The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1851-03-26


According to previous notice, Mai. Robin
,on addressed the Intellect and portion Of
TIE viftus Of the city, last Monday evening
al Ne csort House. The subjects upon
whish ths Major was to enliyhsen and serrify
this peaceabIs community. wsrc the Fugitive
Slave Law, Democratic Principles and Trial
by Jury. Whether it was the fame OF the
speaker, which 10 az wide spread as the.
counties Of Vander5urgh and Posey, and the
fact that his telIow-ci.izens have always been
accustomed to looking up TO him Tor advice
and encouragement in the hour Of moral or
political tribulation, whether it was this
which 80 filled the venerable court house, or
the rumor which was whispered fearfully by
an hundred tongues just as the taIlow candles
were being lighted, that Attorney General
Todd would reply TO the Major, and loan out
at a small per ceosage, some Of the legal WIS.,
dom and profound moral philosophy for which
he 10 so justly distinguished lis a mystery
utterly urhathomablc. But that makes no
difference. We went there with the deter
mination to sacrifice our own comfort, and IL
needs must be, several hours Of valuable time
which might otherwise have been more plea
sanity spent in the fascinating company OF
young ladies, to be able to give graphic
lucid, faithful and elevated report, OF the
speeches Of two PATRIOTS Democrats, unfor-
tunateIy differing in ambitions, and IN their
opinions Of the principles which constitute un-
terrified Democracy. But f we had felt our
inadequacy for the task even before the fret
speaker had closed bis eloquent remarks, our
utter incompe,ency to give but a shadowiag
of the body we had intended TO mould. struck
our mind with such startling energy when
Gen. Tod1 had but just dipped into his sub
ject, that tcre was a general conAagration Of
ideas, and not being insured we have since
been unable to rebuild the beautiful mental
edfice. Indeed, a lamentable deficiency in
morals prevented US approaching the force Of
the Majors arguments, which were princl-
pally founded upon morality, as his words and
actions commonly are-and an equally great
deficiency in those faculties Of the mind neces-
sary TO the comprehension of Webste-ian log
&c, Byronic flights, and Scnptural applica-
tons upon erery subiec. in the same manner
rendered US otIivious to the beauties Of the
Generals effort.
Thus much by way of introduction. and
the introduction is our apology, and the apoI-
ogy is nearly all we have to cay. We did
not hear the first part Of tho Majors address,
but at the time Of our arrival he was deeply
perplexing his audience with quotations from
the Scriptures, TO prove that slavery was
never supported by the Bible, in which he
was Of course very successful as every read
er ofthe good book may well suppose! We
thought however the Major was fulfilling
some other mans nilsson in arguing from
the Scriptures, but he is older than u and
ought TO know best. Our opinion is that the
Major believed just about az much OF what
he was attempting to prove by the Bible, az
he did Of many other Of his positions, and we
hav'nt the slightest idea he had any faith in
some Of them. After leaving this branch Of
his subject, he pounced down on our great
men like hawk among bevy ofIi,tle chisk.
lings and succeeded most effectually in using
up Clay, Cass and Foote, till the whole au
dience became convinced that az things now
are, there 10 nothing but corruption and hum
buggery among our Statesmen, and that io
the country to fulfil its dessinies, Maj. A. L
Robinson should be Congress embodied, a
he 10 now the embodiment Of morality ant
christian virtues. As the speaker progressed
the pity which was at first felt for those oil,
Statesmen, gradually gave way to sympa
thy with tho Majors virtuous indignant ion
and the whole house seemed to smell Of IA
and feathers and rotten eggs, in connection
with the names Of Clay, Cass and Foote.
The Major then proceeded in his own hap
py style to show up the iniquties Of the Flu
gitive Slave Law. Dear me, what terribl
blow il is at the liberties Of American cili
zens. Our good citizens have been livin
Tor months under n law, and not even in tl,el
profound ignorance feeling there was sue
a law in existence, until at once they hav
been startled by the Major with the mutt
, tude Of ,errors hanging over them in I'll
] shape oil this instrument, which they, poor il
nocent souls, never dreamed Of before. TT,
ly, "when ignorance is bliss tits folly 10
; wise % After this. till the obnoxious law
annuled, good citizens will trembIe at ever
shout as they Iye between their sheets: al
cease nodding in church at every bark Of
dog in the street. Tor fear they will be call.
out Of bed or pew, to chase striped back'
q smuities--and what is more, to carry wi