Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-12-24
ry from the Now York American
GREAT NATIONAL. REPUBLICAN MEET

C,l al the MOon'c Hail. the city nj New YORK, on
the evening Of Mond,v, December 18th. i830-JoHs
T. 1.AvRnxcE, Esq. cal'c-l 10 the Chair as Pres
i..ut: and PErEn SuARpE, and ISAAC MISARD. Esqrs,
were appointed Vice Presidents Ellis PorrEn,
end josErH fIoxtE, E>Irs, were appointed Secreta-
,ies. The call ofthc Meeting thcrcupon read,
in the words as follows. viz:
"f'uLiic y,feeting.--1'he citizens Of New York,
friendly to the election Of IIExRY CLAY, % President
oIthc United States, requested to meet Mt Ma
sonic Hall, Monday evening next, at O'Clock, to
take such measures US they may deem expedlent to
effect that object"
Dawn B OeDES Esq then arose amidst the cheers
OF tho meeting, and commenced his observations by
re,nakng, that he had frequently been asked since,
the meeting had been called. why was done soon
after the election. Was II wise to keep the public
mind in perpetual state OF excitement? Would it
not have been better for the friends of Mr.. Clay 10
have waited until The approach Of anoh her election
before they nomi, ated him to the people as caLdi-
dctc for the first office in their gii? To these enqni
ries the answer was obvious. The public mind was
now moro tranquil than after the great excitement OF
contested elections the storm has passed by, and we
now repose in the calm that follows the tempest.
IL is this very that the friends of Mr.. Clay
have deemed the present the most proper period in
which 10 address themselves TO the sober sense of the
people the great subject of their general welfare.
II is because they do not propose tn appeal to such
as become excited only through the medium Of their
passions, that they have deemed the present occasion
the propitious and appropriate for inviting the
consideration of their fellow ciizens the great sub
iccts of national concern. 1t is nom, when common
sense is driven from her seat-when artificial
element produced by SEllifnl mana Soment may be
presumed to have undergone a suspension Of its pow
err that the friends Of the Industrious individual ullu-
ded TO have deemed i, fitting and proper to come forth
and appeal for support to all those who are friendly TO
the curse of measures that he IS so well known to
advocate.
Fellov Citizens consider the approaching cleo
lion to DC of greater Importance than any that
has taken place for long limo IN our country. On
il may depend the continuance of the constitution
II il long time since have taken part in the pub
lie concerns. have been. for sserics Of years, a
proscribed m7n, and because l would not yield to
the dict a, on of party-bpcause would not go to
Tanniany Hall. AID bow down to the golden calf,
and worship it, have been considered and treated
rs stranger in tde lind Of my J;iihers have re-
fused and disiansd to sacrifice my principles for po
liiica advancemcnt-I love the constitution of my
country and all the offices earth shall induce
me abandon it Had been Influenced by other
considerations. impc ilments were in the way of
nv march. The path was open before INC. 1t
easily found. IL was well beaten. / have seen hun
dreds travel it who were formerly warm Fedora
lists as / had nothing to do but to
msrch boldly to Tammany Hall, openly enlist under
the banner Of the Regency. rcnouuc+ principles,
denounce former friends and associates, and
should have been m;racuously transformed "into
an original democrat. dyed in The weol" Bv bein -
faithIess former principles and former f ienda
should have proved myself worthy to be entrusted
br new on's.
But I havo adhered to those PRINCIPLES of public
pulicy which in nv conscience believed to be RICH;
and now deem il matter Of 'ranary fecitatidu
In address nv fellow citizens Upon eubjccts of deep
INF arost to their welfare.
Yhe history OF this republic is deeply iu.eregting
To the friends Of liberty throughout the World and
full of inst ructiou TO Americana themselves Our
revolution wns peculiar in its nature, und IN the cir
cnnstance that attended it. It did originate from
any actual state of suffering in the colonies. Our
fahers die not pledge their lives, their fortunes. and
sr sacred honor, for the relief of positive suffering,
but Of anticipated tyranny. It was adherence, to
principle the infection of grievance that inpe-
ed them to arms. 1t was because the British Parlia-
ro.bt claimed tax them without their consent, that
they aprenlad force for the vindicaton Of their
trh's T,hey saw, and they rightly, that if they
ra.is,sd all they must resist at the outset. Phey
perceived that in proportion "a they yielded, the
ces Of their rgh's would advuncr, and that at euch
snc-e-sivc advance il you'd become more and more
difficult rep"l. They therefore took an early
stand They dared much-they suffered much
they nobly fought - and they as nobly prevailed
After ;hcir trnnrhs had hesn completed aud the
enemy had rcccdcd from sborce it was found that
for wan' of an eficien, government wilbcut Which
people con be happy no liberty secure, the revo
luton was in danger of being curse instead of
blessing us; the States had been kept together
10 war by sense Of common danger and common |
suffering thore was great rea ION to fear that their
IDEAL coafic'ing interests would orrny them against
each other 20 preserve the Union. and to guard
ap,nst the impending evils Of the times the const-
tn!ion was formed. Under il the Union has been
preserved tho Liberties ~ the country secured. the
national faith redeemed, the national honor main ain
vH,- and pubc prosperity unexompcd in the annals
ofthe world.
From this brcf review oi our political history, let
Americans learn these two important TRUTHS
I. That people dete Emined 10 live free, Gao
Uevor DC vnnq',ishcd; and
2. That TO preserve our liberty and independence.
onr union is essential, and the preservation of tho
constitution is essential TO preserve the union.
This constitution, my fellow citizens, IL is our
solemn duty to preserve unrarnishcd and unbroten.
Bot i, never can be preserved unless maintain
inyolec the freedom Of the press, and the purity Of
elections BY the freedom ofthe prose- do not mean
that restricted sense Of The term, which permits CIV
cry Inan TO publish what he thinks proper holding
hun ainenable the avs for what he does publish;
but that great constitutional freedom Of the press,
which leaves it free from the corruption or nfiencc
ofthc goyernment-whcb leaves it. as il ever ought
TO h" free and willing to oppose The approaches of
arbitrary power and corruption, whenever they may