The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-04-02
Speech Of Mr.. Clingman,
OF NORTH CAROLINA,
ON THE LATE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION,


1yrHy BousE or agPgEsESTTIvEs, JAN. 8.
: IDtopose now, Mr.. Speaker, 10 follow the
example of some Of the deba;ors who have
di.cussed The issues involved in the late cleo
ton. and the effect NON of the popular yer
diet. At the termination Of the late session
of Congress, " hen | lei; this city, though
was sanguine as TO the general Tesnit' hne"
rha, ne " ere 10 be hardly pressed al the SOUTH
lanes X. Polk The nominee of our opponents,
WIS understood to be and had always been,
opposed to any other than mere revenue
thrift, and was avow eddy in favor ofthe lmme-
diate annexation Of Tews. Though know
that the position of ths Wing party was right
on both these questions, yet lnasmuch as IL
had formerly been the custom OF Southern
politicians in the main 10 denounce all tariffs,
and the policy even Of incidental protection
had rarely been advocated, ] feared that the
time intervening before the election was too
short to enable us fully TO enlighten the pub
lie mind with respect 10 the character of the
the act OF 1912, and our position III relation TO
its policy.
There was also, in many quarters OF the
Southern part of the Union, strong feeling
in favor of the annexation Of Texas, aud al
so appreherded that there would hardly be
time enough for the people to become fully
ACQUAINTED with the terms of the proposed an
nexation. and to understand clearly the posi-
ton Of The Presidential candidates with re-
7 spect to the question. Though we Wings
of the South knew that it had fallen to our
lotto defend the point Of the greatest pressure,
vet we went into the contest with determu-
! alton and spirit worthy of the noble cause in
which We were engaged, which. but Tor eau
ses that we had no reasun 10 anticipate, would
have afforded a success fully equal to all our
| hopes.
Al the North this state of things was revers-
ed. Our candidate occupied the side oithese
questions that was most popular with boih
parties in that region, and We had right 10
anticipate gain in that quarter, equal at least
10 any loss that might be sustained with us.
! Nor did feel any serious doubts as TO The
result until we saw the Developments OF the
month of September. Then II was that the
extraordinary spectacle was presented TO tile
world of convention oil the so-called Demo
cratic party in the State of New York, hlch
openly, and with degree of impudence till
then Hnseen, in solemn form repudiated the
leading principles svowed in their National
l-Convention, ard AT the sane time declared
!heir determination TO support its presidential
Governor OF that State, Sias Wright whose
views we're, on both these great questions,
directly opposite TO these Of James X. Polk.
Mr.. Polk declares himself utterly opposed to
the tariff of lo42, and in favor Of the imme-
! date annexation of Texas. " lille Silas Wright
| had voted for The tariff Of lS42, and had like
! wise voted against the annexation Of Texas;
and these two individuals we're voted for on
I Il. 81 hf
tbe so silly in future a, 10 doubt but that the
said Democratic party was held together
solely by the love of office, or in language now
! become classical, 1.-THE cohesive power of
| public plumber"
A similar state of things was exhibited in
Pennsylvania; and [ have heard Democratic
members OF this House speak aughiugly
of seeing in that state namberless banners
of - Polk, Dallas, and the Democratic Tariff
OF I942." Yes. sir, and when the Wings at
tempted TO set this matter right, they were
told by the honest but ignorant yeomanry of
that State that they could not believe that Mr..
Polk was opposed 10 the tariff, because they
had been assured by their leaders, the men in
whom they had been accustomed TO confde,
that he was mach more favorable to aprotect-
i've tariff than was Mr.. Clay. The political
leaders Of the party in these two States as
well as elsewhere at the North, Inundated
themselves so far as TO come into the support
of man " no had been forced upon them by
small, and till then. condemned minority of
their own party, and W hose opinions we're di-
reclly the reverse of those which they them
selves had publicly prolcssed. But they did
not stop here. Lest their prostitution should
20 unreN arded, and TO secure as many accom-
plices in political crime as possibe,t they SEEM
ed to have deliberately entered into 4 scheme
of misrepresentation aud fraud. To bring TO
The support ola man whose principles. if he
had any, were hcsiile to the views of the
great mass of their followers, they deliberate
| ly resolved 10 ms-staIe the principles of that
man, as if they could turn wrong into right,
| and make that true which was false. BY
false declarations, steadily perscvered in,they
deluded the ignorant who trusted TO their
truth. To further their conspiracy, their
candidate. worthy of his party. wrote in phras
es indefinite, unmeaninc, vague, ambiguous.
double faced as the responses of the old
Dclphic oracle. When inquiries from any
quarter whatever were put 10 him which
would have elected definite answer, he re-
manned mute and permitted the truth to be
,rsmpled under fcnt. Mr.. Speaker, there are
recorded many instances of individual msrep-
resentalion, dishonor, and breaches of faith
by those who previously enjoyed the public
confidence; bur, sir, the history of the world
affords no other instance of total destituiion
of a moral sense exl ibited by so large num-
Der Of individuals, no example of fraud and I
ia,eshood On scale so extensive. To fur :
nish materials 10 the active agents, there was .
established in this city mint managed BY. /
II is not necessary for me TO say whom, for it
IS too well known By all around. The esrab-
lishment worked with amazing rapidity, and
threw OF every variety of fasehoods To
ihe North for example, it sent infamons hbes
Oh tbs Wing candidates such as were sup
posed best calculated 10 array agains, them
all the proai-n;e factions there, especially
the unpruciple aboli.ionists; while TO the
South was directed Landhills warning the peo-
pie OF that section that emminent danger was
impending, and that. if The Wings came into
p0wc slavery would be abolished and all the
Interests of the South utterly Frustrated.
These publications were thrown out purpose
" on the eve of the election in order that
they might not be coniradicted. They were