The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-10-27
LISBON, Oct. II, 1913

LI>B'N, pCl' II, l0Io.
Mr.. EGii0r:-At gathering IN Lisbon
on the night OF the 18th inst, guodly num-
Der OF the Taylor and Van B.ien gentry be-
ing present, motion was made 10y one Of
the barnburninL and understanding disciples
of Martin Van Buren,, 10 hold political dis
cuSsion. One Mr.. Mccain was then APP
pointed chairman oft meeting. " no, not
withstanding his grim looks and gcrcr-cjcs
succeeded in preserving what in this pair ut
''enlishtenrd Egypt" would Ice called pref
ty good order, throughout the whole meet
ing.
Mr.. Vim. Cody opened the discussion in
favor of Mr.. Taylor, aud after some intro
ductory remarks proceeded tO>pe al> at some
length upon the great qualifications and
sound principles Of the worthy old General,
and tear downthe lofty pillars of the Buffalo
platform and bury them il the dust of the
valley. His arguments were very sound
and conclusive Suilicicutto turn people like
Lots wife, TO a ''pillar of Salt;" and his
speech throughout contained that .'ieast of
wisdom and flow Of Soul' that would scarce
ly be found in a speech Of the great embud-
iment OF wing rincipleS-lIenry Clay. He
referred thcmto Mr.. Van Buren'S inaugural
address in 1887, where he says, 81 must 90
into the presidential chair the inileXible and
incorporating opponent of every attempt,
on the part Of Congress, to abolish slavery
IN the Dis;rctof Columbia !" aud also where
he says, ono bill conflicting with these
views, shall erer receive my constitutional
sanction" Alter commenting at large upon
these pcrverse sentiments he then drew the
line of demarka,ion between the two candi.
dates-TayIor and Van Baren-apd told
them they could take their choice. Take
the man who was the mere candidate of a
hobby, and who had always deserted his
principles aud party as soon as they became
unpopular: or choose the immortal Rough
aud Ready, the hero of Bnena Vista, Mon
terey, &c., who all will admit, is an honest
man at least.
Drawing his 'few remarks" TO close, he
made motion for adjournment and resum-
ell his seat. Whereupon, Mr.. Larkins arose
in favor Of Mr.. Van Buren,, aud appeared to
feel very indignant that his Taylor friend
across the way should wish to adjourn the
meeting without giving him n chance to eX-
press himself on the subject. He said 1t re-
minded him of an anecdote he had read,
about Taylor meetings in the south. lie
| thought all that was necessary to constitute
n Taylor meeting, was to meet, eject a pres
ident, give three cheers, aud then adjourn
| They had a chairman elected, the cheers
had long since resoundcd through the hall
and the motion to adjourn was already made
| he was almost persuaded il cGS Taylor
meeting! lie said, however, he had some
thng to say on the snbjcct--went On TO ex.
press himself in n manner more like a Cice.
no than a modern orator, giving utterance to
| a complicated mass of unintclligible and in
comprehensive language, more like high
flown sentences culled from some old speech
es and thrown together for school. boy re-
citation, than any thing we can compare IL
to. He represented the great Barnburner
party as taking root in the State of New
York, and spreading its luxuriant branches
over the whole United States, aud shedding
its benign influence "from the rivers to the
ends of the earth" Like the hard-fsted
pilgrims, they had advanced westward,
scaled the Handicapped Rocky Mountains,
and planted their iron heels upon the rock.
ribbed shores Of the Pacific. He appeared