Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-06-16
Speech Of Mr.. Talbot of Pennington.

This speech gives evidence Of talent, good
Judgment and discrimination. Evcryreadcr
should give it a careful Pcrusal On taking
the chair he said
GrNrLNTS OF THT CONVENTION
For this expression OF your respect and
confidence I thank you. | most eheerlully
acccp, the honorable position you have as
signed me. In presiding over your delibera-
ton. il will he my constant purpose 10 dis
charge the duties NJ the Chair impauially.
We have assembled, gentlemen, to doliber-
ate and act upon questions which are lnomcn.
tous-Ques,ions invoking principles affecting
not only our own State, bu, the nation and
the world. Tho present is an important pc
Rod in the history OF our country, and every
true patriots hca'i mus, beat with anxiety for
It's welfare and prosperity. While there is
much, indeed, 10 inspire cheering anliciPaiions
Of improvement, aud future greatness, there is
also much, very much, to excite fearml APP
prehcnsions Of evil Our wise and excellent
forms Of civil government, designed 10 protect
th, rights and liberties Of the many, and to
control and regulate the authority of'ho few
who are in oiTissr, together with tho virtue and
intelligence Of the masses, inspire US with
confidence and hope. But neither the forms
of government OF the intelligence oflhc poo
pie are sure protection against the cravings Of
appetite or the outbreakrgS Of evil passions
nor will Wholly prevent public agents from
abusing the power with which they are IN
vested.
Melancholy and striking proofs that these
chesLs are not sufficient prcyenl,es Of the
abuse of powcr-rcsnlling from tho corrupt
inc influences Of ambu.ion, ayaricc, aPPc-
lite and cnyy-arc multiplying to an alarming
extent The inlclligen, are generally The
mos, aspiring AMI to accomplish their AN.
bilious. purposes, no, subsequently disregard
tho interests and known wishes Of those
wh6'placed lhcm in Office, eNeri,ng authority
according to their own will, or that Of lew
interested avor.ics, and disrcrarIInG, too,
often, the Constitution which vas To limit and
define lhc,r official power and to restrain their
public and political conduct.
The history OF our own State furnishes
humilia,iug evidences Of political degencracy
and ucachcry. The disGraeciul and mclln.
eholly spectacle has even been witnessed,
within the past year. uilhc majority Of a great
political party yielding and debaslng itself to
tho demands VI aNaricc and appetite Ignoring
the idea that any great moral question or
principle should ever be connected with Politi-
cal actiou-is adhcrcuiS thus virtually de-
clarinr To tho world Iha, party is the sole ba-
sis of their political supertrncture, and efIr,
the only object OF their ambition.
The Legislation Of the present Congress
con,ummlicd too by the influence and votes
OF Senators and Representatives from the free
Sutcs-abrosa,ng the compact of lsao,
know as the missouri COMPROMISE Act
for the purpose OF opening to slavery lha,y
and fertile portion Of our territory, lying 10
tie very heart Of oul country, reserved for
free labor, is another striking proof Of the
political tcgcpcucy Of the times, and a de-
mou-,raliou of tho uu,hu'uc,s of III" 'a'''.
menu be(yc expressed
/ Grca, and important questions arc now be-.
fore us-inicrcsls tina, demand our earnest
attention and uni,rii,i suppon-ihc mos, i'm
por,an, ofwh.ch are the Hoa.sriHu0a Of ''dr-
oy agrccably to the policy Of our fathers, and
ne mairiraar. and enhancement Of hs calse
temperance through the vigorous enforcement
ofthc Maine Law, and other instrumental
ties. With questions II such magnitude and
50 much importance presented, and such Ia
inevitable exhibitions Of political recrcaucy
and degradation standing GU, 50 prominently
before Us, what is our duty Plainly, gentle
men, We mus, 60 back To frs, principles, and
full, recognize the fundamental maNims of
our fathers. when they coulendcd for civil
liberty and opposed the dIctaIlon Of king aud
his cmisslues Principles, not men, y
should be our motto yea, Purnri", not par
~
We mus, be vgilant in examining the con-
duct or our public agents, lha, wc may KNOW
who are worthy Of our conddeVe. Eternal
,igilenco is the price Of libcriy"-ani this
price We mus, pay Il We would preserve the
freedom handed down to Us By our fathers,
and whichit is our duty totransmit to postcrIly'
The people are sovereign, and the time has
FULLY arrived when they should assert the
power which righ,rully belongs to them, and
select their own public serants-no longer
submitting to the dciation Of interested Pollii-
cal pauizans, or to the DEGREES of"Ning eau.
GUS No despot ever ruled a nation with
more ahsoutc sway than the caucus system
has ruled the people ofthis country. To this
perhaps. as much as to any other cause, may
be traced the source of the political evils I'M
der which we are suffering, and from which
to a great extent, have arisen the political
dangers that threaten US il is the great poll.
teal machine that manufactures snail and OBJ
scurc men into ,rou dbe great men, and that
puts into power political kna'es, who barter
away the interests and Liberties Of the people,
and disgrace the positions to which they have
been elevated.
That ilIus,rious statesman Of the West,
Thomas II. Benton, speaking Of this system
in relation to nominations for the Presidency,
says:
"Pcrsons attended as delegates who had no
.-,..,i,nonrx nnlnn,ics attended, mon enniy.