The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-07-24
TIL E MINNESOTA
Davy Crockett, No. 9.

We copy the following speech by a
Tennessee member of Congress, made at
the recent Washington city ratification
meeting, more for the purpose of Civ
ing our readers good specimen of the
genus to which it belongs, than through
any motive to make capital for our candi-
date in this quarter. Few persons who
have not resided in the South, know any
thing about stump speaking" of the
style and character originally invented in
that quarter of the Union. 1t is really
carried to a science there; and the man
of dry facts and cogent, logical reason
ings, would be "no whar" in Tennessee,
Alabama, Mississippi or Arkansas, along
side of one Of Gen. Cullom's style and
force. Gov. Jones is an orator of the
same type; though when occasion may
demand, can also assume the " argufer,"
as the boys down that way express them
selves. We have scarcely seen a better
or more truthful specimen of Southern
stump oratory than this speech of Gen.
Cullom's; and for this reason we give it
entire, knowing that our readers, of all
parties, can enjoy the fun that is in it,
though some of them may dislike the SEN
timent:
Hon. VIM. Cullom, of Tennessee, was
next introduced to the meeting. He
spoke as follows: Mr.. President and
fellow-citizens of the city of Washing
ton and of the District of Columbia-I do
not know but that I ought to extend my
gratulations beyond the District, for it
occurs TO me on this occasion that not
only is the city of Washington out in its
strength, and the District of Columbia,
but it seems to me from the front you
present here tonight that we must have
had a sprinkling from the world at large.
Laughter. l thank your chairman for
stating TO you that come from Tennes-
see. l am Tennessean by adoption, al
though Kentuckian by birth. l am a
Clay Wing of the Kentucky school,
[Cheers. l am here tonight, as all
Wings are at all times, and on all occa-
sions, to bear my testimony in behalf OF
the virtue of Wing principles. Cheers.
Gentlemen, l will not occupy your pre-
cious time by recounting what transpired
in the Baltimore Convention, of which |
was one Of the humble members but,
suffice it to say, whether you preferred
Daniel Webster or Millard Fillmore, as l
did, or Gen. Winfield Scott, the selection
of a candidatee is matter of compromise
between the thirty-one free and indie
pendent States of this Confederacy. No
section of the nation expected its choice;
no locality is to stand upon its preferen-
ces in defiance of the great will of the
American people; but in that Convention
the claims Of every aspirant were canvas
sed, and their friends adhered to them
with an unwavering tenacity; and the
choice at last fell upon Gen. Winfield
Scott, of New Jersey, whom l proclaim
tonight as the second father Of his coun-
try. [Cheers. Yes, citizens, l
care not for my preferences; am a
Whig from principle. | worship at the
shrine Of no man and when you say to
me that you cannot subscribe to the nomi-
nation because it is not your choice, l
pronounce you men-worshippers, who
forget what has always been inscribed on
the Wing banner" measures not men,"
Gentlemen, what is the struggle in
which you are to engage for the next few
months ? Gentlemen, Winfield Scott and
William A. Graham have committed to
them the banner of the Wing party
while our Democratic friends, amidst
great "noise and confusion" have ran
sacked the Democratic calender from A
to lizard [ laughter] and from lizard
back again to A to find for themselves
suitable man; and behold they have
{" grabbed" and hauled up "from the
vastly Deep a gentleman who, they say,
is general, too! Laughter.] Gen
tlemen, Franklin Pierce has been made
the Democratic standard-bearer and let
me now run brief parallel before this
audience between the relative claims of
Gen. Winfield Scott, who is real gen.
eral, and the man whom the Democrats
say is a general-Franklin Pierce of New
Hampshire. That Mr.. Pierce may be a
gentleman, and doubtless IS a gentleman,
am not here to controvert; but if he is
presented to the country on the score Of
his military achievements, in opposition
to our general of six feet four inches
standing [laughterl in his stocking a
general covered with honorable scars re-.
ceived in fighting the battles of his coun-
try; scars which mark him from the
crown of his head to the sole of his foot
a man who never tainted in battle, cheers
and laughter and whose glorious war
charger never tainted, renewed laugh
ter if, l say, General Pierce is come
into competition with our real general,
am here as one of the Scott b'hoys to
pull off the mask. Loud cheers
Sir, where are the achievements of
General Pierce? If he is presented to