North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1850-11-09
The Union Meeting in New York

JAMES w GERARD, ESQ.,, addressed the vast mul-
,i,ude as follows: 81 according to your lnvi-
tation citizens of this my native place, to meet yon
in thousands and of thousands at the call OF our
nonntrv 10 ralv around the standard of the republic
and the altar of that common country TO sacrhce
all party feeling all party ReJudice-io concert snch
measures may best peIPetuaie our glorious Union
Merchants. mechanics, and traders OF New ORR,
vour voice and ysur action this night will be heard
and felt throughout the length and breadth OF this
glorious land. 1t will be heard and felt In New
England-ay, and upon the top Of the granite noun
tains of New Hampshire. 1t will be heard and felt
all over your glorious southern country. our free
States will hear and oh, yoar brethren of the South
how you will give them aid and comfort! The
honest manhood Of the South will bless the citizens
of New York, and their wives and CHILDREN will give
you their PRAYERS because they will feel you OPP
pose agitators, and will not their rights but
on those who attempt to trample on them. Cheer
ing and appause.1 YoHr voice and action will be
felt and heard all along your fifteen hundred miles Of
commercial seaboard, and every State will leap for joy
and every mechanic and trader the seaboard will
join in the cry you raise tonight in favor of the
Union and constitutions and, with the course of the
western sum- it will roll the valleys OF the ives.
tern waters, and will not be stopped till 1t has passed
the Rocky mountains, and will not die till 1t reaches
FL Dorado our youngest sister on the shores OF tne
Pacific. Your voice and action, before to-morrow's
will have set, will be carried by steam and light
ming every village, town. and hamlet OF this GO
rous republic Every mountaIn-top VIII hear IT, ana
every valley will join in the cry-hat we will stand
by the compromises of the constitution and the Union
of this republic. Sixty years ago, my friends, the
republic of this country was launched into existence
with constitution founded on compromise; and by
= compromise only can it be sustained. Applause
From that day to this the glorious republic has gone
prosperously, conquering and TO conquer. Each
State has preserved it's own system of government,
under the power of our glorious constitution. The
rising republic took for its emblem the selected bird
of Jove-the kng-bird of our forest-and on the
scroll suspended from the eagles mouth the motto
Unlknr'
BILE. Well the rising greatness of the country Justl-
fled the proud emblem of the eagle; for as the eagle
takes its flight heavenward in the air, with wing
that tires and eye that never WinKs, DARING
the very sun in the armament, so has our beloved
country risen higher and higher in her glorious
of national renown and national prosperity. Ire
mendous applause. Its feats OF arts and science
are rivalled by its deeds and and the great and
good statesmen and warriors of the North and the
South rvalled each other, which could do The most
to promote the common welfare and glory OF their
country; and say palsed be the hand which would
pluck feather from that eagles wing, or check
its flight. GVociferous applause. We have met
tonight declare views, and to pass resolutions
the situation of country-to carry out and en-
dorse the measures of compromise passed at the last
session of Cong ress. i need not tell you that Tor
long months northern abolitionists, banding with
southern utrasts almost put end to the iegisla-
ton of the country. The wheels of government were
Paralyzed. and the bodes of our patriots were awed
by their audacity. 1t was such men as we have
heard from tonight [applause who threw themselves
in the breach 10 the country; and noby did they
do their work and due honor will be done to them
to-night-whigs and democrats, whether from the
North the South. By the aid OF those glorious
patriots, the troubled waters were ued. and peace
once more in our land. But there were certain
unruly spirits from the North and the South who
would rather rule in hell than serve in Heaven deter
mined after the compromise measures were passed,
to recommence the agitation, anu float on the scum
that should arise. There will be three resolutions
offered here this evening. One will be to do honor
to those patriots who noby threw themselves IN the
breach for the benefit of the country, regardless OF
their political personal safety. Tremendous
applause--three cheers. The second will be one,
not Of endorsement but of condemnation OF class
IN the North and South who want to mar the good
feeling which prevailed in Congress and throughout
the land. We shall condemn man by name, be-
cause meeting is national, but you will perceive
TO whom allusion is made. The third is to commend
what are commonly called the Compromise bills of
Congress. There has been too much agitation; there
are too many unruly spirits at work. and they must
be laid before We can have peace. Cast your eyes
to eastern lands, and see with what complacency
they look this republic, falling, they Think by
its own disunion. But no-the crowned heads of
Europe. will be disappointed. The voice of this
night will be heard, and under the banner of the con-
stitution will maintain our Union. Great cheer
ing. Among the compromise measures passed by
the last Congress is what is called the ugitiveslave
bill. Many of you know my profession it is to con-
strue and expound the law. have read that bill and
the bill Of 1898, and stand before God and man,
act Of 1913, which was founded on the constitu-
ton. This act has been most shamefully and abomi
nably abused. The of 1898 is still in force, and
this Is mere amendment to it, giving trial before
commissioner, and providing few more penalties
against those who obstruct the law. Now, where
we 10 relation to the question of slavery 1t twas
entailed by British ancestors 1t is their
misfortune and not crime, thati exists in the south
ern Statest The law of 1898 has been acted upon
for ifty-odd years and why is it thatn certain
people are making war against it ! tell you why
because certain aboltonists and political demagogues
who want Office have been endeavoring TO make a |
false issue to mislead the people. am, therefore,
here with you to put down those demagogues. lVo-
cifsrous cheering.l will do this with you. 1 will
join with you in the cry of the Israetes of old against
those who had the leprosy. Let US cast them out,
&c. MIR. Gerard then spoke of the necessities of
obeying the law, and continued: l have two more
resolutions, which will find response in every mans
voice. The resolutions declare love of country su-
perlor to the love of party; and that shall go for
no man who seeks to renew sectional agitation, or
the reagtation of the abolition of slavery. Zap
Plause.] For myself, 60 for my country first, for
the Union first, and for my party last Applause
stand prepared here tonight to offer up myself
sacrihce-to shake of party shackles when my coun-
Try calls lApPlause.l l have been whig all my
life; but if that old party-the old national whig
party-is TO be poisoned by abolition feelings, swear
then to support longer, if it should break into
ten thousand fragments. Cheers.l If stand
alone, l will pluck from unworthy hands the old
WING banner, and stand or fall by it. They who
shall give countenance 10 aboltonism will be desert
-ers OF wing principles-notI No. my fellow-citi-
zens let us cut down these agitatos cumberers of
the ground even If the party be buried their
ruins. lAppause.1 feel that have right to
speak here. was born within three hundred yards
OF Lnls spot. ! have grown up and am growing old
oif T,f L