Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-01-26
The Administration.

We copy below an extract from q speech
delivered by Major JOHN BREcKENRrDcE, the
eloquent member Of Congress from Kentucky,
at the late celebration of the anniversary Of
the battle of New Orleans, in Washington, on
the 9th instant -
My friend from South Carolina (Mr. ORR
has referred tonight to the present condition
Of the democratic party. Before say one
word about the present, let me refer for one
instant to the past. The maxims of jefferson,
and of Monroe, and of jackson, are ours-they
are our watchwords. The policy of this party
has brought us to our present amazing height
Of national renown and in claiming this
mean nothing disrespectfnlto any individual or
party. Intending to say nothing offensive to
any gentleman present Of opposite opinions,
speak only of results as the proper consequence
OF democratic policy. [Cries of Good!
Good u This policy has framed your laws,
managed your affairs, controlled your govern
ment, and done all in such way that pros
perlty and abundance have continued to smile
| upon the land, and we now present TO the world
the spectacle OF people unoppressed by taxa
ton, yet overburdened with revenue. Again,
under Its auspices, what vast domains have
been added to the area Of republican freedom.
To It we are indebted for Louisiana, Texas,
California, Oregon, Utah and New Mexico
1t has carried honorably the flag of the repub-
lie across the continent, and in the victorious
track of that flag have followed Christianity,
civilization and the arts of peace. Prolonged
and enthusiastic applause.
From the frozen regions Of the north to the
edge OF the tropics, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific ocean, it has planted the germ of
free and indepented empire to which Rome, in
the heighth of her glory could not be com.
| pared. Loud cheers Withal it has so
stimulated enterprise, rewarded labor, and ex-
tended commerce, that we see American 'soci-
ETY. in every department moving forward by
quick-step march to the music Of industry's
hum.
IA voice We are going to have Cuba one
of these days. Applause.
To such party we belong and these are
the monuments of its policy and its glory
What has been done, gentlemen, has been done
in a manner not inconsistent with the constitu-
ton of our country. New states and new ter
ritories have been added No state has been
pressed so to the centre as to chafe her no
state has been driven off so as to move eccen-
trically but each playing freely in its proper
orbit, the whole system has moved on in beau
tiful harmony, without collision and without
disorder. [Applause.]
Gentlemen, under these circumstances, with
such party, with such antecedents, and with
such prospects, !, as an humble member of the
democratic party, went 10 its convention In
Baltimore in 1852 to nominate candidate for
the presidency. The party had been divided,
broken by personal COLLISIONS, personal asplra-
tions and personal antipathies, which had pre-
viousIy resulted in our defeat and as | un-
derstood it, as the people understood it, we
met together 10 lay upon the altar of common
principles and common country past differences
and past antipathies. We did do it, and sealed
the act by bond, and that bond was a written
declaration of political principles and upon
that written declaration of political principles
we nominated candidate for the presidency
we nominated gentleman who had been con-
nected with the acerbities, the passions, and
the collisions of the past, and yet gentleman
whose antecedents were such that he could be-
come pure and proper representative Of these
principles. Applause He was elected tri-
| umphantly, and upon what Upon the plat
form of political principles thus laid down.
And by whom was he elected By the whole
democratic party thus united upon this plat
form. Renewed applause.
Gentlemen-I advocated his election. | ad-
vocated it upon the principles of that platform.
Since that time he has issued two addresses to
his countrymen, one his inaugural, and the 9TH
er his recent annual message to congress.
have read them and read them carefully. l do
not see anything in either which does not re-
spOnd to the letter and spirit Of the great plat
form of principles to which have REFEREED
The democrats Of. my state sayso. Applause. I
\ Why, therefore, should any democrat look
coldly upon or stand aloof from the present ex-
! ecutive of the United States and his official ad-
visers! Has he betrayed any principles Has
he been faithless to his great trust, No.
| Has he not, with noble constancy, kept his
eye constantly fixed upon the programme laid
| down before he was drawn from Concord, and
has he not honestly endeavored to carry it into
effect! [Applausel In the mean time, have
not the laws been faithfully executed, the gov
eminent administered with purity, and all our
interests, at home and abroad, managed with
signal ability! A great field opens here, but
| / have not now time to enter it, IF / should
put myself in opposition TO the present execu-
tive, when go home to render an account to
my constituents, they would say, You stumped
I the state year ago in favor of the President
on certain principles; has he adhered to them !!
| Yes. Has he maintained them honestly!-
Yes. Then why do you oppose him, OPP
/ POoC oCCduoO hO oPI'uih'Ou N, ID dHu " 10
office in particular localities, when thought
he ought to have appointed D, E and F.
These things are transient they are tempo
rary, below the level of the times and the oc-
casion. Applause AS my friend from
South Carolina said, to say that the President
of the United States has succeeded in appoint
ing in every instance the proper man to office,
would be absurd. It would be gross sycophan-
cy and fattery to say SO; and presume no
man would be reader than the President him
self to say that errors have been committed
In the first place, the President cannot person.
ally know every human being in this confede-
racy of twenty-five millions of people and
in the second place, if he knew every one, he
must become infalIible before he ceases to be
liable to err. And infallibility is not an attri-
butte to any man. [Applause.] Gentlemen,
I we need have no fears of serious opposition to
the present administration inside the democrat
ic party, because the basis of such opposition
must be too narrow to form party upon
Prolonged applause.l feel, gentlemen, that
| am OBTAINING you too long.
TCries of 90 on! Go onr A voice-Go on!
You are giving the public just what has been
wanted. [Applause.] l.-:
have but one word to say in reference to
the disappointed-but one word. / am in ia
vor of the union of the democratic party
[Great cheering.l believe that it can exist,
and believe that it ought to exist. be-
lieve, too, that before this congress closes its
session, when those great questions come up
| uDOu uhioh tho partv and tho al