The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-10-21
IeREAT WING MEETING AT ABING-
TON MASSACHUSETTS.
SPEECH OF Mr.. WEBSTER.

A very large meeting oil The wings OIL Fly
mouth county, Mass, were held in a grove
near Abingdon, on Tuesday last, 5000 persons
were estimated to be present. Benjamin
Bobert, Esq, presided, assisted by large
number of Vice Presidents and Secretaries. A
great deal of enthusiasm prevailed. The fea
ture Of the day was the speech of Daniel Web
ster which was received with great satisfac-
ton. The following sketch of it, transmit
ted by telegraph from Boston, is from the Her
aid:
Mr. Webster said that on the Presidential
question there was no third party. 1t was
known that previous TO the nomination of a
candidate for President, on general principles,
he was neither counsellor nor adviser for the
nomination of General Taylor. He did not
doub. his qualification as military man; but
the time for discussing the question of the
propriety of his nomination was passed. He
was the only candidate for the wings, and the
only question was, should he or General Cass
be President-one of them must be- He deem
ed it proper TO make the support of General
Taylor generous and manly. He believed him
to be man of excellent sense, solidity of
character, and wing. The objections which
had been urged against him, that he had re-
ceived the nomination of other parties-that
he had declared that he he would not be the
President OF a party-were ridiculous. He
deemed that be had made clear and ex-
plicil declaration Of his views, and if he had
promised TO be the President of a party, he
would not vote for him. He thought that the
votes of whig States must be relied upon to
elect General Taylor. 1t had been supposed
that the States not wing would support him;
but this could not be depended upon, and he
believed there were wing States enough to
elect him, provided that the w higs in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, and New York, were true to
their colors.
There was no doubt but that Massachusetts
would throw her vote 70 Taylor. There had
been twenty years conflict with the oppo-
site party, and the essential features OF this
conflict had not been changed. The wings
had commended for the construction of the con-
stitution in accordance with high judicial de-
cisons and the views which had been handed
down from Washington, Jefferson and others.
The democrat party took theirs from Jackson.
They regarded the veto power as salutary.-
They believed il to be right TO remove the best
generals from office, and by that means en-
courage party spirit. Another question on
which they were at issue, was that of protrc-
ton TO home industry, and home labor. This
question was right upon us and unless some
revision of our custom house laws should be
soon made, adopting discriminating and spe-
cilic duties, many years would elapse before
the prosperity of the country could be restored.
| Ii Gen. Cass was elected this would not be
done. The improvement of our harbors and
rivers was another question involved in this
campaign. The method OF conducting our for
eign relations was another; were these 10 be
conducted in pacific or in queulous spirit
having the idea of conquest predominant? He
believed Cass most dangerous man in this
respect. He knew nothing Of his history, ex-
cept what related to aggrandizement.
The attention of the wing party was too
much taken up with men. There was no
doubt that General Taylor was a wing, also
that Van Buren, was a Liberty man. He would
invoke the wing press, North, South, every
where, TO 60 back TO the discussion of princi-
plies. If Gen. Cass is cleo ted all these ques-
lions will be lost sight of He will say that
the ub-treasurY already existed. The peo-
pie elected me with ii" and so with the other
questions. Recent events had raised another
question, which particularly affected Massa-
chusetts. 1t reminded him of wrilicism by
Swift, "Dulcc CT natalie Solum"-I wonder
where he stole them. If those words were not
stolen, the sentiment of this party was petty
larceny. The wings were just as good Free
Soil men as they were. The barnburning
schism in New York originated in an entirely
different affair, and was in existence long be-
fore the Wilmot proviso was heard of. The
wings first raised an opposition 10 annexation
the Barnburners seized the feeling, and hence
Originated the Buffalo Convention. They al
tached this TO the other "thirty-nine articles,
and required the wings of Massachusetts tC
serve under them. He proposed 10 do no suct
thing.
He alluded 10 the letter of Harrison Gray OF
lis, and wished it might be read through bout the
country. 1t exhibited the vigor,,of youth viii
the wisdom of age. 1t had been characterised
D as humbug. He desired there might be NOR,
humbugs of the same kind. When men VIII,
had sat in council with Gov. Briggs, and acteC
with him for years. and left him, they ought II
give a reason. These reasons were tina. the,
could not vote for Taylor and Briggs, aud Rec
would not go with them. Who ever though
they would' They talk of the minions o
i slavery. Was Briggs minon of slavery
O Was Reed miuion of slavery? There wa
nothing in the Buffalo Platform to which tn
. wings could object. They would only hav
! to change their name; but Van Buren, at IN
head OF the wing party, would make a grea
change. Boys, sometimes at school, drew Gu
. rious pictures. putting the head Of one anima
d on the body Of another. If they should max
an image of the wing party, with Van Burel
at its head, it would be more amusing than tina
o of the celebrated clergyman. We were at
: crisis. He did not distrust the result, If h