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

siiS ioehOi VI tlO compromises; anu llOlu Tue
tomb Of Webster, the defender of the Constitu-
tion-all national men in their day--will come
the cheering words, Sail on y
Sail on! oh ship of State
Sail on! oh Union, strong and great !!
Humanity with all its fears,
With all its hopes of future years,
Is hanging GREATNESS on thy fate.
We know what master laid thy keel,
What workman wrought thy ribs oil steel
Who made each mast, and sail, and rope,
What anvils rung, what hammers beat,
In what forge and what heat
Were shaped the anchors OF thy hope
Fear not each sudden sound and shock,
IT'S of the wave and not the rock
It's but the tapping of the sail,
And not a rent made by the gale.
In spite of rock and tempest roar,
In spite Of false lights on the shore,
Sail on! nor fear to breast the sea
Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee
Are all with thee"
Long continued and enthusiastic applause.
AT the conclusion of Mr.. Carrgan's speech there
were loud cries for g Walbridge! Walbridge y
General WALBRIDGE stepped forward and said
there were many other eminent gentlemen pre-
sent who Were expected TO address the meeting,
and he would therefore give place to Senator Fos-
ter The General, however, was not permitted 10
retire. and the cries for Walbridge were redoubled,
and mingled with hearty cheers. He said -
FELLOW CITIzENs AS stand here tonight
before this vast assemblage of the citizens Of
the city of New York / trust / shall not forget
that, owing to the generosity and kindness of
many that see before me, ! have the distin-
guished honor, together with most able and ac-
complished colleagues, to in part represent
them in the Congress of the United States.
Nor shall / forget that when treason and dis
union stalked abroad, threatening the liberties
of the people and struggling for the supremacy
Of the government, from this great commercial
metropolis alone a petition of forty thousand
names went up to the representatives at the
federal capital, demanding the speedy adjust
ment Of all the questions of difference between
the different sections of the Union. Nor that,
in the very midst of that beloved constituency,
whose honor is dearer to me than life, was first
congrregated that mighty gathering Of the ma
tional democracy which first aroused the coun-
try to impending disaster, and triumphantly,
bore the present chief magistrate into the
presidency upon the surging wave Of those
national and Union principles which rolled with
such resistess tide over twenty seven States of
the American Union-( cheers)--a constituent
cy identified by their trade and commerce with
every section of the country, and in whose
midst is located that free and independent
press which contributed so largely to our sue
cess in the struggle of 1852.
Here there were loud cries of "the Herald"
" the Herdld.a ,.s.tsF
Gen. WALBRIDGE.-Yes the Herald. Three
cheers for the Herald.
This call was responded to with hearty good
will
Gen. W.-To a just and true man there are
no obligations more sacred and imposing than
those which result from the delegation of po-
litical power in a representative capacity. 1t
is the highest exhibition Of confidence in civil
lied States. Nor is any man qualified to be-
| come the repository of the public regard who
is not willing to act promptly and decisiyely
| in great cases Of public EFFICIENCY, disregarding
all sordid and personal considerations in the
proper discharge of official duty. (Applause.)
have, therefore, come here tonight, preferring
to court the responsibilities of this hour, rather
| than by silence or implication not give utter
ance to my convictions at this juncture Of our
national affairs. (Applause.) Let us all re-
member in advance, that political liberty is the
dominant sentiment Of the age, and to the Anne
rican people has been confded the high respon-
sibility of guiding that sentiment as it convulses
! the ocean of human passion abroad. Let us
also remember that in the honor and in the
| glory, and in the renown of our country we
can all share, and in the lasting disgrace that
shall mark its overthrow, we must all partici-
pate A little more than year ago the Anne
rican people were called upon to discharge the
| highest duty that can devolve upon the citizen
the election of their chief magistrate. 1t
was not strange that such decision, involving
/ the highest consequences and affecting the
country for good or for evil, should have con-
vulsed society to its firmest centre. From in
dividuals eminent for their virtues and their
position, the selection was to be made; but
those individuals were to be chosen from their
known Identification with certain political prin-
ciples, which made them the opponents of the
popular will. applause
A distinguished soldier, who had borne the
military glory of his country to the highest
summit of martial renown, was opposed by a
no less eminent fellow-citizen, the present dis
tinguished chief magistrate Of the United States.
| That contest was marked by one of the most
/ triumphant victories ever recorded in political
annals in favor Of General Franklin Pierce.
His long and thorough Identification with the
great principles of the democratic party--his
strict construction of the Constitution-the man
ner in which he had always guarded the rights
of the States; his acknowledged patriotism,
above all, that noblest of human virtues, his
tried fidelity, and the lofty and devoted course
that marked his department from the nomi
nation to the election, were guarantees for
the future, and his triumph was hailed with
acclamations of praise, and difused life and
| Joy, and gladness throughout the boundaries of
the republic. (Applause.) On the I'd of De-
cember, A. d. 1852, Franklin Pierce, the can
didate Of the national democracy stood before
the world the happiest and most exalted of
men, invested by q great and magnanimous
people with their confidence and power Nor
had he reached that commanding eminence by
any unworthy arts. He had through life pre-
4 ca-raI tho fnch a,,I
shrunk from public honors, and only suffered
his name to be employed when it could heal
our discussions, and unite the democracy against
the common foe. But solemn and mysterious
are the ways Of Providence. It was not de-
signed by Heaven that one man should con.
centrate in his own person so much of happi-
ness and power
A nations cherished hopes rested upon
Franklin Pierce-his hopes were centered in
his son. While the distant hills were rever-
berating with notes of gladness at the demo-
| 4. 4 4 Al. III r