The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-03-26
SPEECH OF HON. JOHN APPLETON

On ne subject Of Progress and te Democratic Party ana
Us Principles dei,vered an the House Of Representatives.
March IL, 1852.
The House being in Committee OF the Whole on the
state OF the Union, and having under consideration the
Mr. APPLETON, of Maine, said:
am not among those, Mr.. Chairman, who think this
political debate is calculated to do any great injury the
country, or, what Is pretty much the thing, TO the
democratic party The augury, the contrary, which
draw from il. is directly the The exhibition, sir
OF vgor and frankness, and eoquence. which have
had, seems 10 TO presage brilliant future OF demo-
cratic success u is when the political waters stag.
nant and quiet that the of sound principles has
most TO fear. i is after an ERA Of good feeling" that
your younger Adams becomes Presidents whle upon the
other hand only from the very tempest and whrl-
wind OF passionate excitement that the hero statesman
Of the Hermitage received his most triumphant majority
in 1882. While Samson sleeps, the Deilahs may ap.
proach him with ease and impnnity; but when he is
awake and vgilant and stands forth in all the glory OF
conscious sirepgihhs brow erect his eyes flashing, his
muscles swelling, and every fibre OF his system instinct
with lifehen, unto the man, and unto the party,
which shall attempt to stay him his advance TO victory
Let not our political opponents, then lay the aiterng unc
ton TO their souls, that they have anything before them
in the coming contest but uer and overwhelming defeat
What they have listened 10 here, aud imagined 10 be dis
cord beg 10 assure them is only the tuning of The irsru.
ments When the Baltimore nomination is made, we will
give them harmonious burst from that full band whose
music has driven them often heretofore from the field Of
battle.
Mt Chairman the democratic party has won many great
umphs in this country but it has always them dpon
avowed creed OF principles That creed, in fair fight,
has yet been overhrown That creed, my judg
ment, null be overhrown when II is fully and fair
ly before the people, so long our institutions endure
But sir there be occasion than usual
for reasserting il in all its length and breadth. From the
excitement oil the last three years, single subject has
come into prominence TO threaten to overshadow
everything else The gentleman from Florida. Mr. Ca.
BELLl who opened this debate, here, as he says,
with the intention OF taking his position with reference
only TO single issue. and that issue the issue OF the
Compromise He selected, then, his seat upon the wh'g
side OF the House. because, he told us, in the demo-
cratic at the beginning Of the session, there was
not found majority who would endorse that series Of
measures. But after the vote which taken here
the other day, when it found that there dem
ocatic majority in favor of the Compromise. quite equal
in numbers TO the whole Of those who assembled in the
wing at the beginning OF the session-and when
II also found that the decided wing majority which
was said then to have affirmed the Compromise was,
the late vote, non est tnpenusI do not how, from
sTbs vote was taken In the House OF Representatives
the Ist OF March, when Mr. FIrcH, of Indiana moved
uspenson of the rules for the purpose OF introducing
re solution Of acauesceDcc In the Compromise On this
motion the record shows 81 democratic votes In the affirm
aAd ~ democratic votss In the negatives whc OIL me
wings, 81 voted yea, and b nay.