Is a State or is the Republic supreme, has been the central
question dividing parties for a hundred years. The Democracy are still
talking about "sovereign and independent states," as if there were more
than one sovereign State on the continent--the Republic itself.

The Democratic State Convention, which met at Columbus, January 8, 1867,
forgetting that "war legislates," continued harping on the old State
Rights theme. The temporary chairman of the convention, Dr. J. M.
Christian, varied the monotony a little when he elegantly said: "We have
come here not only to celebrate an honored day, but to nominate men of
noble hearts, determined to release the State from the thralldom of
niggerism, and place it under the control of the Democratic party."

Mr. George H. Pendleton, the permanent chairman, delivered a rhetorical
State rights speech, in which he said: "The Democratic party has always
maintained the rights of the States as essential to the maintenance of
the Union."

The platform or resolutions of the convention, reported by Mr. C. L.
Vallandigham, contained a great deal of the same sort of thing,
supplemented with this resolution: "That the Radical majority in the
so-called Congress have proved themselves to be in favor of negro
suffrage by forcing it upon the people of the District of Columbia,
against their almost unanimous wish, solemnly expressed at the polls; by
forcing it upon the people of all the territories, and by their various
devices to coerce the people of the South to adopt it; that we are
opposed to negro suffrage, believing it would be productive of evil to
both whites and blacks, and tend to produce a disastrous conflict of
races."

The convention nominated, by acclamation, Hon. Allen G. Thurman for
Governor. Judge Thurman had served one term in Congress and five years
upon the Supreme Bench of the State, and was a gentleman of high
personal character, and a lawyer of extended reputation and commanding
abilities.

The Republican State Convention assembled at Columbus, June 19, 1867, to
nominate candidates for governor, lieutenant-governor, and other State
officers. The three candidates most talked of for governor were Hon.
Samuel Galloway, Adjutant-General B. R. Cowen, and General Hayes, then
representing the Second District in Congress. Mr. Galloway had served in
Congress, had long been one of the most active members of the Republican
party, and was popular because of his abilities as a stump