The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-12
Letter 10 tiie Editors.
SpRIysyIRLu. June 9Th.

JUNE Oln, IS3U.
Gentlemen: The great day of the Wings has
passcd-the canoes, carts and log cabins, hanners
devices, boys, girls, men, women and Children
vanished. All again is comparatively quiet; and
astonishing as It may SEEM there are some of the
wicked Loco !ocos vet in the land of the living
lhc Wing boys of all ages, from ten years old
10 s;x,y, who paradcd in the procession on the 4th
If June nave had nlre sport during the great car
nival. They have had dancing and fddling--
songs and Jtores some pretty good speeches of
their kidd, and great many For ones of all kinds
5real to eat-min Julcps, champaign, and old
whiskey have flowed in torrents down TIE throats
of the patriotic Harrison men; and wnc and was
sail, shouts, huzzas, ,rumpcts, drums, cannon,
sky-rockets, and everything that the ingenuity of
the Wings could invent, to excite the passions,
d,ov:. he voice of reason, misiead the ignorant,
have been the order of the day. Calm, sober
thinking men have been confounded at the un-
parraleled cxertions of the leaders and prime
nlovors of this humbug convention, to drive reason
from her throne, and to mislcad the people. And
do you ask how this is to endl what will be the
result of all this parade and show whether an
intelligent and patriotic people can be led astray
by all this glare, and drawn into the support of
man and party who have no principles in COM
mon with the principles of democracy and reasonl
| will answer they cannot. All will end we'll
This excitement will subside, and the 'sober
second thought of a sober people will discover
nothing in it to convince the understanding or
to satisfy the Judgment.
The Dcmocracy--and there are hundreds of
tho bone and sinew of our land in attendance up
on the United States Circuit Court and the State
Supreme Courts,-- all alive and in the highest
spirits. They have been witnesses of the scenes
of the 4th of June, and they will carry home with
them the high hopes which the folly of the Wings
have inspired, and will tell the people--the real
dwellers in log-cabins-that their liberties in
danger; that there is :; coalition OF all the unholy
and disorganizing factions of our country formed
to ovo throw the democratic party, and with them
destroy That fabric which they have tocd since
the days of Jefferson, to erect; that Mc,e is an on
gp'i-ed determination in Tie Wing party 10 SIP
press all inquiries, 10 deciare no principles, 10 per-
nit NJ aas,ce gto be giren to The mte,7qgaiofes of
a free people ,rho hare a right 10 PROFOUND them,
10 pwposeiy keep them IN ignorance cfaeir pohcy
and their schemes, and 20 move upon the passions,
the prcmdccs, the fears and the cupidity of every
and all classes, and overturn by storm the demo-
cratic party.
There was a mscling of the Democrats from
the different parts of the State, casually assem-
bled on business and by accident in Springfield,
at the second Presbyterian church on Thursday
evening, and a committee appointed to prepare
and draft resolutions and an address TO the Demo-
cratic party, setting forth their views and princi
pcs and to present them at an adjourned meet
ing at the same place on the next evening
On assembling at the adjourned meeting the
house was crowded with enthusiastic democrats,
who were ready and willing to do battle in the
good cause. The address and resolutions were
read by Judge Smith of Chicago in loud and
distinct voice, and were adopted with reclamation.
After their adoption Col. Gatewood of Gallatin
county and Stephen A. Douglass, Esq. of Spring
field, addressed the meeting in stains OF eloqucnce
and patriotism which fired every bosom with zeal
,rd which called down thunder after thunder Of
applause.
The resolutions and Address are to be publish
cd in all the Democratic papers that can convent
entity do so, and also ten thousand copies in
pamphle, form, for distribution throughout the
State.
You will doubtless sec flaming accounts in the
Wing papers, of the Convention, the enthusiasm
which peradcd their ranks, and, from what have
heard here, statements in regard to the number
assembled, have no doubt will be made, which
will far exceed the truth.
II is impossible to calculate with any certainty
how many there were assembled in Springfield of
NIL partcs---but the number in the procession was
counted by five different persons (myscli among
the numbcr) at five dillcren, points, without pre-
concert and the five counts did not vary four
hundred; and the highest count (Which wasminc)
including men, women and children--and there
wcrc hundreds Of the two attcr,--was Just 330G.
But this Is Of no consequence, only so tar as it
goes te countersct Nisstatemcnts, for had there