The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-10-28
From he NorIoV Herald, Ocl. q.

Il
If is a glorious trait Of the American people,
one that we delight TO contemplate and cOnllde
in that next to the duty they owe God, thd
dntv fhev owe their country is their first con
Germ. All selfish and inferior cohsideratias
seltps 10 sink in the dust before the devoted at
tachmcni they b'arto their Tree Institutions
Men 10 Wh IN tis feeling is unknown maJ
censure thcm for neglectihg Their Ilvale al
fairs. and attribute the earnestness with which
thew engage in politics to laziness and love
gossip; but good and wise men look upon it a
a proof that sympathy may sometimes get TN
better OF selfshne s, and rejoice that II Is no
impossible for human beings to lose sight
their individual interests when the interests
The community are at stake. This character
istic has been fully displayed during the pre-,
sent year by the promptitude and zeal VIII
which persons of all ages and sexes are ae
customed to come together to consult abou
what is best to be done for the Putlic weai
1t requires not that they should be urged to l
by powerful appeals from the press OF tho
rostrum; it is sufficient that the time and place
be announced, and the people are there. lei
them where to come and when to come, II you
appoint a convention, and although the ap
pointment may be revoked, still they come
Such was the case at Yorktown on the
10Th. Some persons, believing that tie day was
TOO near the election TO allow the people to leave
home, and fearful therefore that Their might -
failure, caused il to be reported that no con
vention would be held. But all knew that WISE
had called them, and that he, at leas', would BE-
on the ground, and they went, strong in mum
bers-strong in intelligence and patriotism. Del
egations were present from all parts OF lowe
| Virginia, and at II O clock the procession, g
ssting OF about two thousand with music an
flying banners, was formed in front oil the court
house. First came the invited guests; then TN
chivalrous company of"Wiiamsbuig Guards
in full uniform, and lastly the different delega
TONS Crowds OF ladies from the surrounding
country filled the windows and doors IS the pro
cession passed, and by their presence and by
their smiles, hallowed the occurrences of The 9
day. All was life and enthusiasm, such as old
York has never witnessed since the revolution
except during the visit of La Fayettc
The procession matted upon ''La FayettlE
redoubt,' where a stand had been erected fo
the speakers and invited guests; AID at hal
past IL, the convention was called 10 order by
rhos T. Chopper, Esq, of AccomacI, who
made the following nominations in the name
of the Committee of Arrangeme ~ hch were
unanimously received.
President,
HENRY A. WISE,
Vice Presidents,
PEYToN r. NELSON, VIM. G.. YouNG,
MIXERS w. FISHER, JNo. M. GREGORY,
Secretaries,
MoREAU Bowers, DR.. HENRY SHIELD,
JOHN JARVIS, JOHN SEMPLE,
THos. Il. CRoPPER, CAREY S. JONES,
Upon taking the Chair Mr.. Wise addressed
the assembled multitude upon theme that
could not fail to inspire them with sentiments
that well became the place and the OCCASION
He called up, by the magic ofhis voice the spr
it of the past, and reviewed the thousand thrill
ling recoIlections that were suggested by the
scene around. Strains of more fervid eloquence,
sentiments of greater purity and depth, never
fell from the lips oil man. He looked like the :
Pythoness of old, catching the divine oBiatus
the breath of inspiration, from the ground on
which he stood. At the termination of his ad :
dress he read, in an impressive manner, the
bright page of History, that regards the last
battle oil the Revolution, and illustrated what
he read by pointing out to the places where
the several Incidents took place. lie then N
troduced the Hon. John Sergeant Of Phadel-
phia, who,in clear and powerful sreech,com
pared the acts and principles of Martin Van
Buren, with the Constitution, and lernonstrat
ed plainly, not only by the evidence of facts {
but by Matty's own Acknowledgements, tina
on many subjects he had voted in entire ignor-
aace of the Constitution, and had afterwards
made use of this plea to excuse hiaself when
he found his votes unpopular.
Mr.. Sergeant was followed by Judge Up
shur, in an able and eloquent exposition of the 8
true doctrine of States Rights and review Of
the leading measures of the Administrations
which he Showed TO differ entirely from any
principles which the States Rights party hat
ever entertained. No man is better qualified
to discuss this subject than Judge Upshur, and
the members Of the Convention must have beer
highly gratfed by the eloquence Of his lang
nd fho Of ha e
explaining the misery and ruin that would re-
suit 10 the State Governments from any inter-
ference of the Executive with the Legislative
departments of the General Government, sue
cessful attempts at which, he proved the Ad- !
ministration TO be already making -
After taking a short recess, the convention
re assembled in the afternoon, and was address,
ed by Mr.. Wallis,of Baltimore, the young ora
tor who formerly won golden opinions among
us, and who on this occasion displayed, in
still higher degree, those qualities and accom-
plishments which are necessary to form a great
speaker and statesman. He was followed by
Gen. Lesleigh Coombes, of Kentucky, who has
served by the side of Harrison in many severe
encounter, and was an eye witness of almost
every circumstance in the history of the war
He gave detailed account of the great battVtA
ofthe Old Hero, and stated that he had alwayaJ
seen him as much exposed as any of his men,
cheering and animating them by his presence
and example, shrinking from no danger, avoil-l
ing no duty-far sighted in the conception oil
his plans-frm hearted in executing them
For more than an hour did this warm hearted
Kentuckian entertain his hearers with anec-
dotes of the war. and delight them by the ex-
preston of sentiments, that can spring only
from the bosom of sincerity They had often
heard the political opinions of Harrison fully
and freely discussed; they had read the history
of his military achievements; they had heard
of his courage ard skill, and they believed ia
it,-bnt here was something new A man who
had been concerned in the scenes that render
ed the name of Harrison illustrous; who could \
say. Of them--"all which | saw, and part Of
which saw"-and who bears upon his face,
and IN his words, the tokens ola nature too /