The Ohio Democracy

At the annual banquet of the Youug j Men's Democratie Club, of Columbus, Ohio, on the 8th of January, the foUowing letter from Hon. A. G. Thurman was read : Washington City, Jan. ü. 187& Measrs. Joliu D. Snllivan. A. 1). Heffner, mdothers. Cf.mmittee. Columbus, Ohio. My Dear Sms- I fully expected to attend the banquet on tho 8th inst. at Colmnbus, and to oDJoy that rennion of politiearEncI personal friends on a day so memorable Ín the history of tho republic, and so much cherishod bynfcs Domoeracy; bat, at tho last moment, and to my great regret, I fini that it will not 1)0 in my power to enjoy that pleasnro. I am just beginmng to recovér'f rom a severeeoíd that has afflicted me for a week or more, and I cannot but reoognize the fact that it won Id be imrJVudent for me, in sueh extremely oold weather, (o mate a trip requiring SOÜ miles travel aud crossing the mormtams hrtee. I'ermit me to offer a few refloetions upon the toast, " Jaekaonian Demoeraey," tho theme on which I was appointed t apeale. Of courso gome other speaker will take my placo, and do justice to the subject; but the privilege may be accorded to me of jotting down rorae very brief and pertiuunt observations. 1 wish to reèallattention to somc of the most niarked characterïsties of the Demoeraey of the time of Andrew Jaekson. I refer to the time when ho w s a candidato for the Prcsideocy, aud when he fllled the Presidential chair. 1. The Democraey wero then emincntly, if not pre-cminently, distinguished by tUeir devotion to the Union or the United States. South uu! North, East and West. that sentiment was cherished by every true Democrat. Subsequent events ehilled, and at length for a time suspended it in the South, but the happiest circumstances of our present condiüon {thauJcs to the influence of Democratie principie) ú that the lovo of the Union is everywhere n-stored, and that its preservation is a flxed pririciple of the DemoctatHi party in the 8outh. '... The party was equally distinguishrd by its love of the coustitution. It sought preserve it in all its vigor and benefieence by giving it a national and rational iaterpretation; and it battled, manfully and constantly, against thoSB latitudinarian conatructions that threatencd tp convert the Government into an unlimited centralized despoti3in ; and, on the other hand, againqt all the vicefl that monaced the existenee of the Union. And, permit me to say, that the principies of Jacksonian Democracy,'in this respect, are as important to-day as they ever were at any period of our history. 3. The Jacksonian Domocracy were the determined foes of monopoly. They could not be otherwise, for the very foundation of the party was the doctrine of equal rights. By whatever ñames they may have been called, fhere have been, and pernap's ever will be, but two greait parties in America- the Democratie party, askI ing netthing but eiual rights, and an oppoiing party whose leaders have ever söught, and ever will "seok, social privileges createl bylaw. Wl:o eau forget the great battlo Eought by the De mocracy, ttnder the lead of Jaekson, agafust the Bank of the United States, and wlio can fail to sce that a desperate struggle agVJBSt a lar more powerfiil combination of capitalwfmd privüfege than was presented by that intstitution is rtow impendingy Will the Democracy ot' to-day fitllow the example set by their fathors, of inñexible opposition to .special privilege, 01 will they prove recreant tolhe principies: the historyand the traditions of their party V Thts is a question that must ere long be aoswared My öïrn bi'üef1 is tliat it will bo answered as it ougli't to be, and that the Demócrata of to-day will prove themselvea to be, what their fathers wore, tne nient They will be earnest, but not rash ; (letermiued, but not unreasoiuible: ddStructive of wrona and abuses, aud conaervative oi' all that slionld c-xiat in a freo republic. 4. libe .lai-ksornanTViiiucriu-v" wcivaparty of economy. Jhe ordinary animal expenses of Jackson's ailminisrration (that Is, the expense pf th" (ovcniuiciii exclusire of paymente in discharge of the public debt) were butflfteen niillions. or thereabout. Sow, ur ordinary annual expenses are nearly ten tiuiea that suuí. Wliat a contrast! While our population lias inreased but littlc more than three-fold, our ex-i penuee bave increaned nearly ten-fold. Ih itnot pigi tuné tli;it we shoulcl return to the económica] principies and prácticos of the Jacksonian Deinocracyy These jioiiit-. l- u nniíilirr hui !i';jiÊ-cmdeut in iiuportance, I have thought il p#oper t note for thc oonsideration of our fneads. Othera miglit be statrd. but niost snffice for today. Gentlemen, I kno" that tin banqiifii will - enioyed by those ffho áttend it; .1 trust that it will proye beneficia] to othera atj -!]. I trust thaí its influence will ! í'.lt fi revrrhig Jacköónian Demócraöy, and in conlbining theopponcnts ot' the Eepuolioan party in a grand effortto free the country frozn znisruls and oorruption. í have the honor to be yours truly, A. (i. Thci:.u.4n Gen. ïlionuis Ewing addressed the assemblage aítor tho roading o f the Tlairmaii letter. Wc make the following extract : jackson nieaut to acoomplisli hy his contest witli the national bank just the piirpose'of the memorable doclaration of Jefferson: "Bank paper must be suppressed, and the cireulation resforefl to the na ion, to whoru it belongs." Now a half ceátary has passed, aul the jieople are confrontad with the aame question, greaüy magniüed in dimensiona and importauce. Wc íiave now a confedoration of 3,000 United BtatiH lankd, iustead of one, with a capital of over $500,000,000 matead of $:5,W,0u0, and witliloaiw of nearly f l.(X.W,(Xi(i,(HHi. They aiv the arma ot' a Ilriarcan niunoy-power, reaching eveiy quarter of land. aud holdu g e cry l'iisiiicss man and business interest in their girasp. Lnstead of tu-iij tho handmaids of the üoyernment, they are ite rulers. The representativo ai the Treaaurv Departnient tiniidly crom-lus in a seat in tüeir Clearing Honso while they insolcntlv nullify the lawi. Trom lHtiñ until 1S70 they fastened on uh a series of fmance meaaures which havá doubh d the burdens and woea of tho war; spa-wned hundreds of millionain s and millions of paupers, and broken more b'ewcta than: would pave Broadway f rom Centra! l'ark to the Bat tery. To complete the wort of dagradation and Hiibjugatioii of the masses, the rui onder whose Presideriey thia iufamous legialation waa accoinjilished- the worshipcr and worshiped of the millionaires - ia to oome back to ns in L880, anointed with the benediotfom of every crowned headof Europe, to gjve DS a strong and proflígate Qovernment, surh as become the transition trom a real to .i shani republic. . Let us meet him, or whoever elsr may ]e nominated by his party, with anoppositioneomposed of all citiens who wani to preserve a Government for tlie eople and by the peoplo, and who can unite ou a few fundamental propositions in opposition to tho aggressions of the motiey poner - the sulwtiturion of greenbaoke for bank notes, the uulimited comage of the old sihrr dollar, and the prompt and absolute stoppage of all iucrease of the bonded debt for resumption purposes. Let us poatoone farther question aboul resumption uutil itbhU have had its day of trial. The country haH been forced throngh a sweat of blood toreachit; now let it give us back oiir atolón prosperity or be torn from the tatute bookH. Postpone, too, the taviff- the mode of regnlfiting tlio volume of the eurroncy- and all othor difltraoting queetiona not of instant and aupreme importace. Let us settlo them wlien. by a nnited and gigantic effort, we shall havo broken the political scepter of the money power. If there be Demócrata wlio are devotees f bank money, Tvhu are hostilo to unlimited coinage of the old eilver dollar, and who would pltffige the country vet deeper in bonded debt to fasten on it the slavery of gold pricCH ïnd payment, let them go. and their desertion. Bmphasizing our sineerity, will draw to our ranks two where we lose one. If we should lose New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, whicfa I do not believo, we will gain Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. And even if, af ter haviug secureda nnited and homogenenii Democracy, devoted to great and lasting principies and moasures, we should lose the first battle, it wort' far better tlmn to win it by a false union of discordant elements on a decëitfnl platform. Who ehall our leader be? No man who expeets to win the Preeidfinoy by a snit in chancery, or an electoral commission, or by money. Let lis have a pure and brave man, oñ a plaia and candiel platform. Let it be resolved that the result shall be ascertained and decla'-ed according to the immemorial usages of the Government, no matter what powers of forco or fraud may attempt to defeat the verdict It is to bo i fight for political supremacy letwoen manhood and money - betw'een the people who boro the heat and barden of the war and an aristocracy wbich grew and f attened on their sacriftces. I,et our leader be one who is with the peop'e, heart and soul- who has a backbone- and who, if duly elected, will be the President. Goy. Bishop responded to the toast, "Our Governor."' In closing, he said: We may well claim Ohio aH a Democratie State. The nstmets of her people are trno to the principies of the party, and, i f we will bilt drop all differences between ourselves, lay asido all selflsh and interested aims, and work hard, and work all together, for the interest of the party, totally ignoring and disregardlng uil things else, Ohio will certainly cast her lot witli the great Democratie party, and poll sueh a vote as will place a truo' sterling, Andrew Jackson Democrat in the White House in 18.