The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1854-09-15
Governor Bigler in Hlonlr0se.


Governor Bigler in MoHlr0se.
One of the largest assetnblages eyer convened
in,this county met at Montrose on Tuesday, the
29th ult. AT three O'Clock in the afternoon the
multitude convened in front of the Academy,
where platform had previously been prepared
for the occasion. The meeting was called TO
order by Hon. G. A. Grow, whereupon Hon.
NJ. c. Tyler was chosen President, Amherst
Carpenter, Calvin Leets, Lewis Brush, Isaac
Reckhow, Thomas johnson, Torrey Whitney
chosen Vice Presidents, and A. j. Davis cho-
sen Secretary
The President then Introduced his Excel
lency, VIM. BigIer, who spoke upon the topics
of the dav in his usual able and statesnanllke
manner. b-ing frequently interrupted BY cheers
from the crowd.
The substance ofhls remarks upon some ofthe
topics touched upon by him were as follows
ole first gave general review OF State at-
iaiIS-Spoke OF the prosperous condition of the
Commonwealth the condition OF her tinan-
ces, showing most clearly that but for projects
of expenditure commenced before his induction
into office, over two millions ofthe public debt
might have been paid within the last three years.
He declared himself unqualiiPdly against the
construction OF any additional Improvements by
the State-that inditidual enterprise and capital
were equal to the accomplishment OF all feasible
schemes of this kind, and the people shond be
no longer burlhened with taxation for such pur-
poses He next alluded to the monetary con-
dition OF the countFy-to the bank failures
which were daily heralded through the news
papers, and said that it should not be forgotten
when he came into office project was on foot
under the auspices Of his predecessor, Wing
Governor, to introduce into our State the Free
or to use the classic language OF the New
York papers, the Wild Cat System Of Banking.
He showed that had this measure Of Wing polI-
cy been adopted, Pennsylvania, and espet tally
her commercial Metropolis, would now be the
scene of these commercial .disasterS-that even
had he Welded to the demands of the LeglSa-
ture for an extension OF our present system we
should now be in he condition of some OF the
surrounding States He defined bis views aud
the Democratic policy on the subject generally.
He spoke OF the loose system Of granting corpor-
ate privileges in practice when he came INTO
oihcP-a system which gave undue rights and
advantages to capital, in its relations 10 lahor-
that enabled the sbrewd and designing TO I'M
pose upon the honest and unwary. He spoke
most feelingly and eloquently OF our Common
School System. Said ne had not supposed that
1t would ever be necessary for him to define his
position on this subject, or repel the accusation,
that the Democracy desired to make lnroadS up
on the system, bulshe had mistaken, for there
were those who had shown themselves bold and
reckless enough TO make the charge. He re-
pelled it with feeling and manifest Indignation,
and declared that he always had been, was now,
/ Il 4 4
Common School syslem-that it should be his
pride and pleasure to labor to perfect and extend
it. aud he looked forward to the day when the
Commonwealth should be prepared nIanval-9
for public education ofaIl grades. 'f's5
He next alluded 10 the temperance cause-to
the effort that had been made to turn il 10 po-
iitica or partizan account. He said his posi-
ton was defined in bis letter to the State Tenn
perance Convention. He deplored the evils of
intemperance, and was willing to sanction any
reasonable measure to mitigate, and il possible
10 eXtermlnate the vice. But he could not
pledge himself to sanction Law which he had
neve: seen. He could not, under the obligation
OF an oath, say that statute was Just and con-
stitutonal, not one word of which he had ever
seen; and for this he had been abused bv GER
tain politicians and pretended temperance men.
He said the question had been referred to the
people, and their voice would decide 50 far as
related to the policy of the measure Should
they demand the law, and the representatives OF
the people put it in constitutional form, neither
he nor his opponent would have the moral c0ur-
age to reject II.
He next alluded to the strange political dog
mas Promulgated by the Wing, Native American
and Know Nothing Mayor Of PhIladplphia-to
the effect that no citizen, not born in the coun-
try, should be permitted to hold office, no mat
ter how pure his character, how strong hls love
of country, how valuable his services. The ac-
cident OF birth was to decide the civil rights of
the citizen. We shall moi attempt TO give an
idea OF the biting sarcasm and burning eoQuence
of this part Of his speech It was truly great
He exhibited the flagrant inlnstice of the idea,
denounced it as immoral, as unjust, as propo-
sition to disgrace our country, by breaking the
faith Of our fathers as pighted in the conztitu-
ton. The secret order of sKnow Nothings, .
who embrace the doctrine of Mayor Conrad.
together with another dogma that seeks to pro-
scihe citizens from civil rights, because of their
religious belief, was next reviewed and rejected
as a most InsIdIous, dangerous and unjust mea-
sure. He inquired why secret and oath bound
association was necessary in this country, and
argued that if there be political or moral evils
amongst US which needs correction, that it
should be daylight business, that th4 end
should be accomplished in a manner consistent
with the American character, that they were
oat spoken, and goried in the liberty of speech
and the freedom ofthe press. He invoked all
denominations and all classes of people to show
bv the constitution, that they had perfect
guarantee against encroachment from anv quar-
ter. He should stand by it, not for the benefit
of one sect or class, but for the sake of ALL