Year: 1867

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Eloquent Appeal 10 Soldiers.


Fellow CITIZENS: lam highly graf
fled to meet so many of the citizens of
Ohio here to-day, and to have an oppor-
tunity of addressing them on the
questions that are presented to you for
decision in the coming canvass. There
is no time in the history of our country
that is more interesting to the people
than when these great political contests
are going on. They are calculated to
educate US, enlighten us, in reference
to the proper manner in which our Gov
ernment ought to be administered; and
l believe there is no better way for us
to arrive at a proper conclusion in ref
erence to what we should do as citizens
than to examine the record of the past,
both of individuals and of parties, and
from the conduct in the past we must
form our judgment as to what the con-
duct Of these parties will be in the fu-
ture tits, then, well for us to exam
inc the questions that have been before
the country for the last few years. 1t
is not necessary, in the political contest
now before the country, to examine the
history Of parties many years back.
We have, in my judgment, history
enough in the last six or eight years, to
make volumes enough for the people to
examine and form correct opinions in
reference to men and to parties. l
know that great and serious charges are
made against the party that is in power
now, it always will be the case, where
you are dealing with inexperienced men,
that charges will be made, not only
against party but against individuals,
to warp the judgments Of men whose
inclinations are to do that which is right.


RECORDS OF PARTIES.


Let us, then, for a few moments, ex-
anime the records of the two great
parties of this country. 1t has been
well done by my friend Major Williams
who preceded me. In 1860, in this
country, we had, Ipresume, one of the
most exciting contests that ever was
before the American people. We had
three candidates for President-Doug-
las on the Democratic ticket, John Q.
Breckenridge on the Southern wing OF
the Democratic party, and Abraham
Lincoln on the ticket of the people
who are in favor of universal liberty ;
not only universal liberty, but all that
tends to make a people grand, not only
in their own estimation, but in the es.
timation of the civilized nations of the
earth. 1t was then that this division
took place among the people in their
opinions. John G. Breckinridge was
the head and representative of what
now style the pure National Democracy
of this country, but the pure and unal-
loyed traitors of this land, who took
upon themselves the title of Democracy,
which is a most fragrant misnomer
There was this division between the
parties Those who supported Douglas
or at least a portion Of these were loyal
and true to the Government, willing tc
support any man against traitors and
treason. This election passed by.
Lincoln was elected by the voice of the
American people according to the Con.
stituton and the laws of this country
After he was elected and inaugurated
according to the forms of law, and ac,
cording to the manner of doing it by
the people of this country, or about tha
time, conspiracy cropped out anC
showed its hydra head and its many
deformities to the people Of this grea
Republic, and that conspiracy was
within the organization of the party
then and now known as the Democratic
party of this great country They con
spired against the country for what?


l ask any man to tell me to-day, wha
the Government of the United State
had ever done, in its representative ca
pacity, to oppress the people of th,
States. The finger of no man can b.
pointed to tie wrong that was eve
perpetrated by this Government as


Government, upon the legal rights q
any portion of this great country. Bu
these men conspired against the nation
Why did they do so? Was it becaus
the American people selected Pres
dent that differed with them in his po
litical opinions? If so, they had n
right so to conspire, because the peopl
had the right to elect their own choic
as President. For what was it, then


1t was not because Lincoln was dis
honest man, because the people ha
made choice Of a corrupt and malignan
man, because he had not capacity t
properly administer the Government


For what was it, then7 1t was becaus
great war has been going on for ages
between two great, contending partie
that exist, in the minds of the people {
this and other countries. What al
they? One was the principle of libert!
of Justice, of freedom, of right, of hr
manity, of Christianity, of progress


and advancement in civilization, again'
the great opposing principle of oppre'
sion, of holding back the energies
the people, the principle of aristocrac


that exists, and ever has existed, in II


minds of portions of the people in th
and other countries, that believe the
are tho mon who are chartered by I'll