The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-28

every person who was in attendance, iaues anu
all. of whom there were at least one hundred
on the platform. 1t poured in torrents during
the whole time but, nothing daunted, Mr.. w.
continued till he had said all he wanted to say.
He spoke as follows:
Feuo,ocitizens Of The Guy Of Buffalo: am
very glad to see you--l meet you with pleasure
It Is not the first time, fellow-citizens, that
have been in Buffalo and have always come
to it with pleasure. 1t is great distance from
nv own home. | am thankful that cireum-
stances have enabled me to be here again, and
regret that untoward events deprived me OF the
pleasure of being here when your distinguished
fellow-citizen the President OF the United
States, came among you, and received from you,
as he deseryed, not only respectful but
cordial welcome. The President Of the United
States has been resident among you for more
than half his life. He has represented you In
your State and national councils You know
him and all his relations, both public and pr-
yate: and it would be bad taste for me to say
ANYTHING of him. except that ] wish to say, with
some degree of emphasis, that since my con-
nection with him in the administration of the
Government of the United States have fully
concurred with him in all his great and leading
measures. But do not wish to let it rest on
that presumption; wish to declare that the
principles Of the President, as declared in his
annual message, his letters, and all documents
and opinions which have proceeded from him,
or been issued by his authority, in regard to
the great question of the time--that all these
principles are my principles; and if he is wrong
in them, am, and always will be. Applause.
Gentlemen, it has been suggested that 1t would
be pleasant and agreeable to the citizens OF
Buffalo, and their neighbors in the county OF
Erie, that should state to you my opinions,
such as they are, on the present condition of
the country. its prospects, its hopes, and its
dangers; and fellow citizens, hope to do that,
this day and this hour, as far as my strength
will. permit.
Gentlemen, believe me, know where am. |
know to whom | am speaking l know for
whom am speaking. / know | am here in
this singulary prosperous and powerful part of
tho United States-Western New York-and
know the character of the men who constitute
Western New York. know they are sons Of
liberty, one and all that they sucked in liberty
with their mothers milk inherited it with their
blood that it is their daily contemplation and
watchful thought. They are men of very sim
gular quality and condition for million and
half of people. There are men around us, and
here before us, who till their own soils with
their own hands and others who earn their
own livelihood by their own labor, with no
means beyond their own industry, and their
own Independence, and their own willingness
To labor These are the men who constitute, TO
so great an extent, the people of Western New
York. But the school-houses know are among
them. Education is among them. They read,
and write and think. And here are the fair sex
educated, refined, and intelligent; and here
are men who know the history Of their country,
and the laws Of their country, and the iustitu-
tons Of their country; and men in my opinion,
lovers of liberty, and they are yet lovers of lib
erty, under the Constitution of the country, and
who mean to maintain that Constitution with
all their strength, so help them God. (Great
appause) Hope these observations will salts
fy YOU that / know where am, under what re-
sponsibility speak, and before whom appear ;
and have no desire that any word | shall say
this day, shall be withholden from you or your
children, or your neighbors, or the whole world
Because speak so before you and before my
country, and If it is not too solemn to say so,
before God himself, the great author of Justice
Gentlemen, there is but one question in this
country now or if there be others, the others are
but secondary or so subordinate, that they are
all absorbed in that great and leading question;
and that is neither more nor less than this: that
we can preserre The Union of The States, not By
POtccf-'Ut
controversies But can we of this generation,
YOU and l. your friends, and my friends, can noe
so preserve The Union of the United STATES By The
administration Of the po,oers Of he Constitution,
as shall giue content and satisfaction 10 all ,oho
lire under il, and draD us together, not By mill
tarv po,cer but by The SiLten cords Of muiual fra
ternaL patriotic affection That is The question,
and no other.
Gentlemen, / believe in party distinctions.
am party man. There are questions belong
ing to party in which am concerned, and there
are opinions entertained by other parties which
repudiate but what of that II house be
divided against itself it will fall and crush every
body in It. We must see that we maintain the
government over us. We must see that we up
hold the Constitution, and we must do so with
out regard TO party. Now. how did this ques-
ton arisel The question y forever mlsstated.
dare say IL you know much of me. or Of my
course of public conduct for the last fourteen
months You have heard of my attending Union
NEE ings, and of my fervent demonstrations at
Union meetings. Well, what was the object of
that What was the purpose of that The
object and purposes were designedly or thought
lessly misrepresented. had an invitation to
90 TO a Union meeting in the county of West
chester; could not GO but wrote a letter
Well, some wise man of the East said he did
not think il was very necessary to hold Union
meetings. He did not think there were many
disunionists about Tarrytown. And so here in
every part Of New York, there is a total misap-
prehension of the purpose and object Of these
Union meetings. Every one knows there is not
a county, or a city, or hamlet, in the State of
New York, that is ready to 60 out of the Union.
There is no man so insane in the whole States,
outside lunatic asylum, as to wish il. But
that is not IL. We all know that every man and
every neighborhood, AMI all corporations, in the
State of New York, is attached TO the Union,
and has no idea of withdrawing from il. But
that is not the point that is not the point The
question, felow.citizens--and put it to you
now as the real questionable question IS,
whether you and the rest of the people of the
great State of New York, and Of all the States,
will so administer the Consttution-will so en-
act and maintain laws to preserve that instru-
ment so that you will not only remain in the
Union yourselves, but permit your brethren to
remain in il, and carry It ONT That is the ques-