Year: 1864

PEOPLE OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY: 1t
was not my original intention to be present
at your meeting day, and am here now
only because of the disappointment to which
you have been subjected. IL has not been
you know me well enough to believe--be-
cause wished to avoid any responsibility
that l have kept from taking any part in
the public assemblages of my countrymen
in the city of Dayton, since my return from
exile; and | returned, let me say, of my own
accord, and because had right to be here.
THAT so. expected within ten days to


attend the Convention at Chicago, and de-


clarcd it was not my intention to address


any public assemblies until platform had


been adopted and candidate selected The


postponement of the Convention gave me


two months more rest and although [ had
rest Of certain kind during my absence of
year and forty days, it was not of that sort
which | desired. Accordingly / have refl-
sed all invitations to speak, availing myself
of the opportunity offered me to enjoy for
time the pleasures of my own home, from
which | have been so long deprived. 1t has
not been, therefore, to avoid responsibility.
] need make no explanation on this point,
even to abolitiorists. / think they under
stand by this time that, after the fashion of
one greater |, than take the responsible
ity. (Cheers.)


CHARACTER OF THE MEETING.


Neither was it for the want of interest in
the object Of this vast assemblage to-day
that | had declined to be present | feel q


profound solicitude in all that concerns the
people, and have borne some testimony to


the strength and endurance of that solici-


tude. But ! was not present with you to-


day for the additional reason that this is


not a political meeting. 1t is a meeting


emanatng from the fountain head-the


people, it is a constitutional meeting, not
an assemblage of members of a party, for
the purpose Of advancing the interests of
any organization, much less the interest of
any particular candidate. 1t is such meet
ing as the people provided for when they
established the, Constitutional safeguard,
that the people have the right to peaceably
assemble ard consider measures for the re-
dress of their grievances.


ABOUT THE CHICAGO CONVENTION.


l axpect speedily, by the grace of Cod
and | ask no higher authority--to be at
Chicago. And the eyes and the hearts of
the nation are turned in that direction.--
Even Republicans, in the silent slumbers of
the night, the hearts of hundreds and thou
sands of them are turned to the Chicago
Convention-pray that wisdom may direct
its action, as l have not the doubt it will.
When its work is finished, then will | be
ready to devote myself, from morning till
night, and from night till morning, if need


be, to discussion of the subjects that will


be involved in the struggle to follow.
And this is your business here to-day, in


which | feel the profoundest interest. 1t


is your right to come together and express


your opinions, for you come not to hear the
sentiments Of others, but to speak your
selves. The effects of such meeting as


this, gotten up not at enormous expense
and labor, but responsive to the better i'm
pulses of the people, can not fail to reach
and take hold on the seats of power. You
speak here not as Democrats, but as citi-
zens of all parties. One third of those who
called this meeting are men who have been
been hitherto supporters of Lincoln. APP
plauseI. To-day you come together for the
purpose of considering the burdens you suf-
fer; and if ever people, since the Israel
ties were compelled to make mortar without
straw, suffered grievances which demanded
redress, you are that people. You do right
to come up here for that purpose. The
long catalogue of grievances which you now
groan under, has been summed up in your
resolutions. Youhave treasured them your
memories, you have felt them in your per-
sons and in your houses. Though the des-
troying angel has not passed through the
land and taken your first born, he has ia
ken hundreds Of your tirst-born at the COM
mand of Lincoln. You do well, without
distinction of party, to demand redress Of
hostilities. 1t is vain, as the attempt to
destroy one of those trees by tapping its


branches, to think of continuing the war,
and avoid increased taxation and greatly


multiplied calamities. | am here then not


to speak of those topics which ordinarily en-


gage the attention Of political meetings, but
to refer to matters of higher interest to you
as a people.


l can assure you, as far as my judgment
is worth anything, that that Convention
will meet in harmony, will sit in harmony,
adopt the right kind Of platform, nomi-
nate true candidate, and furthermore,
that that candidate will receive eonstitu-
tional majority of the votes that will elect
him President of the United States.-
Great cheers In the spirit of patriotic
men, who love liberty and their country,
and laying upon the altar all our private
preferences for one man over another, and
maintaining only fidelity to principle, We
will come together and make such nomi-
nation as will be acceptable to all. Then
Lincoln's reign of arbitrary power will come
to an end. Then will commence the work
of rebuilding the magnificent structure
which our fathers reared and placed in our
keeping Then will begin the work of re-
ducing taxes, of stopping drafts, of arrest
ing the fearful destruction war, of staunch-
ing the flow of blood, of establishing that
state of things in the land which is desert
bed in sacred history which our fathers en-
joyed, and which we hope our children may
yet see, when every man shall sit down
under his own vine and fig tree, aoith none
to make AFRAID" As it is now, whose
cheek is not blanched, whose heart is not
broken by fear by day and terror by night,
when he remembers that every safeguard OF
liberty is broken down, and
every mans castle liable to be invaded, his
doors broken down, his person violated and
driven from home, because he dareS to as
sert his principles which in, youth were
taught him by the purest, the best and the
wisest of men, and which in manhood he has
the courage to practice


If YOU want more taxation, larger pub
lie debt. vote for Lincoln. Ii you want re-
newed drafts of men to carry on the war,
vote for Lincoln. If you want him to take
your first, second and third born sons, to
carry on the war, vote for Lincoln. u you
want to find your currency in ruined con-
dition, your greenbacks woth thirty, cents
on the dollar if you want the price OF eve
rything you buy to 60 up, and everything
Won sell To go doWn-for the day Is not tar