The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-10-03
Speech of MIR. Marsh.

The Hon. GEORGE P. MARSH, by invita-
ton of the Wings of Middlebury, addressed a
large audience at the Court House, in this
place, On Wednesday afternoon last. We
shall not attempt anything like report of his
remarks, which embraced the main topics at
issue in the present canvass, and were exteAd-
ed and thorough, on every point. Though
he spoke for about three hours, we have rare
ly seen mare attentive and motionless assem-
bly, throughout, the stiffness being interrupted
only by the spontaneous bursts of applause
with which the speaker was frequently greet
ed.
Mr.. Marsh said there were three prominent
measures and principles at issue in this Presi-
dental canvass-Protection to Home Industry
the Distribution of the Proceeds of the Pub
lie Lands, and the Exclusion of Slavery from
the Territories. The two former were, in a
degree, questions of interest, the last was a
moral question, question of conscience
While this moral question was all-important,
the others were by no means to be neglected.
On Protection, he showed that all parties mair-
tanned the same position as heretofore. The
Baltimore platform Included a resolution ap-
proving the repeal of the Tariff of '42, and
the creation of that of '46, as giving "a noble
impulse to the cause of FREE TRADE" In
referring to the Buffalo Platform, Martin Van
Buren, expressly avowed his opposition (indi-
vidually) to any Tariff at all, and his prefer
ence to a system of direct taxation, for the sup
port OF the Government. (According to this
system, said Mr.. NJ, allowing the tax of Yer
mont to be one sixtieth of the whole, every
mans tax for the support of the National Gov
ernment-to say nothing ofthe present enor-
nous debt-would be ten times that now re-
CURED for the support of the State Govern
meht) The Wings, also, were where they
always had been, on this question. 1t was OBJ
jected that they had no platform of principles.
He said the Wings had long looked upon the
precedent established by the Democrats, in
this particular, as dangerous in its tendency,
and unworthy of adoption. Their creed was
known. 1t was sufficiently set forth in their
acts.-On the question of Distributing the pro-
ceeds of the Public Lands among the several
states, the parties we're also unchanged.-The
Wing policy in this respect was fully explain
ed, and its Importance shown.
Mr. Marsh then took up the Slavery ques-
ton. He denied that this was an issue be-
tween the North and the South. 1t was, and
always had been an issue between Whigs and
Democrats. This was incontrovertibly estab-
llshed, by referring to the votes in Congress
upon this subject, for years past. The real
principles of party-unless their professions
and their practice conceded fully-were to be
found In their acts. About these there could
be no mistake. Mr. Marsh then showed the
position of the two parties in respect to the
Right OF Petition-the Democrats, North and
South, almost to man, sustaining the Gag
hule-the Wings, in both sections ofdIe Union,
oPposingit. The same was true of the Annexa-
ton of Texas That was strictly aDemocrat-
ic measure. The Wings, North and South, al
most to man opposed .(Only one Wing vot-
ed for Annexation, he said, a member from AL
abama-) The Democrats were as unanimous
in its favor.-Tho same was shown by Mr..
NJ. to be true in other instances, affording in
like manner test of the real principles of the
respective parties.
Mr. Marsh exposed the character of Mr..
Van Buren-particu larly with reference to
the Amistad case, and his casting vote for RI
fling the mails of Anti-Slavery matter-in
manner at once candid and severe. With re-
gard to his casting vote on the mail Bill, he
met fhe ,ophistry Of Mr.. Van Hurens defend !