The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-08-26
A Tribute to nurbIn ward

AT the DemOcrl Tic stats tjOnVen ton
on the 18th inst, General Thomas E.
Powell read the following beautiful
tribute to the late General Durbin E
Ward
To the Democratic State Convention of Ohio:
AT a meeting of the State Central
Committee and other Democrats, held
at Columbus on the 10th day of June,
1856, the undersigned were appointed
a committee to prepare and submit to
the State Convention IL tribute to the
memory of the late General Durbin
Ward.
In compliance with this sad duty,
we ask your adoption of the following:
GEORGE HOADLY,
THOMAS K POWELL,
JOHN O'NEIL,
WILLIAM LAWRENCE,
J.C. MCKEMEY.
The death of Durbin Ward has
brought pain and sorrow TO the hearts
of all who knew him, and has with.
drawn from the Democratic party the
persuasive logic of one of its most elo
quent champions. A youth passed
under Whig influences was followed
by rigid scrutiny of their value
which resulted i'll Il profound convic
tion of the unwiSdem of the policy o.
the party in which he had been edu
catcd. His ripper years though taught
him the dangers of power, and of the
value to liberty of constitutional guar
antees. At time when they were moi
popular in Ohio he became convinced
of the truth in history aud of the
worth in political philosophy of those
doctrines of constitutional law and
personal freedom of which Thomas
Jefferson was the exposition, of the ne
cessity for the strict construction of al
delegations of power and of tenacious
adherence to and support of all reser
vations of liberty. He thus became
in early manhood a Democrat, and
such he remained till death He new.
er wearied or relaxed his efforts within
the Democratic party to guide it in
wise directions, or before the public to
defend its principles and maintain its
just claim to supremacy
When patriotism carried him int
the ranks of his country's defenders a
u private soldier, HheIe merit promo
ted him to Generals command, he
did not relax in his conviction that
war was logically defensible only as a
means of peace, that success in arms
could not change the principles oi
American liberty, enlarge the letter OF
the constitution, affect its spirit or re
woke its guarantees. At the end of the
war he laid aside the sword he had
welded against secession to espouse
the cause of reconciliation.
Ambitious, conscious Of capacity for
high public service, statesman as
well as a soldier, he never sought sue
hxyf rto Of Il
the cOncealment of his thoughts. He
preferred defeat with integrity to sue
cess with false pretenses.
Sensitive to public opinion and de:
sirOus of public favor beyond most
men, the only method of gaining it he
knew or ever practiced, was to present
with all the force of q logical mind in
his best phrase those truths of political
philosophy which seemed to him of
highest value, and likeliest to create
the ideal commonwealth.
Animated by gratitude for his labOrs i,
by admiration of his great intellectual
powers. of his life of rectitude in
thought and act, and by personal af.
lection, the Democracy of Ohio sorrow
in his death, and offer to his widow
their respectful tribute of sympathy.
J. B. Townsend, of Alien county,
offered the suggestion that the Con-
vention and the Democracy of Ohio
should request the executor of the late
General to collect and prepare all the
papers and documents that General
Ward had intended to incorporate into
a political history of the party, and
cause them to be published so that the
Democracy might be profited by their
wise cOunsels and past events.
The tribute was accepted on motion
of Major Armstrong, aud incorporated
in the proceedings.