Politics in 1868 -- very local

Brookville American, Oct. 9, 1868

The Presidential election, eventually won by Grant & Colfax, or the national Republican ticket

Blooming Grove Meeting

W.H. Jones, Esq. addressed the Grant & Colfax Club of Blooming Grove Twp. on Wednesday evening in a telling and convincing manner. A goodly number was present, although the evening was rainy. Blooming Grove Township is wide awake and will give a good account of herself next Tuesday. (Election was on Oct. 13.)

Meeting at Cambridge on Tuesday

Was one of the grandest outpourings of Republicans ever witnessed in Eastern Indiana. A correct estimate of the number present would place it at 25,000 at the very lowest calculation. (Hyperbole, and easily a lie.)

The procession must have been fully five miles in length, and such a display of large and splendidly ornamented wagons was never before witnessed.

Hon. Schuyler Colfax, the next Vice President, was escorted from the depot in an open carriage, the Milton Boys in Blue (dismounted) surrounding him in hollow square, preceded and followed by larger companies of Boys in Blue, in which order, to the sound of music, amid the welcoming cheers of vast crowds, they marched to the Fair Grounds where he spoke to acres of ladies and gentlemen in his usual able and most eloquent manner.

"The Democratic Ship -- One sea more will sink her"

Fairfield -- The announcement for several days that Gen. Thomas W. Bennett was to address the people of this vicinity on last evening, had the effect of bringing out a large crowd, which gathered at the School House.

At an early hour, every seat was occupied, and soon no standing room was left.  Many ladies were present and also a few of Brick Pomeroy's unterrified disciples.

For two hours, General Bennett held his hearers spell-bound by his eloquence, making one of his best speeches, which abounded with many of his peculiar and happy hits.

He told of the record of the Democrats during the rebellion that they were anxious to let go as "by-gones." 

He said he was like Patrick Henry. "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience; I know of no way of judging the future but by the past."

Trivia

John H. Updike. Co. C, 13th Ind., was one of the first men in this county (Franklin) to enlist and served three years and then enlisted as a veteran and served to the close of the rebellion. He will cast his vote in favor of his country, God and the Right without a scratch.

Notes: The acrimonious discussions of the political parties in 1868 still centered around Reconstruction and how the Republicans planned to punish the Democrats for the Civil War. Much rhetoric was based on uninformed hate.

Gen. T.W. Bennett was born in Union County and served with U.S. Grant in the war. He was a loyalist and strong supporter of Grant's candidacy.

No idea who Brick Pomeroy was.

John H. Updike is one of my ancestors. The family owned land in eastern Franklin County. Updike's name was falsely connected to a Democratic organization in 1868, which pissed him off.

Reports of "Ku Klux" activity began to surface in Mt. Carmel (Springfield Twp.) without verification. "Kangaroo Democracy" was a term first used. Democrats were also called Copperheads.

Horatio Seymour was the Democratic candidate who lost to Grant. 

The American was a Republican newspaper. C.B. Bentley published the opposing Franklin Democrat. I do not have access to that paper from 1868.