Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-11-09
4snlitifnl.

We publish below the speech of Gov. Big
Ter, delivered in Washington on the 23d ult
at serenade given him by the gallant young
Democracy of that city. 1t is full of thought
and true manliness, and presents with candor
the issues involved in the recent State can
vass 1t viii be read with interest by all
classes of our people:-
Gev Bigler said that, unprepared as he
was for the occasion. he should feel himself
unworthy Of tue personal respect of his
/ friends were he to fail to acknowledge, as
| best he could. {. compliment SO fattering and
gratifying. It speaks (said he) language
more eloquent than words can express, and
| had excited the strongest emotions of his
heart. Offerings of this kind to successful
contestants for power and place are not un-
common; but such greetings TO those about
retiring from public life-to defeated candi-
dates and PROSTATE principles less usual
for, even in cur days of disinterested friend
ship, the rising sun is more attractive to some
than the setting But Mr.. B SAID be pre-
ferred to believe that the demonstration be-
fore him was more than personal compli-
,nent to himself He regarded it as intended
to eyince the attachment of the people pre-
sent to the great principles which lie had the
honor TO represent in the late gubernatorial
canvass in Pennsylvania as manifesting
their confidence in the motto inscribed on the
Democratic flag now PROSTATE in the Old
Keystone Such sentiment and sympathy he
could reeiprocate most heartily. It is, said
Mr.. B.. matter of feongratulation. that whilst
the candidates of our party in that contest
have fallen, not word has been erased
from the motto on the flag under which they
jod ~ Of
truth had been abandoned one conccs-
sion madc to the enemy in the fight, nor the
slightest forbearance asked at their hands.
Mr. b. described the contest in this state
one of extraordinary eharaeter-one
that in many of Its phases stood without a
parallel in the partisan struggles of the
country. For the first time in our history,
secret and oath bound societies. organised for
the avowed purpose of controlling the politi-
cal affairs had entered the political ARENA
For the first time, too, we have witnessed the
potent and mischieyous workings of an insti-
tuition against which the wise and saeacious
Washington had warned the American peo-
pie. He alluded to the mysterious operations
of this organization and said that, enveloLed
in mystery and dignifcd with the solemnity
of oaths, its approaches were most insidious
and seductive. He regarded it as well cal
culated to mislead, for the moment, the un-
wary and the weak But he had an abiding
confidence that mature reflection on the part
of its members would work its dissolution
An instituticn whose tenets of faith are MIN
zeal to the laws of the land, and in deroga-
ton of the rights and dignity of a large class
of American citizens. cannot long endure the
scrutiny OF an in ellgent and just people.
Against this. and all similar organizations
said Dir. B., the Democracy of Pennsylvania
have taken most positive ground. They are
against all secret societies to accomplish polit-
ical ends, no matter by whom formed. The
evil tendencies of such organizations are too
manifest, said he, to long command the con-
fdenee of the people They are moral as
well as political. For an apt and eloquent
description of the later, he would refer his
hearers to Washington's Farewell Address
He looked Bpon this organization as a truly
great machine, through the operations of
which few designing and slsillful men could
rule the masses with rod of-iron. amongst
the moral evils may be counted the opportun-
ity. If not the necessity, which It presents
for the practice of duplicity-its tendency to
destroy that mutual confidence which should
ever exist between members of the same COM
munity-toc corrupt and make bitter the chan
nels of social intercourse--to stultify that free
declaration of opinion and purpose so essen
tial to the promotion of intelligence, mutual
confidence and manly bearing restraints
upon the free and independent exercise of the
elective franchise Governor Il. declared
himself opposed to all societies Of this kind
that he deprecated them as prejudicial to the
dignity and welfare of the people, to the adj
vancement Of Christianity ard Republicanism
-as Inconsistent with the genius of our insti-
tutions and the American character In a
country where the people enjoy to such an
eminent degree the freedom of speech and
the liberty of discussion, there can exist no
necessity for secret societies. If there be,
said he, moral political evils amongst us
which demand correction, let the work be an
open and daylight business Let it be APP
piled In a manner consistent with the laws of
the land and the people. Let every man de-
clare his opinions and intentions frankly and
freely, and endeayor, by fact and reason, to
constrain his neighbor to the right. But let
them shun an institution that teaches its
members to say one thing and do another.
Mr. B. said it was a painful reflection that
the Democracy of Pennsylvania, going into
the contest the advocates Of the doctrine of
self government of the people of cur Terrific
ries, with an avowal of their determination
to sustain the constitutional rights of all
classes and denominations of American citiz-
ems and each member of our national con-
federacy, and to see equal and exact Justice
meted out to all, should have been defeated
But that glorious party-thc party of pro-
gress and the party of the constitufion-said
he, are not vanqnished or disbanded. There
is still solid phalanx of some l65 600 who
have not yielded to the power of the new
party, besides many thousand of good men