Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-01-27

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AN AID DRESS
'epEL1vEREDBY B. B. TAYLOR, ESQ.
2 ''F' At CssamSss. january sA, ls47.
Ws are ,called,sogether;on this occasion,
5 my ,fnends, by q rnutuality Of thought,
!, ,lssntimsntv and feeling independently Of
any party organization, or of any party
:, consideration, there exists in the bosoms of
!; those who truly venerate and feel the in
. auence Of the democratic faith, sympathy
;, at once active, strong, and enduring. This
Nsyn,pathy grows out Of common regard
to,certain great principles, which constitute
the bosis not only Of our party organization,
= but which lie at tho foundation Of all good
.. government; !; and disregard of which is
the prolific parent Of most Of the evils which
in times past, and now, affiics man in his
: social and political capacity. And what
~ are those principles, 80 important in
themselves, and whose application to the
purposes Of civil society, is also SO impor-
tsnt q Ef
On this occasion, desire briefly to
speak Of the foundations Of our faith, and to
stshow tho necessity Of continued perseyer-
a;ancein maintaining itagains, every assault.
For democracy is not an unmeaning term,
fused only as q convenient name, to distin-
l,guish party. Its elements ore found in
q the deepest affections Of tho human heart,
eand in the profoundest convictions of the
understanding /.
'First, then, it is the principle Of JUSTICE
applied to the necessities and circumstances
OF man in his social and political capacity.
IF governments were organized with
stRrict regard to justice, and this principle
carried into all their subsequent action,
there would exist small ground Of complaint
9in any quarter. But it is the injustice
inflicted by human governments, either in
their organization or their practical op.
Leratlons, which plumbers one portion OF
society to exa!t, enrich, and ennoble the
rest. II is tho injustice Of man to man
which makes so many hearts desoia:e, and
raises the wall Of woe within the hearing OF
she pampored mlaions Of privilege and pow
or.
OF ali the sources Of injustice that are
fraught with danger to this country, thai
of special legislation is the most to be
dreaded. Men may declaim about the 'ont
man power, and the despotic sway o
individual tyrants as they will, but all ex
perience has shown that special Legislation
u the most dangerous foe to private rights
as it is TO the public liberty. This il
peculiarly the case in government organi
led like ours, and under state OF public
opinion such as prevails among the Aneri
can people. Here, scarcely need it b.
apprehended that any one man can arise
clothed with those intellectual and mora
attributes which will enable him to pros
trate the liberties Of his country, and eleyat
himself to an unlimited empire oyer falle
.aad degenerate race Of men. The polio
which should result in such an achieymer
would betoo bold and palpabls not at one
90 arrest public attention, alarm the publ
mind, and arouse the popular indignation
No. il 10 by the subtle. crafty, insldiol
gprucsss dc special legislation that til
Amsrican people viii be. if at all, plundtletrt
ssf their rights. 1t is form OF assau
,aaainst the public liberty the more to
tAssadsd. as Il comes under the guise al
nth shs plea Of necessity, while the re
juvotiye, however, is Individual advantag
.usxasdless Gifts etscts upon the gener
Nslfars. Il may BE- asserted as q gener
ruth, that there can be no act OF specl
tlsrisiatiou which, while it results to t
bsnsfit Of one or more individuals, does n
iinaict corresponding injury upon the pr
hcwelfass lsstesdeHcy is to aggrandl
slassssq atishs expense Of masses. Tal
,torinstance, the'special Legislation Of Go
.sres ia bshalf fof Tariff protection. Eve
enlightened nnan knows that while
furotected class,of manufacturers reapet
harvest OF profits almost incredible in
,rnountq the rest OF community had tht
profss tofpay. AZ tho products ct lat a
srelths only sourceso wealth, labor m
bear the burden Of this and oil %oti
.spsciss oftaxaiions But what makes !.
-spssissoe taxation pecaliarly aggravathi'
:iss thsifact that the tayored class OF MAJ
faeturers deny aus the ordinary priyllegs
the exspcisao Of our own Understandings
5Phey would fain nalse us believe that
,.ars mere seiolists lin the science OF COVE
Snren., and that il 10 by levyIngf taxes
iilaeir exclusive benefit that the rest Of
.cunfnuniss isso realize the greatest adyal
ssssp Isihis hswsssrs thsy oes display
5rN4 = /.