Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-06-02
MR.. wEDsrER's SPEECH AT BUFFALO.
BUFFALO, Nav %, 1851.

u
in the midst of rain storm which drenched eve
ry person who was in attendance, ladies' and all,
of whom there were at least one hundred on the
platform. He spoke as follows
Fe1low-cih2ens Of the City of Buffalo: am
very glad to see you'll meet you with pleasure.
1t is not the first time, feow-citizens, that have
been in Buffalo; and have always come to it with
pleasure. 1t is great distance from my twn
home. am thankful that circumstances have
enabled me to be here again, and regret that I'M
toward events deprived me of the pleasure of be-
ing here when your distinguished fellow citizen,
the President of the United States, came among
you, and received from you, as he deserved, not
only respectful, but a 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 coun-
ellis. You know him and all his relations, both
public and private; 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
connexlon with him in the administration of the
Government of the United States, I have fully
concurred with him in all his great and leading
measures. This might be inferred from the fact
that have been one of his council. 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 re-
gard to the great question of the times; that all
these principles are my principles; and if he is
wrong in them, am, Applause, and always will
be. Applause.
Gentlemen, it has been suggested thatit would
be pleasant and agreeable to The citizens of Buff
falo and their neighbors in the county of Erie
that should state 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
Gen tlemen, believe me, | know where I am
l know to whom | am speaking. know that
am here in this sngulary prosperous and power
full part of the United States-Western New York
and l know the character of the men who con-
stitnte Western New York. | know that they are
sons of liberty, enc and all; that they sucked in
liberty with their mothers milk; inherited it with
their bood that it is the subject of their daily con-
temptation and watchful thought They are of
slngularly fortunate condition for half million
OF people. There are men around us, and here
before us, who till their own soil with their
own hands; and others who earn their own
livelihood by their own labor, with no means be-
You'd their own industry, and their own indepen-
dence, and their own willingness 10 labor. These
are the men who constuteto 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 he re are the fair sex-educated, refined, and
intelligent; and here are the men who know the
history OF their country, and the laws of their
country, and the institutions of their coun-
Try; ana men, IN my opinion, lovers of liber-
~, and they are yet lovers of liberty under
the Constitution OF the country, and who mean to
maintain that Constitution with all their STRENGTH
SO help them God. [Great applause. l hope these
observations will satisfy you that know where
am, under what responsibility speak, and before
whom appear; and | have no desire that any
word l shall say this day shall be withhoden from
you or your children, or your neighbors, or the
whole world. speak before you and before my
country, and 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;
ana that Is neither more nor less than this: we
can preserve the Union of the States, not by CO.
erc'on, not by military power, not by angry con-
troversles; but can we of this generation. Won
and |, your friends and my friends, can we so
preserve the Union of the United States by the
administration ofthe powers of the Constitution
as shall give content and satisfaction to all WHO
i've under it, and draw us together, not by mill
tary power, but by the silken cords of mutual
traternal, patriotic affection. That is the question
and no other Gentlemen, believe in party dis
functions. am party man. There are opin-
ions belonging to one party which support, and
there are opinions entertained by other parties
which repudiate but what of that? If house
be divided against itself it will fall, and crush
everybody init. We must see that we maintain
the Government over us. We must see that we
uphold the Constitutions and we must do so
without regardto party. Now, how did this oues-
ton arise? The question is forever misstated
l dare say, ifyou know much of me, OF of nv
course of public conduct for the last fourteen
months, you have heard of my attending Union
meetings, and of my iervent demonstrations at
Union meetings. Well, what was the object of
that? What was the purpose of that? The ob-
Ject and purpose were designedly or thoughtessy
mlsrepresented. had an invitation to 90 to a
Union meeting in the county of Westchester; I
could not go, but wrote letter. But some wise
man of the East said he did not think 1t was verv
necessary to hold Union meetings there. He
DID not think there were many disunionists
about Iarrytown. And so here, and in everv
part OF New York, there is total msapprehen-
sion of the purpose and object of these Union
meetings. Every one knows there is not a coun-
tty, or city, or hamlet, in the State of New
York, that is ready to go cut of the Uninn.-
There is no man so insane in The whole State.
outside lunatic asylum, as to wishit But this
is motif. We all know that every man and every
neighborhood, and all corporations, in the State
OF New York, are attached TO the Union, and have
no idea of Withdrawing from it, But that is not
the pont-that is not the point.
The question, fellow czens-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 to the Consttuton--will so
enact and maintain laws to preserve that instru-
ment, that you will not only remain in the Union
yourselves, but permit your brethren to remain in
it and carry it on? That is the question. Will
you concur in measures necessary to maintain the
Union, or will you oppose such measures? That
is the whole point of the case. You have thirty