The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-10-20

His reply was, "To find myself herejn 1t never
occurred TO me that should ever have mixed
in the politics Of the Empire State, where there
is much great wealth, and no doubt many
great virtues if we believe the newspapers.
We cannot comprehend your politics, ! say in
our Puritan State of Massachusetts,, without
the Tribune and other papers to give US an
inklng of them. In Massachusetts we have
heard of one George Wood, who had degrad.
ed his position by tearing humble men in Bos-
ton from freedom, and sending them to Sla-
very. And yet he is now on Wing ticket.
The honorable gentleman proceeded in very
eloquent strain 10 dwell upon parties 10 New
York, but with such sarcasm and bitterness
that portion Of the audience became impa-
tent and there were loud calls for Hale!
HaleiD
John p. Hale, being introduced, was received
with loud cheers, and spoke thus:
Mr.. President, ladies, aud gentlemen: lrecol-
lect having once heard OF a clergyman In a
New England village, who asked leave OF ABB
sence for six weeks, to go and marry lady to
whom he had been for some time attentive. IL
WAS granted--he went--and came back with
wife, but not the wife he went for. To appease
the excitement and indignation which follow
ed, he preached on the following Sabbath
eth to direct his steps" Laughter For the
second time, in the State of New York now
find myself contrary to my settled determine
ton. addressing political assembly; and if
asked why could find no other answer than
the clergyman's text, ait is not in man that
walketh TO direct his steps" Renewed laugh
ter | sometimes think that if presuming o
little on the familiarity which once existed be-
tween me and my Free Soil friends Of l848, |
were to read TO them the resolution of the Buff
falo platform of that year. which said the Fed
eral Government should keep aloof from inter
ferng in slave enaotments touching the sever
al States. and then their resolutions of '53, and
TO ask how they could in 50 short time have
come to travel SO far--I fancy that the only
answer they could make would be: " 1t is not
in man that walketh to direct his steps"
Cheers.
However leaving that question, let me come
to the party of to night, their principle, and
their purpose. Here think it necessary to be
little plain because have seen in some pa
pers that we are represented as being part of
the "Softs ~ don't know whether said in badi-
mage, or not, or whether to abuse us or them.
But be that as it may, we are not We have
not left our ancient stand. We adhere to what
was of old the conviction of our understand
ings, the sentiment of our hearts-what en-
gagged our sympathy, our Judgment our votes,
and our prayers We believed then that Sla-
very was wrong against man and q sin
against God, and we believe the same now ;
the conviction has but grown stronger; it is
now firmer and more determined because the
experience Of five years has added to our GER
tainty of its soundncss If there has been
split between those who then acted with u.s.
and us, think ! can appeal to the few Hards
here that the fault is not ours If any have
gone out from us, it is because they never were
of US; they have said to God liberty, and man.
hood, Stand aside we do not want you in
this campaign" They have desecrated one
PLATFORM and built up another Applause |
But ! pass to the present aspect of affairs
Now, in the nineteenth century after the great
principles we assert have had their eighteen
centuries of martyrs it is time they should be-
gin to exercise some influence. Can we not
discover great purpose of Providence mani
tested in the discovery of this Continent 2
Should we not see that it is time that the light
which, like pillar of fire kindled by the hand
of God, led our fathers through seven years
Revolution, should ilumine some of the world
beyond our limits! Should not the nations of
the Old World struggling against despotsm,
receive from this Continent some light to guide
them on the glorious pathway of Revolution
1t would seem, if this land is to go forth and
breathe manly word in behalf Of liberty, the
leaders of the People ought to be the first to
| give it utterance. Loud cheers And why do
they not do so! What do you hear frem your
| Government What are they doing? Are
they studying, consulting, contriving, to give
efficacy to the great principles upon which this
hao lad 2 T.
lican liberty felt, acknowledged, and effective
everywhere? Let us take an answer from the
letter of Secretary Guthrie to Collector Bron-
son, and what do we read? That the mighty
energies of our Government are, night and
day. exerted to see that the Hards and Softs
get their fair share of the Custom house plum
der? Laughter They have no time-they
cannot give attention to weightier things.
! From the moment of their inauguration there
is no single policy in which their course has
been distinctly marked, except this in which
Secretary Guthrie says" 1t is understood the
President and his Cabinet are united name
ly, that the Softs are to have fair chance at
the Custom. house
Now, do not want to say anything to Of
fend your sensibilities | am myself an Ameri-
can ALSO but ask-Are you not ashamed of
yourselves? [Laughter.l The Government of
the United States has no higher purpose than
fairly to divide ide-waiterships, and so forth!
Surely there are some other questions which
ought to be interesting to our Government
and when Secretary Guthrie has we'll disposed
of this important division of srols which has
30 occupied him, if lie will take up the public
documents of the United States, THAT is after
the fair partition is fully accomplished he will
find, for example, that the United States owns
more that 500, 900 900 acres Of land-enough
TO give every family within the borders of the
States a homestead OF more than eighty acres
He will find, should the fires of revolution be
kindled again in Europe, and despotism once
more prove too strong for the efforts of Liber-
ty-when the contest WAS over the victims of
oppression might come here by tens Of thou
sands, and yet We could provide them all with
farms Loud cheers Laboriug men of New
York, Is not that OF more consequence than
the division of Custom-house plumber Hun
dreds Of millions of acres, as fertile as any that
have rewarded the toll of man since he was
first created by Providence Should this land
be given to me to till it, or should it be locked
up, generation after generation, to swell the
profits Of bloated spectators?
Other questions might engage the Secretary:
free postage; law; ocean postage-the open
ing of highway by which the affections of
millions of hearts might travel the waste of
waters. Now, if the party | am associated
with can do nothing else, we can look these
questions in the face. We are for free farms
land lies wilderness; we would make it of
inestimable value
There are still other questions of high mo-
ment which might occupy Government of
these States-that of Liberty abroad But
think the Government should not open their
mouths upon that-they should keep an oys-
ter-ke silence. Why? Because the platform
to which they are pledged finds them-as you
shall see. will read you the eleventh resolu
ton OF the Democratic Convention of June /,
1852, at Baltimore. lMr H. read it Here,
you sec, they say, that in view of the popular