The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-10-29

New Y ork, may be considered as an exposition OF
the views generally held by the gentlemen known
as the conservative portion Of the Wing party in
that State:
Mr.. PORTER rose and remarked that he came
there 10 hear such men as had already addressed
them, and not 10 speak himself There was one
such man whom he knew this audience was deal
rous to hear, and that was Mr. Hiram Ketchum, OF
New York.
At this appeal Mr.. Ketchum took the stand, and
was greeted with three rousing cheers from the
audience, which now filed every corner in the
large hall. Order being restored,
Mr.. kErcHUM said: Gentlemen-Althoughi il has
been my fortune on various occasions 10 address
my fellow citizens on public topics, yet | never
had the faculty Of making them laugh; and really
q matter of taste, my friends if / could make
you laugh should not wish to do go to- night. Ii
has not been my fortune to be much in public life;
like most OF you have been occupied for life,
not short, III my own private concerns. Durin 6
the last session Of Congress, however it being long
extended into the summer, when had some leisure,
went to w Washington; went as an observer, and
now, my friends, wish to tell you what | saw +,
what learned, and what heard; not to make you
laugh, but, II l may presume TO say so, to make
you think--to make you think after you leave this
house to night. have not word TO say about
conventions here or at Syracuse, | have not a
word TO say about regulars or bolters-that is not
in my line. come to blame nobody, but TO speak
of that which interests you and me, az | think, my
friends, most deeply.
You all know that, during the last session of
SonBTSsS, nine months tllere was great excite
ment-you know that one topic occupied the delb
erauops OF that Congress almost exclusively, and
you know the controversy was very angry on both
sides We have, indeed, never witnessed 80 long
and angry controversy during any session
of Congress-; and will you allow me to say my
friends, that it was so long and angry, in the
Judgment Of persons best competent to decide, to
indicate that disunion was near at hand. This
believe. Indeed, may say that know it, as well
as know any thing which is not susceptible OF
mathematics! demonstration. In this state of
things the Oldest men at Washington--I mean the
men who have been most trusted by parties on both
.sdes-thought il their duty to allay excitement to
restore peace to the councils Of the country and
prevent the collision of arms But hear my friend
out, yonder say, go yes, Mr.. Clay was excited,
and he made great speech, but he wants to be
President"
hear another say, ''True, we think that Daniel
Webster is wonderfully great man, perhaps a
man OF the most powerful intellect earth; he
certainly has been thirty years at Washington,
watching the course of events, and is most COM
petent judge in the matter, but will not believe
Mr.. Webster, because he wants TO be President
We'll, they were not the only men. There was
General Cass, an old man, who hss been in the ser
vice OF his country-though he differs from US po-
Atlcally-he too, was excited and alarmed. But,
say you, "Oh yes, he, too, Is an old man, and he,
too, wants to be President Now, my friends.
thus you dispose of the witnesses, and cannot per-
suade you here to- night, if you thus dispose Of
the witnesses, to believe that there has been any
danger, or any apprehension of collision of arms
between the General Government and section of
this Union. But if you believe these witnesses, if
you had seen and talked with them, and had been
on the spot and believed, as believe from my in
most soul, that there has been danger of collision
OF arms, and most imminent danger to the Union,
then, my friends, you would feel as do
Well, now, in this state of things, these great
men on both sides, feeling common apprchen-
sion, and having a common object in view aided
by younger and able men, have come forward
and settled the controversy, made adjustment
without that collision of arms, and settled upon
terms which were believed to be fair and hon
orable il could be settled between the North and
the South. II has been barely settled too; for al
though their influence has been united, and has
been directed with great earnestness for weeks to-
gether To the same object, and although they have
brought with them the reputation of half a centu-
ry, and an influence which is commanding all over
this nation, yet their influence, their arguments
have barely brought about adjustment which
has prevented that collision of arms.
But that adjustment is made, and the solemn
question thatl wish to put TO this audience is Do you
wish TO see this agitation renewed? [Cries Of "No,
mol speak TO those outsiders, for am an out
slider; know that the gentlemen who are here in
convention arc all right, but speak to my fellow
citizens, the sober citizens of Oneida county. Onei
da county! one Of the richest, most civilized, most
happy, and most flourshing counties in this coun-
try. tApplause.l lspcak to you, and speak in
sober earnest with no desire to abuse any body TO
uphold any body, to put up one man and pull
down another; and j ask you, do you wish TO sec
this controversy renewed? Do you wish to see a
controversy which, in my solemn judgment, has
already brought this country 10 the very verge of
ruin, renewed? [Cries of NO." mol Do you
wish 10 try the experiment how much the Union
will bear! 1t is the deepest anxiety upon this great
question, and not any question between Wings
and Democrats, though 1 have been a Wing till
this hair has grown grey and these eyes become
somewhat dim, that has brought me here, and
made me an anxious spectator IN this convention
and the convention at Syracuse Shall the contro-
yersy be renewed which pcriled the existence Of
this UnionS i repeat, that is the question; and
this question desire you, my friends, to go home
and seriously and soberly consider.
This Union, what is it, What has filled the
State IN which we live with abundant prosperity ?
What has given us our palaces in which we live 7
What has given US our broad fields, and cultivated
them To the highest pitch of agricultural perfec-
uonf what has hlled our busy workshops? What
has given us our schools, colleges and institutions
oilcarning, and erected temples of religion ?
What but the prosperity which has resulted from
the union Of these States [Appause Now ask
ence Of this Union; [shouts Of mo" mol
Your answer is no, but you do not believe Icannot
make you believe l Believe that il ia in danger.
solemnly believe, my friends, that one more such
contest az we have Just ended would terminate the
existence Of this Union.
Why, look at it What is the Union of this
country You abstract the union Of good feeling,
Of kind and brotherly regard, of our pride in the
name OF American, Of the recollection Of days when
We struggled under the stars and stripes of the ma
this Constitution, however perfect in its organiza-
ton, will keep you together' Can any man sup.
pose IT. And here are sober men before me dis
cussing how will this Union be dissolved? Let this
controversy be renewed, and be re-oponed; let an
angry contest arise on the floor Of Congress, such
as may arise at any day during excited session,
and let that produce general conflict on the floor
Of Congress, and this Union - dissolved tell you,
my friends, If Il s patriotism at the North 10 hate
the South, and If the South have feeling Of re-
gard exception its section Of the Union, and If
these antagonistic feelings brought into COLI
sion in the councils Of our country, the Union can
not possibly stand, no matter how perfect the ma
chincry. Machinery can be made 10 stand STILL
and when the machinery Of this Government stands
still there is an end 10 H. All this 10 worthy Of
sdcrauOn at this moment.
Now look back for a moment and sec who has
preserved this Union. What chosen band Of men
and what organization has preserved this Union 7
why, gentlemen, at the South there is a natural
tendency by Of the great interest they have
in one question, 10 unite and become local in feel
ing and organization. They combine naturally TO
defend themselves. At the North the Union party
has always triumphed, and il has gathered az
many friends to operate with IL at the South az
II could do. And that Union party has always
been the Wing party. Who has stood by the Con
shtuton in all strife, from ts infancy-whcn il was
created by the convention Of which Washington
was at the head, and who stood godfather i'm its
baptism-to this moment? The Wing party The
Wing party has been the great prcserver and de-
a