Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-29

patriotic Vice President, the chief magistrate
conferred his'affections and extended his conf
dence to a distinguished senator from his ma
tive State. But he, too, has been summoned by
that messenger that sooner or later consigns
whatever is human to the tombs. Truly, the
hand of the Almighty has rested heavily upon
the brow of the President of the United States.
Gentlemen, realized too deeply the affections
and embarrassments that have thus far sur
rounded the President, not to express the con-
fdent belief he will so administer the govern
ment as to meet the wishes of that national
democracy who bore him SO triumphantly into
power. AS one OF your representatives, shall
not forget that when the trainers of the Con-
stitution came to organize our present govern
ment, adapted to the new condition of things
that resulted from the exercise of so much
greater freedom by the people, than under the
early republics, they distributed the powers of
the new organization into different departments,
each having its appropriate duties and the
stability of the whole depending upon the man
ner in which each performed its constitutional
functions. That the Legislative department has
its high and solemn duties to perform, not less
than the executive, and that, as one Of your
representatives, intrusted by your confidence, ]
shall stand ready to resist any encroachments
by the general government on the rights of the
State, or the rights of the people.
The experience of all the republics that have
preceded us, in early times, demonstrates that
political power always gradually tends to the
central government; and to so construct our
new system, on a written constitution and the
representative principle as to preserve inviolate
the rights of the States, and secure the indepen-
| dent action Of the federal government was the
great object to which the trainers of the Consti-
tuition directed their energies and attention with
such unbounded success. Three quarters of
century has transpired since this achievement,
and with all our improvements in almost every
department of life, it is questionable if any sug
gestions can now be made that would facilitate
the working of our federative system, unless
making more of our federal officers elective.
(Great cheering.) If the equilibrium between
the federal and State governments shall once
be destroyed, all the evils anticipated by that
| illustrious statesman, Patrick Henry, must en-
sue, and our federatiye system settle down into
a consolidated despotism, destructive to the
rights and liberties Of the people. (Applause.)
The doctrine of State rights is vital principle
of the democratic party-the right of every
State to carry out its own will in its State cleo
tons, free from all interference of the central
power. / shall not hesitate to resist this en-
croachment upon our own prerogatiyes-let it
come from whatever quarter it may. Indeed, /
believe the time has arrived when a cardinal
change should occur in the manner of filing
the great body of offices attached to the federal
government. There is no reason why our post
masters and the collectors Of the revenue should
not be elected directly by the people. When
ever the elective franchise has been extended
even to the filing judicial offices, the results
have been most successful, and INDICATED the
capacity and character of the American people
for selfgovernment. (Applause.) But gentle
| men, must draw these remarks to close. 1t
is the last opportunity that we shall probably
have of exchanging congratulations, or of TAX
ing counsel Of one another, till we, as the rep
resentatives of the people, return to give an ac-
count of our stewardship. Believing it will meet
your approval, / shall stand on the floor of the
national representation as we stood in l848,
that dark and gloomy period Of our party organi
cation, when every patriot trembled for the fate
of the Union, when despots exulted in the hope
of its speedy dismemberment- the broad
platform of the federal Constitution and all its
compromises; believing that that Constitution
will be sufficient for the future as it has been in
the past, for the perpetuity and prosperity Of
our glorious Union, and determined, SO far as
any agency of mine is concerned, to resist any
attempt to force upon the country another sec
tional issue, as dangerous to the preservation of
the Union, and the harmony and prosperity Of
the States.
The General concluded amidst loud applause.
Mr.. HENRY FOSTER, of Oneida county, was
then introduced to the audience He said:
For the last four years. fellow democrats,
have had little to do with party politics. The
day that saw the union between the freesoilers
and portion of the democratic party, / knew
that the consequences to that party were the
sacrifice of General Cass, by men almost as
treacherous as those who defeated him in l848
/ do not mean to recur to the events of those
times except to enable us to see for moment
where all that difficulty originated. Never has
there been time when the democrats of New
York, and the national democrats of the Union,
had so much cause for congratulation and re-
joicing as they now have The speaker re-
ferred to the events of the revolution. Those
great early struggles made the tyrants of Great
Britain tremble in their shoes, and the rising of
the great democracy was to produce similar
effect BY whose means was General Pierce
elected President? 1t was by the exertions of
the national democrats Of this country. (Ap
plause.) They had to give Cass up by the two
third rule, and they chose Pierce because, for
all they knew, he was friend of the Union,
and knew no north, no south, no east, no west
nothing but the Constitution. They did not
doubt the purity Of his motives, and did not
falter in their support Of him. They have seen
that he has committed great and fatal mistake
in the choice of his advisers-Caleb Cushing,
man all of whose antecedents have been
wrong. lApplause.) When the national de-
mocrats, say, saw this Caleb Cushing, mixed
up with all the freesoil factions of Massachu-
sets, and Jefferson Davis, disunionist from
the south-men who banded together with the
! freesoilers in Congress, and voted alongside of
them, both voting for the purpose Of disturbing
the Union-when they saw associated with
Pierce as premier, William L. Marcy--it re-
quired great faith to believe in the sincerity of
the President; but we did believe in him
(Great applause and we still went on with
out faltering at all.
But when we saw those who are in Office
under the government of the United States 90
ing to the Syracuse convention, and standing
cheek by jowl with the freesoilers of this State
well had We reason to doubt how the admins
tration would range itself when the hour of trial
| came But our doubts were soon dissipated