Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-09-08
VOL. 3.--NO. SO.
From the Boston Transcript.
SPEECH OF MIR. PRENTISS,
OF MISSISSIPPI,
At the Faneuil Hall Dinner, July Gath, 1895.
(CoNcLUDED.)

| believe that Il part OF the mlschlel
which this Administration has effected may
be- traced 10 its very weakness. We have
not dreaded it as we ought to have done;
il has been suffered to gnaw like worm,
where it should have been crushed as
serpent
One of the gentlemen who has address.
ed you, has been pleased to say that |
have fought good fight; and re-creant
indeed should l have been could have
turned my back in such contest. The
reference presume was to the late sirug..
gle IN my State; Tor though thousands OF
miles removed, your intelligence has fully
appraised you that an inroad was made on
your own rights, and on the Constitution,
by the foul and neIarious decision OF the
House of Representatives in relation to
late Mississippi election. cloud cheer
Iing)
1t is fact that the deep fundamental
principles of our Institutions, have not
enough been looked at. We glory IN the
Institutions themselves, and consider them
as the great bulwarks Of our freedom;
while we too much iorgret the great pnn-
ciples on which they rest. These broad
and general principles of right, are IKE
the roots Of the everlasting mountains;
they lie deop-are out of sight and forgot.
tcn--but they are nevertheless pillars Oh
the earth. We are apt to think OF these
principles as abstractions-as barren gen.
eralites-lIot coming Immediately home
to our business and bosom, we cannot con-
ceye it possible that any man should once
think of attacking them: but our security
is our danger They may be attacked
They have been assailed. One oil these
principles of our freedom is the Elective
Franchise, and this has been attacked IN
the persons ofthe Representatives OF Mis-
sissippi.
We thought this thing so settled, that
no one would dream Of attempting to DIS
mrb it: but we contend with foe that
knows othing oil civilized warfare: Qaugh-
ter and cheers.) They assaied the eta
del of our liberty; and had the people OF
Mississippi submitted to it--had they ylel-
dcd the key Of this their last refuge, their
liberties would have been gone, nor would
they have deserved any longer to be tree.
But they were not thus stolid, thus besot-
ted, thus base and dastardly; they resisted
f the attack, and resisted it most glorlousy;
J they we're true TO themselves, and true TO
you; for this was your question as much
, as it was theirs: CHEERS and applause y
Your rights, our rights, the rights OF eve
ny State, and of every man in every State,
were all in danger; they stood on the
steep precipco Of imminent and present
destruction: but they were rescued
| Shouts and cheering)
| Yet when think how close was the con-
test, how narrow the escape, tromoled
| for the future; and | now repeat the war
ming so often u,tered--the price OF liberty
is unsleeping vigilance in guarding IT,
You must be like your patriot fathers, you
must be the Minute men Of the ConstItu-
;ion Qmmcnse applause.)
Another great principle is attacked with
equal desperation. Tenets are advanced
here, in this free Republic, which would
not be tolerated under the worst govern
ment of Europe, nay, of the world. 1t Is
openly asserted, that the rich are 1.-THE
natural enemies of the poor" and tho
practical corolary from that position Is
this, and therefore, the poor must wage
perpetual war against the rich. NOR Is
this an IDLE theory, 1t is attempted to DO
made practical question.
1t it is adyanced--not as in some obscure
debating club, by set OF raw and greer.
lads, lust escaped from the trammel OF
their minority, but in the ha!lsof Congress:
and by men Of experience, standing, ana
character Ii would be an insult TO asA,
whether such a doctrine is to prevail T.
mong American citizens. And If did,
how is the line between rich and poor ever
10 be drawn? Fix it where you will,
there are tens of thousands OF the rich
who would consider themselves as among
the poor, and as many thousands OF the
poor who would find themselves among
the rich Nor could fireman fixed for q
day or an hour; for he who is rich TO day,
TOMORROW may be a boggar; while on tho
Other hand, there are thousands among Us
who arc born poor, and also 60 out Cespe'
cialIy into the Vest to seek their fortune,
and who find it. (Cheers.)
Sucha doctrine should be tranpled uEl
der the foot ofcvery American Ffecmen---
il is q viper and should not be suffered %
show its head Let US put It to death BY
common consent. (Checring)
There is another precious vital interest
Of the Republic, which is assaiIed with no
less desperate rashness--lt Is our Unlonit-
self, This is attempted To be destroyed
by arraying local prejudices and mutual
hostility--by stirring up sectional wa
fare 9th North against the South, ttht