Year: 1867




On Monday. the 26th August, the De,
mocracy of Wapakoneta and vicinity
turned out in force to hear the issues oil
the hour discussed by their candidate
for Governor, Judge Allen G. Thurman
The Governor spoke in beautiful grove,
near the town, about two thousand peo-
pie, including a number Of ladies. His
remarks were well received and frequent
ly applauded.


The meeting was organized by the ap-
pointment of Col. G. W. Andrews, of
Wapakoneta, as Chairman, who said that
before introducing Judge Thurman, be
wished to say few words IN regard to a
personal reflection upon Mrs Judge
Thurman, which had been lately pub
lished in several Republican newspapers,
to the effect that she had visited rebel
prisoners in 1862, at Camp Chase, near
Columbus, and attempted to furnish
them delicacies, extended sympathy, &c
The Colonel said that temporarily, dur
ing that Y ar, he happened to be in com
mand of the Camp in question, and dur
ing that time Mrs. Thurman visited the
Camp. but only as other persons visited
it, and that the assertion that she had
visited the Camp to render assistance to
rebels was without foundation, though
perhaps those who had made the asser-
ton believed it to be true. He wished.
however. to contradict that statement
and to say that it was merely a fabrica-
ton.


The Chairman then introduced Judge
Thurman, who spoke as follows:


I'VE give the following extracts from
this very able speech-ED. UNION:


PERSONALITIES TO BE AVOIDED.


But before I begin to speak upon the
questions intend to discuss, I desire to
say what I do come to speak upon. I
do not come to defend myself against
any of the miserable personalities that
have been uttered or published against
me. All that I own in the world ; every
near relative that I have in the world,
except one; my wife and children, my
whole family; are in this State Of Ohio;
and if I have lived here for forty-seven
years. and been somewhat known to the
people of this State by reason of their
kindness, as a lawyer and a member Of
your Congress, as a Judge of your Su-
preme Court, and as a private citizen,
if I have lived here to so little purpose
that I have to defend myself against
the miserable charges of treason and the
like, made against me, the mere slang
words of political stumpers, without
ideas and without argument, why then I
have lived to very little purpose. And
what a foolish thing it would be. Why
if I were to put down to-day in the most
conclusive manner one of these ISLANDERS,
that sun would not have set behind the
western horizon before twenty others
would be invented against me; and who
ever thinks I am so utterly green as to
waste my time and weary my strength by
speaking upon such topics as those, pays
the poorest compliment to my under
staRdin that ever has been paid to it yet;
and whoever thinks that am going to
ask an audience of the people of Ohio,
who are so deeply concernel in the dan
gerous condition of the country, to waste
their time in hearing me discuss any
thing about myself personally, pays as
poor a tribute to my understanding as
it would be possible to pay, for we are in
a crisis that demands of the people their
most careful and deliberate considera-
ton. We are in a crisis which demands
every speaker who aspires to address the
people, to address them with facts, and
with arguments, and not to accupy their
time with frivolty or denunciatiOn.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEEDS NO De


FENsE.


Nor, am I here, my friends, for the
purpose of defending the Democratic
party, and that for the very plain rea-
son that it needs no defense. I am not
here to treat this great old party as if it
we're a criminal, and l lawyer defend
ing it before any bar whatsoever. For
nearly fifty years our party administer
ed the Government Of this country, and
in all that time there prevailed within
our limits the profoundest domestic peace
the world ever saw, in all that time the
Constitution Of our common country was