Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-09-17
Mr.. Reyes Opening Speech
AT THE
Free Democratic Convention.
Reported fcr The Commonwealth. |

words. Applause and laughter.
Notwithstanding these embarrassments, | re
joce 10 meet you in this beautiful town of Fitch
burg Ii is the rival as well as sister of that
prosperous city which has long been the favorite
resort of political Conventions, and which hears
the tile of the 'heart Of the Commonwealth. -
[Cheers. This town rivals her in progress. in
industry, IN virtue, intelligence and above all. in
her noble devotion to liberty. Applause As
look round on It's peaceful streets, ornamented
with beautiful mansions; as behold the eyiden.
ces of industry, oEdef, and wealth; as see the
hills crowned with rich autumn fruits, and the
vallIes resoundng with water. ais and the noise
oil patient and prosperous industry, am not sur.
prlsed to find that these are the charming abodes
OF the friends ofliberty. [Cheers No voice IN
favor OF the compromises and the fugitive law
could rise TO mar this happy and beautiful scene,
without producing shock in every heart that
dwells here, and animatng it with stronger de-
sire to execrate the friends of those measures, and
disarm them of all power TO execute their infa
nous purposes. HEARTY applause
How would the slave hunters ook, armed with
whip and feiters, careering through these Streets
mounting these verdant hill, and crossing these
valleys IN pursuit OF a human being fleeing 10 the
free soil ofCanada, in order TO escape the tbral
dom which crushes him beneath the stars and the
stripes. [''Shame! shameg'] Would not The
stones Of your streets rise in mutiny at such
decoration? Would not every man not brutal.
Ized and dehumaniZed by devotion 10 partv and
the spolls, rise up and swear eternal hostility 10
the laws which permit it the parties which main.
tam such laws, and lorswear the slave power
which imposed Them first on the parties and then
on the people? [Appause The man who
could withhold action under such circumstances is
only fit himself 10 be slave, and 10 receive the
collar Of the slave master as his highest mark of
honor. [Applause
These, Sir, are the homes of intelligence and
freedom, and those who have established and
maintained Them worthy 10 enj w them in pros
perliy and peace. We come, therefore to greet
each other as brothers and friends in that great
cause, whch seeks TO bansh oppression and tyr
amy from the face of The whole EARTH and 10 es
tab'lsh in their places just such abodes of liberty
and happiness as now surround us. We come IN
acknowledgement of the services rendered 10 the
Cause of liberty. We come TO speak our graft.
tude and respect; and, above all, we come to
swear anew that the sacred fire upon the affairs
of liberty ard equality shall never 90 out ON the
soil OF New England! (Heart, and prolonged
applause.)
A few years ago, and the " hlgs and Demo-
Gratis affected 10 despse US as a weak and disor.
derby faction, but now all confess that we are
power IN the State. We have also provided an ia
sue IN national politics which has absorbed all
other issues, and which is destined hereafter to
be the shield of destruction of all future politi-
cIans. We stand, as ii were, upon The heights
OF victory, having acquired position whicl, gives
currency and prominence TO principles, which are
only TO become known aud understood 10 he uni
versalty adopted by all The patriotic and intelh.
gent people OF the country. By a combination
which seemed to unite all The powers Of hell
ct 1.
year ago; but "A subsequent triumph, unexam
pied in briancy, wiped out the stain and left us
on the very pinnacle Of success ii proved TO the
world that II we had 'stooped to the YEAR, il
was as the bird ofJove sloops to plume her wings
Tor still higher and nober flight. (Applause \
we can only estimate The full power and Impor-
lance OF our organization, when we reflect that
all the changes and reform in measures and in
public sentiment which have distinguished the
last few years Of the history of the Stnie have
been the direct result of our organic atom
| (Cheers.)
boldly say that all The great changes and re-
| forms IN measures and public sentiment. which
have distinguished the last four or five wears. Of
Inc history OF this State, have resulted from the
ofganizi Ilon OF our party; and may not ascrihe
that great event which took place in (oteiun
land, and which forms glorious epoch in our
In
glorious achievement Of our countr, man in The
(irnclan seas, on the classic shores of ASIA. in
noby causing the stars and stripes to illustrate
and confirm The boast which our cOunlrymen have
80 long proclaimed in its behalf Hearty appanse
and three cheers for Capt.. lngraham. I Ii was our
party organz tion, which, after the first burst of
excited passion had spent itself, slirauIated and
encouraged the great Magyar 10 pour out those
Hoods OF eloquence which convicted The naiion
OF lis short comngs, and urged the people to as
sumo proper condition as "a power on earth
And who does not feel that out of those impas
stoned teachings has sprung that glorious ac,.
winch Tor the hrst time during half century has
illustrated the boosted characteristics of our neo-
pie! lGreat enthusasm1
We have long claimed TO be the freest nation
on earth. We have also claimed to he brave and
| powerful. Yet we have not only nursed on our
soil one OF the greatest and worst tyrannies thar
ever darkeAed the earth, but we have iacitIy as
sened TO the establishment and perpetuation of
tyranny all over the world. The STARS and stripes
have hoated over every sea, but they have afford
ed protection TO nething bot cotton bales and car
goes of merchandise It has, al last. bowcver
thanks be to God, accomplished higher DESTINY
II mas proved at once TO be what il was designed
to be, The beacon and sword of liberty. IAN
plause.
We uhNt 50 olleD Deen called TO behold orr rp
publican ensigns devoted TO objects of Injustice
and oppression, and to hear our boosted watch.
words Of liberty perverted to the behests of sla.
very and the slave power, that we had come TO
dlstrust and even TO loahe those once sacred
tnaxims of patriotic pride and enthusiasm. he
quealhed 10 US by our fathers. But new epoch
has dawned on our flag. The stars and strpes
are no longer the protection Of cotton bags and
merchandise alone, but the symbols of terror TO
tyrants, and Of deliverance TO the down ttodden
and oppressed. [Cheers The visions which
the poor and overtasked peasants of Hungary.
Italy. and Greece, have had Of distant country.
where all are born equal, and where the blessings
Of liberty are universal, and whose flag carries
delverance TO the oppressed wherever il floats.
and which has kept alive their hopes, until the
clouds of despair began to gather, are at last ful
hlled. They have beheld This glorious picture. -
The letters Of the tyrdnt are on the limbs of
trembling victim, whose crime Is only ha.rod of
oppression, and love Of freedom lie lifts up his
lmplorlng voice to those nations who have here
toiore been regarded as the great powers on earth
ana no response is heard He sac in The fntnra