American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-08-10
SPEECH OF MIR. NsDUFFIE.

The anniversary ct the establishment vi the town
Of Hamburg, in south Carolina, was celebrated,
as usual on the I'd July. by the Mechanics
Festival. given BY Mr.. Shultz, the founder Of the
town At this Dime, MIR, M'DuFrlE was pres
ent as guest. The following was the 4tn, in
der, of the regular Toasts:
Or friend George .HDu6e--The first to expose and
sicnonce the principles and pas Of the Coalition The
indignant voice ofan injured aud insued People re-echoes
the correctness Of his opinions and sentiments. Tame
$ Yankee Doodle" One gun.
MIR. M'DurFtE then rose, after the music had
ceased, and addressed the company as follows:
In rising on an occasion like this, fellow Cit.
zcns, to offer you the poor homage OF my sincere
thanks for the distinguished honor you now do me-
cannot but recur, with sense of gratitude which
have no language to express, to the manifold
proofs have heretofore received of your strong at
tachment and indulgent kindness and should
do equal injustice to my own feelings and to your
claims upon my gratitude. IT did not avail my
self of this first opportunity OF addressing you pub
licly and collectively, to tender my warmest ac-
acknowledgements for that signal manifestation OF
your afcctionate attachment, which secured to me,
in the midst Of strong popular excitement, and an
animated canvass carried on by two respectable
opponents, the unanimous vote OF the citizens OF
Hamburg and its vicinity.
| While a,lyertiug to the generous and liberal con-
fdence with which YOU have invariably sustained
me, must be permitted to remark that ii there
has been any thing the public services it has been
my fortune to render III the principles have IA
vowed, or in the spirit with which have maintain
ed Them calculated in any degree, to reflect credit
upon the District and State have the honor to
represent, It is to be mainly ascrIbed to the fact
that am the representative OF a high minded and
intelligent people. who, while they would look with
Indignation upon an act of baseness or treachery
on my part and punish it with exemplary prompt
ness by discarding me from their service, are al
ways prepared to extend to me the most liberal
confidence, while my exertions are dsinterestedy
devoted to the advancement Of the safety and go
~ of our common country, or to the perpetuatior
Of her liberties. Having said thus much in refer
ence to myself. must now invite your attention
to some brief and general views of the great and
cnsrossins subject to which you have been pleased
to aude in terms, to me. so highly complimentary
And, IN the first place. give 1t to sou as my de
liberate and solemn opinion, founded upon my bes
reflections, that the political crisis in which tn,
nuMic liberty is now involved, is one which int
nitcly surpasses in Importance any that has occur
red in the history Of this country, since the revo
Luton which resulted in the establishment OF or
independence.
Nv The war Of the Revolution, our ancestors oh
tanned The power, as they had the uuquestionabl
,iuht. to make the experiment Of self government
II now remains for their posterity to determine
4 whether that experiment shall fail, or whether tn
CAPACITY Of the people for governing thcmselve
: shall be as clearly made out, as their right. Ina
. such is the solemn and eyentful issue which tn
People Of these United States are to decide at tn
2 nest Presidential election, shall attempt to de
monslate, By very brief exposition of the charac
ter and circumstances of the Soaition by means Q