Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-09-03
MIR. TANEY's SPEECH.

shall be obliged by an insertion in your pa
per of part of Mr. Taney's speech, deliver
ed by him at the public dinner given to him in
Frederick County, Nd, on the 9th OF August
However much your opinions may be against
those entertained by Mr. fancy, and however
much you may have opposed his course whilst
Secretary of the Treasury, l know that you
are perfectly willing 10 let him be heard for him
self Please give the annexed, therefore,
place, and obIge
Yours, respectfully, AJAcKsoSIAN
Air Presidents feel sensibly the honors which
my fellow-citzens of Frederick hayesthis day
conferred upon me, and the favorable manner
i'm which my character and public conduct are
nentoned in the sentiment just given. 1t is
now thrty-three years since came to reside
among YOU a stranger from distant part OF
the state without any claims upon your kind
ness and confidence, but such as might earn
by nv own conduct. And after passing TWEEN
ty years of the prime OF my lie In the MIDST OF
you-after mingling freely in all your public
Concerns, and taking my full share as citizen
in the various political controversies of the
time. when went out from among you to be-
come the resident oc neighboring city, it was
one of the cherished feelings of my heart, that
neither took with me, nor left behind me, any
yate intercourse, professional duty, or the eX-
citing political conflicts in which had engag-
ed [ had nothing TO remember tor my own part
but the often repeated acts OF friendship winch
I had received from you; and it has since been
one of the dearest illusions oil my lie, II II De
anillsion, to look TO the people OF this great
county not merely as fellow citizens, but as
friends, tried friends, who would be always rea-
DIV TO do me Justice. You gentlemen, on this
occasion with your usual generosity oil feehng
have done me more than cold justice, and have
mingled in the terms of your favorable verdict
on my conduct, the liberal kindness OF TRENDS.
am aware, however, that in the honors you
are comforting on me, you are at the same time
asserting your fixed determination to maintain
me free institutions of your country against
the dangerous power which is now aSsailing
them II is indeed, gentlemen, an eventlui mo-
ment in which we are assembled. In every pc
riod of the world, and in every nation history
il full of examples of combinations among
FEW individuals TO grasp all power in their own
hands and wrest it from the hands of the MANY
The invaluable blessing of self government has
never yet been attained by any nation, without
a very severe struggle and many sacrihces-
and when the blessing has once been obtained,
constant vigilance has been necessary to pre-
serve it, Inthis favored country we have pass
ed through the first period of trial. Our IA.
theirs broke the chains which bound them, and
beoueathed to us the glorious legacy OF free'
dom, and their own bright examples to animate
us to preserve it, But let il be remembered that
the enemy is always at our doors. And we who
are but the first generation from the patriots
who achieved our independence, have been al
ready called to severe contest, in defence OF the
free institutions of the country against an enc
nv so confident in its strength, that it sought
the conflict; and openly and boldly attempted,
by the sufferings it inflicted, to break down the
spirit of a free people, and subdue them to its
purposes.
The struggle has been a fearful one-l need
not detail to you here, the trying incidents OF
last winter, while the issue of the contest seemed
10 be doubtful. Never since the days OF tue
revolution, has the country been so agltated;
and never we're such mighty efforts made 10 a.
larm the people, and spread ruin and dismay
over this Great and happy nation. False re,
norts were daily invented and published, ana
circulated with an industry worthy OF better
cause. The credit of your local Banks were
every where assailed, and runs Tor specie MADE
upon them, in order to PROSTATE the ordinary
Currency of the country, and produce one uni
yersal scene Of embarrassment and Distress
Manufactures were stopped in various places.
The people were assured that orders Tor the or
binary supply of goods from abroad were ooun-
fernandez in all the commercial cltieS-tnat
trade was ruined-that our revenue was de-
stroyed-and that the Treasury would soon De
bankrupt and the government unable 10 meet
its enuagements without new taxes. New In
such scenes, and new in contest with such an
enemy unacquainted as the mass of the people
are with the mysteries Of banking and the cur
rency, we ought not to be surprised II the pup
lie mind was startled for time, and even hrm
and patriotic men wavered for moment. Ma
nv citizens, honest and patriotic themselves,
and ready to lay down their lives and fortunes
for the public good were unwilling to beileve
that plan was deliberately formed by American
citizens TO embarrass and distress their own
country for the purpose Of advancing their own
selfish designs Judging of others by themselves
they supposed it impossible that the members OF
corpor alton, created for the public service
and intended to promote the public welfare, and
upon whom peculiar, and valuable, and exclu-
sive privileges had been bestowed by the nation,
with liberal hand, would turn upon the people
who had thus favored them, with the vindictive
spirit of foreign enemy. And in this state of
things, il should not be matter of surprise that
the Bank, through its corrupt power over the
press, and by the vast influence of which it
rr.La.,r;so exercised by means of its money snc-