The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-10-03
NUMBER %.

yet conspicuously, mcorruptible as Fa~
bus or Cincinnatus, man of strong,
deep, sound common sense, with clear
head and large heart and, sir, the great
heart of the people instinctiveiy and mag
netlcally claye to him upon that discovery.
The free press every where took him up.
Conventions in the free States, every
where brought him forward. Public SEN
timent began to rally in his behalf; and I
appeal to every one present, if the menu
bers of the Philadelphia Convention were
not surrounded, penetrated. bathed in a
public opinion, which came, we knew not
whence, which we could not resist, which
no man IN the Convention, no party, and
no State could resist. Witness Vermont
and Maine to-day. Immense cheering,
Yes, sir, 1t was nomination by the peo-
pie, and it only remains now to be seen,
whether the people of America are equal
to that great function for which republi-
can people have ever been supposed TO be
qualiied-to designate their own Chief
Magistrate; and whether they are able,
after they have signihed their will, TO have
it carried into effect
Let, me say then, Mr. President in the
next place, still con6ning myself to the
Philadelphia Contention, one word more
of IFS general character, in reply TO amos
Their observation in regard to it. They
say we did not pu, forth platform of our
doctrines; we did not put forth a Why
creed. That is an objection, here, and
there, and every where urged against the
action of that Convention; and, Mr. Pres
ident, and gentlemen representing the
" hgs of Massachusetts, ! ask you if il
would net have been Supremacy and super
fiuously foolish for us to have taken time
10 lay down platform Why, Mr.. Pres
ident, the grand outline of the platform
and creed of the Wings was as well known
that day we assembled, in Philadelphia, as
the Allegheny Mountains, or the Mssis-
sippi river, or as the Lake Superior, to the
people of this country.
interrupted by call In 60 TO the Com
mon, as there were thousands outside who
could not get in. AS Mr. Choate was in
such feeble health that he could not adj
dress an audience in the open air, the
Convention remained in the Hall, and Mr..
Choate procecded:)
was having the honor TO say, MIR. Press
ident, that it would have been superlluous
and irllling, to have presented platform
and creed Of Wing politics to the people
of America, because the grand outlines os
that creed were craven already in the
hearts and in the minds of the people az
large. Sir, We gathered up the leading
outlines Of that platform, you will iemen;s
Der, very far back indeed, in the most
splendid aud glorious epochs of the histo-'
ry of liberty, and arranged them for the
hrst time in something OF specific and
definite form, if remember, about the
close of the second administration Of
James Monroe. In the year 1924, we first
produced them, and we elected upon them
to the Presidency of the United States,
the elder Adams, the later Adams, the
LAST Adams Tremendous and re-
peated cheers.)
On that creed We stord in 1 i2S, 1892,
and IN 1886; we triumphcd on it in 1870;
we deserved 10 triumph on it in ISif
and we mean to triumph on it in ls4S.
Six sharply contested elections had pros
claimed the principles Of the Wings 10
every man, woman and child in America,
and had blown them abroad as with the
sound of a trumpet. from Madawaska f0
the Sabine, from the waters Of New York
to the springs of the Mississippi.
Why, sir, every man knew our creed the
day that the Philadelphia Conyeniicn met,
as well as the Declaration Of Indcpen-
dence At the bottom of it was TIL. first
grand idea: that the will of the people,
constllutonalIy expressed in Congress.
and not the vote of President, nor the
shout of rabble at the corner Of the
streets, should make the law. This IS
the first grand idea.
The second grand idea was. that this
will Of the people, thus constltutionally
expressed in the form Of law of Cons
gress, should be directed, not TO the ac-
cession of new territory, whether for free
men or for slaves 10 stand upon; but for
the improvement of the fair and goodly
creation which we have; for the clearing
of rivers, as your resolutions express for
the construction Of harbOrs for building
up this new world to be the palace eff
commodious and cultivated social life.
This was the second grand idea.
The third grand idea was that as fun
damental aud eternal truth, the market Of
America belongs to the farmer and me-
chanic of the country. (Applause.)
Every body knew perfectly well, also,
that day. that the fourth idea was, that i'll
order to carry out these grand practical
results Deace with all men pence with all
nations, entangIing alliances with none.
was the permanent and settled policy of
the Wing party; peace with the strong
peace with the weak; peace with Eng
land, peace with Mexico. Every man
knew that had been our creed from the
start.
And then, Mr. President, when, in the
progress of time. the attention Of the pub.
lie mind began 10 he drawn little more
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