The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-08-29
ADDRESS OF MIR. sEMnEs.

OctliAcss L<Sq. upon the topics TO which
his attention was called by the Clay Club
of Cumberland, Md. and delivered at the
public square, on Friday evening, June
%, 1874.
FELLow-CITIzENs;-i appear before you
IN obedience tea request made of me by
the Cumberland Clay Club. Were | TO con-
suit my own health and inclinations, | should
avoid all active participation in the political
discussions ofthe day. But the time has ar
rived when, I conscientiously feel, that as
one interested in the honor and we'll beingl
OF my country, | am not at liberty to consult
my private wishes alone to the entire neglect
of my political duties. Impelled therefore
no less by a sense of duty, than by a desire
10 crafty my political friends, have | come
here tonight for the purpose of addressing
you.
In November next, the people of these
United States are required by the c%onstitu-
ton and laws under which we live, 10 meet
at their respective places of holding the cleo
tons, 10 exercise one of the highest attrib-
utes of sovereign. power-lhe liberty OF
choosing their chief executive officer. In
no government under the sun are the people
so well secured in the exercise of this right
as The people Of the United States. And it
becomes us, out of gratitude TO God, 10 use
the utmost c;rcumspection and caution in
the choice Of our rulers.
In the regulation of our political conduct,
fellow-citiZens, our first care, almost our on
ly thought shouldbe the maintenance of CIV
il and religious liberty You all know what
it was that led 10 the first settlement of a
christian people upon our shores. Rather
than submit to religious intolerance at home,
our puritan forefathers did not hesitate~to
sunder the ties which bound them to their
native land, and TO give up all those domes-
tic associations and e~ndearments which con-
stitute so large a share of the sum of human
happiness. Yes! they were content to give
up their domestic affairs and fres-to brave
ali the dangers of the ocean tempest-torun
the risk of disease and famine, and to expose
themselves to the d~epredations of Indian
savages and beasts of prey, for the sake
merely that they might have a place where
they could worship God according to the
dictates of their own consciences. Anc
here permit me, my Catholic fellow-citizen:
my Irish and German friends, TO ask, wha
was il that first inspired you with the though
of emigration. What sentiment Of the hu
man heart is it THAT was found strong enough
TO oblige you 10 tear yourselves away from
your kindred, your country and friends, AMI
10 seek new homes in a foreign land? Wa!
it not your love for civil and religious liber
"? And how comes it that you preferred
10 take refuge under the government Of the
United States? There were other republic
established on the continent of America be
sides our own-there we're republics to-
where the Catholic religion was almost ex
c~lusively professed and practiced. But yr
preferred the United States, and why? Be
cause it was the land of Washington? Yo
preferred our country, because it was tn
country Of Washington. But were there n
political parties in the days of Washington
and TO what party did he belong? Gener;
Washington was a federalist-a federalist
the old school. And yet how common is
in the party contest of the present day; hoy
common has it been in all our past politics
contests, TO hear the name Of federalisis a
piled as a term of reproach. ! have thus il
irodGced the name of Washington, and Il
ferred you TO his political creed, for the pu
pose of showing you, my Irish and Germi
friends, that even the venerated Father
his country, whose name first attracted "
to our country, whose name first attract,
you TO our shores, was not exempt from Il
foulest aspersions political calumny and d
traction; and that if some of the wicked al
malignant tools of party faction in his d
could be credited, even he, the great foun
er ofAmerican liberty, medi,ated treason
lis country and mankind.
If. therefore, the great and good Washir
Ton could not escape calumny and detri
ton, bee ause he happened TO think that
doctrines Of the old federal party were W
ranted by the constitution, and 10 presel
our liberties, how can it be expected ii
any public man or any political party sin
the days of Washington, can escape slanc
and Misrepresentation? How can it be
pected that the great American Slatesn
of the West-that Henry Clay, the "
candidate for the presidency, lGcd bl
him9 can escape detraction and abuse
Mo- no. it seems natural 10 men to re'
and calumuiate their best friends-and
greater the benefacter the greater the abu
We have the highest authority for saying
we have the authority of Holy Writ it
for saying that no man is a prophet iii
own county. The aim and object of
small creature called man, seems to
70 bring every thing down to bis own le'
No sooner therefore does one appear v
is gifted by nature and natures God "
all the endowmenis of superiority, than
immediately becomes all object of e.
and detraction. 1t is owing to this prop