Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1840-02-28
From The Ciaremont Eagle
Speeches at the Great yyhig
Convention
Convention.

ceeuings OF the great whig Convention in
this place on the 18th inst. we promised ,c
make out from our notes, Sc. sketch. If moi
iull report. Of the good things said on the
occasion. Weare prepared this week pa
TALLY TO redeem our promise and presen, be-
low the substance of several of the speeches
We shall give others hereafter, as fast as we
can get them ready. and il shall be no faul,
Of ours if,he reports are not tolerably full
u The Convention having been organized
IN the manner stated in our last, and the res.
olutions (ulready publshed) having been
read, the Hon. Joseph Healy. of Washing.
ton, addressed the Presidert nearly as fol.
lows:
Mr. President, and gentlemen sfihe Con.
rention.--ln the discussion OF the resolutions
now offered for consideration, it will not be
expected that any gentleman will be cooiin.
ed 10 rigid parliamentary rules. A wider
range of thought and a more extended view
oil the great objects OF this convention. must
be INDUCED in. The measures OF the nd.
mlnistration Of the federal government ar.
calculated TO undermine and DESTROY the lib.
critics OF the people. and every gentleman
present, who desires il. should have an on.
poriunl,y to give his reasons, fully and fear.
fessfy before this intelligent assembly and
The country, why he believes change in the
administration is called for by every consid.
~ratlon OF patriotism and public money.
see before me mass Of talent. shall there.
lore DO concise in my remarks, as you will
be SO much better entertained by other gen.
tlemen who will address you :on this coca.
sion.
Sir, We meet here to-day to respond to the
nominations recently made at Harrisburg, of
candidates to fill the offices of President
and Vice President of the United States. -
why have we. at this inclement season of
the year, assembled for such a purpose p
Why have we left our firesides and our
homes TO throw TO the breeze the
banner Of Harrison and Tyler2 Is
II degrading spirit of man worship that
has called us out-a desire TO ipay homage
20 the MEN. under whose names we rally o.
10 most OF those who are now present. in all
probability, neither Of those gentlemen is
personally known; and had the selection of
candidates for the two highest Offices in The
nation been left to us alone, il is quite likely
our choice would have fallen on other ind.
vicuals. We come here, then, with no deyo.
ton TO men, any further than as those men
are the representatives of principles which
we approve and cherish. 1t would be no
gratihcation to US. TO turn out OF Office one
set OF men merely to put others in their pla.
ces. No. Mr. President. il is not for objects
OF personal or unimportant nature that we
ARE here. The republican institutions Of
our country. the cause of liberty and free
government are threatened with overthrow.
and we seek to preserve them. We meet 10
take counsel together, and to gather strength
TO defend and uphold those great principles
which were indicated and established by
our Revolutionary fathers and which are
embodied in our Declaration of independ.
ence and the Federal Constitution.
Sir. the last ten years have been distin-
gnlshed by strange events That brief peri.
cd has wrought great and fearful changes in
our condition as people. The institutions
that have come down 10 us, purchased By
the treasure, and scaled with The blood, OIL
our patriotic ancestors. exist ia form TO be
sure. but their spirit is rapidly departing.
That government, among the designs of
whose establishment. was 10 promote The
general toeLfare and secure the biessiugs of
liberty" has become most grossly perverted
from its original purposes. Instead of pro-
moting the general Welfare, it has made war
upon all the great ;nterests of the country
II has obstructed our commerce. shut up our
manufactures. and deranged The currency Of
the whole country BY series of expert
meats. conceived in objectionable rashness
and folly. aud consummated in spirit of OBJ
stinacy and tyranny which an eastern des.
pot would lremble to exhibit, the country has
been made to heave and gSoan, from the
disputed territoty' on our northeastern
frontier. TO the MANY FRIENDS OF GLORY IN
THE swAnPs OF FLORIDA.
said the Government had brought these
disasters and sufferings upon us ought
TO have said the Ereeutive, in order TO be
understood correctly The error. however.
IS not material. for the Executive is pracli-
cally, and 10 all inten.s and purposes. the
government The measures Of which we
complain are all Executive measures. Not
one Of them, from the destruction Of the u. /
8. Bank down to that miserable contriyance.
the Sub Treasury system, ever received ,be
sanction Of Congress- They have, on the
other hand all been forced upon the peopls
against their own circumstances, and the re-
monssrances Of their Representatives. They
all rest. not upon any law, but upon Execu-
tive orders and edicts Free representative
government. therefore exists yop only on
parchment and paper 10 substance and /,