 when the first Republican President left
bis home to enter upon that extraordinary
mission whose results fill the most mem
orable chapter in our history. s(Cheers)
my mind carried back to the return here after fir
ing on Sumter of the great democraI ic chieftain
who, when the issue came between his party and
his country, choose his co ntry Genewed cheering,
and if did not remember these things they would
be brought to mind by the fact that the son of
Abraham incoln and the son of Stephen A. Doug
lass are today upon the soil of Illinois.
upholdiBg the principles for which these two great
patriots stood side by side in the dark days which
Piles which in that great contest preserved both
libert, and union are today incorporated in the
creed of the Republican party. (CheeTs)
Nor do 1 believe that am iniugng in the Ian
qua of extravaganza when say tn It the bond Of
The Union would be weakened by the triumph OF
the Democratic party, because the head of that
party Is in the South, and is in the hshds of men
who organized the rebellion which Lincoln and
Douglass joined in resisting. The deliberate calcu-
laJi0n Of the Democratic party today is that with
16 solid Southern States they will draw enough
electoral votes from the North TO give them the po-
ltical mastery OF the Union. They never do it.
And am sure that In protesting against such
coDsummation, the tombs of both Lincoln and
Douglass would open their ponderous marble jaws
South. The New South looks forward hopefully, to
progress to political regeneration, to the triumph
of principles that underlie the Union. The Old
South cherishes the prejudices of the re-
bellion, nurturss hope of reye' ge,
and INDUCES the ambition to get even. Shall the
North join forces with the Old South or with the
New? (ihe new.) Yes, let us stretch out our hands
to that New South. made up il Is true, largely of
the men who took part in the Confederate struggle,
but who have turned their backs upon the past and
are looking hopefully to the future. let the
strength, influence and prestige of the Republican
party go to the upbuilding of that New sou h, and
so long loyalty has friend. or he flag has fol-
lower, let not that Old South triumph. Cheers
Tue evening devoted to parade of marching
clubs bearing torches and discharng firewo ks. The
number of persous participating is estimated at
10000. There was a general illumination of pub
lie buildings, places of business and private resi-