Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1840-07-11
JAMES H. BIRCH'S ADDRESS,
TO THE PEOPLE OF HOWARD.

TO THE PEOPLE OF HOWARD.
FELLow Crr1zENs But for that abiding re-
lance which have ever entertained in the uti,
mate Justice OF the people, might long since have
uuailed before the unfair and systematic caumnes
which have bcset me, and, by an easy expariation,
(ignoble in fact, but frequent in practice) have
reached at once the consummation OF that ambi-
ton which has been imputed as my ruling passion.
Had done 50, however, my real ambition would
not only mol have been gratifed but should have
felt, forever, that | had been the victim Of the
fouest conspiracy, without the spirit TO resist, or
the power to overcome it. | am hence a cand-
date for your sufrages at that very crisis in the
vengeance and the Vaccinations ofmy adversares,
when citizen less thoroughly acquainted with
the manly nature Of his associates for thirteen
years, might recol with despair or flee with
alright. know, too, however, precisely Vio Il
is have 70 oppose-,citoSe poisonous msrepre.
sensations have again to meet, and again to turn
against their authors and contrvcrs,-and 1choSe
political sophisries, and political impostureS, |
have again to combat before the upright and in
telligent people of Howard. Knowing thus the
''laction" which have again consented to OPP
pose-knowing them, and their means, intimate
ly, as profess to know them, | might have
shrunk from the encounter, had not known the
J,uy as well as the Prosecutors. Face to face,
then, fellow. citizens, as heretofore, will meet
and answer the accusations of my adversarlcs-
whether they relate to my private or my public
conduct-to my political opinions or my rela-
tons as citizen
When last honored with your confidence, fel.
low citizens, predicted from the hastings in the
district, and from the place you gave me in the
Chamber Of the Senate the awful condition to
which the ascendency of the men who had
then triumphed in the elections would reduce
your country and mine. | was speaking for
both, and had been shrouded with the mantle
of Elijah, and invested with the ken Of prophecy,
| could not have more faithfully porendcd OF
more honestly (oretod the career and the end
which all have witnessed, and all, save a .te'o,
bewal and deplore.
1t is within your knowledge fellow citizens
that that "FEw" have pursued me, from that pc
Rod to the present, with a relentlessness which
has known no abatement, and with Il maignty
and un(airness having few parallels in citizen
as retired and unofending as | had sought to
render myself Left, therefore, without other
resource than to 'fgLt or Fy" appear before
you to rene,O declaration Of the principles and
osinons by which will be governed if chosen
to represent you. Not to unfold, but to ''renelo
my political professionalism from this day for
wald until you shall have passed upon my hum
BILE pretensions | shall proudly and sernIy defy
my most incessant and embittered detractogS tc
point to q solitary instance in which have de
parted from the pledges and professions upon
which you once honored me with station IN the
other branch of the Legislature. Now, as then
In Senate, on the 23d February, 1885, afte
arguing at great length against the STATE Bank Sys
TEN (''lhe party" mania at that day. and after in
sistng on the redemption of General JacksOn'
pledge in The Veto, in favor of Bank of the U. S
which should combine all the advantages and b,
stript of the objections which Mr.. B., also, enter
tanned in reference TO the late Bank, he thus pre-
dicted the progress and the sequel of the grea
national calamity which has befallen the country
.sGentlemen of the senate, my own strength, an,
perhaps your patience, is well nigh exhausted.
cannot consent, however, to resume my seat, with
out pointing your attention to another fact OF whci
hold the evidence in my hand, sub ject to your in
spectiOn and scrutiny. II is this: That OF lit
80 deposte banks, now in employ, the notes Of y
of them are under par; and Of the whole number o
state hanks now in operation the notes on 2O2 0
them counterfeited, while the notes OF 7U7 o
them (including branches) either range in discoun
as high as 20 per cent, or are noted as "uncertan
fraudulent" 'no sale ''tai.ed" 'closed" or ''nO
purchased" Here, sir, l. the eVidence--any Sena
tor may examine it. Defying contradiction.
shouldsuggest to us the important enquiry, whethe
there be reasonable prospect that shall be abb
to navigate our own fral bark in safety TO the en-
of the voyage, when we see the shore thus strewe
with wrecks!
But, sir, notwithstanding the adoption of tn
system may thus destroy the currency and ruin tn
country, the scheme is bold and gigantic one i
reference to Interior politcs-Hnd doubtless in thl
consists the overweening desire evinced by tn
lurking spirits who implore its adoption cut {
doors. They may promise YOU much; but beware
beware, conjur you, you oyershoot not the mark
Yoy and they may create scores Of officers to uF
hold your system and to stihe the voice OF the pee
pie in elections, but you may form patronage o
the one hand and tyrany on the other too onerou
to be borne! You may ruin thousands! You ma
drain the country Of it's means! Your law may 70
the honest farmer and the Industrious mechanic,
advance the designs Of vauting ambition and sui
serve The purposes Of Il few borrOwers--Thc vii
ow and the orphan may be starved by the OperatO
of your system! IL may for while seduce Inc
from the orderly pursists Of life into the vortex
wild and undertaking speculation--but, sin, YOU
SYSTEM WILL GO DOWN, and as it sinks wi
sink also its authors and abettOrs! THERE let OF
tancies meet! The drones who fttened, for Il
time, al the expense Of the honest and unwary-
who were buying houses and lands, and nogroe
and driving carriages and tours-- who like the
mumetOrs may rise with the bank wl tade, and idl
and perish, when the people awake TO a sense
their degradation and their injuries, and hurl Il
system and its projectors into common gray
THERE let our fancies meer The revolving whe
will have completed its circuit, and the yeomon'
of the country, whose confidence has been beguiie
abused and insulted, will retrieve the supineneSs al
inactivity of the past, by rejecting with disda