Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-04-23
MI. gurwells Speech.

course ct Citizens fridhY hight, III P""'S ii"ii'
in advocacy of the principles and tenets of the
American party. NJ. B. is known 10 have been,
for years jealous defender Of the rights of the
South, against the political aggressloss aud CON
mercal ,xonspely OF the Northern States, aud
his arcumeu. IN this occasion was n powerful
vindcation Of the national, conservative aud con
eti,u,ional character ef The American movement
and demonstration that, as such, 1t afforded the
South the best protection it ever had ~ Tho I'M
mtlcstcd enjoyment of all the rights to which 1t
is entitled under the federal compact-and, to
each Sta;e. it, individual sovereignty over all
matters aer,ainiu., toits domestic interests, and
reserved to Itself by the terns Of s accession to
the Union.
The parties af the North, hc said had been
dissolved. under the powerful influences ct sec
tional questions. The power of the federal nd
ministra,on was broken, and the Democratic
party at the North and West absorbed by the
universal free soil sentiment which pervaded
that section Other questions had lost th'if I'M
portance. Massachusetts and Pennsylvania had
repudiated the protective system The pnbio
domain, abandoned to immigrants aud corpora
tons, no longer provoked the question of dlstrl-
butiyn Men had ceased 10 vex themselves about
tho custody or government of the public finances.
The Southern Wing party had formally de-
nounced the Seward Freesolers, aed had sustain
ed the rights of the South embodied in the
Nebraska Legislation. With, therefore, an nn-
broken opposition to the South. it became impor-
tant to resort to some organization competent to
protect its rights. This safety was to be hoped
for only in the American organization, II that
should fail, he, could see.po alternative but re-
sistance or abjeot submission
He was aware that the personal opinions of
certain Of its members had been cited to prove
that the order unsound upon the slavery ques-
ton lie did not derry that in the New England
States almost the whole population was opposed
to the extension Of slavery, but as he understood
The tenets of the order il leaves to every member
the right Of individual opinion, but rebukes any
attempt to impose those opinions upon the leg
islaton of the FEDERAL Government That
the order was not organized for the purposes OF
the abolitionsts oovlous,frsm their bitter OPP
position. But even II Il bo admitted that the
American order in the Eastern States was as I'M
sound as the great Democratic States OF ohio'
Illinois and New Hampshire, the State o. New
York with its immense vote and influence was
strong enough to nationalize its action. The
few members of the Legislature who had voted
for Wm II. Seward have been expelcd-a large
number OF Free soil councils have been rescind
ed, and the order, ue,he believed, was endeayor
ing to organize upon the basis Of the compromise
and of sectional harmony. u had every hope
that this attempt would be successful, but if
it were not, il would at least divide the North
ND ha Sout, str nj AZ n pra-
serving peace and resisting encroachment.
He answeredthe objection urged against the or
der for the seeresy Of its proceedings, by citing
as examples the ballot box, the jury system, the
close sessions of doberatvo bodies, the policy
OF military movements, and the undoubtod right
to conduct any transactions either in public or
private. The obligations incurred by the menu
bers of the order imposed the same necessity
to refrain from publishing what had been com
municated under the seul of confidence, that the
usages of honorable society did nothing more
but now that secresy had been and would be
thrown -, and the order would embla2on upon
the American fsg f,inoples which would prove
them incapable of the designs which had been
attributed to them by their enemies.
The objection of intolerance was noticed The
o-der had pledged itseif to resist any attempt to
incorporate religious influences with the politics
of the country. They wayred with no religion
and restrained the conscience OF no man.
Nor had they any hostility to foreigners. They
were, in many respects. very useful and should
protected il TIE enjoyment of every civil right,
except, that as they were becoming formidable
element in the political power of the country it
was proper to impose limitation upon their
exercise of the elective franchise. analogous
to that which the Constitution imposes upon
minors. regular soldiers, or any other class
Of our own citizens, to whom it is not deem
cd adivsabie to entrust the right of govern
ment He explained the process by which for
eign numbers were employed by the free soil
party to manufacture States, and pointed out
how the political representation of these num-
bers in the Electoral Colleges and in Congress
would soon overturn the equilibrium of the
Union, and extingash the power of the South
Indeed, the rapid creation of new States out OF
our immense territories would render it very
easy to amend the Federal Constitution SO as to
authorize emancipation. By securing for such ar
amendment the appreciation "of three fourths Of
the State Legislatures" it would become an in.
tegral part of the Constitution: and the South
must submit or resist the Constitution. These
consequences might be precipitatsd by the un-
restrained representation Of foreign numbers, and
II the people of the = t tn were willing to with.
hold from immigrants the power to vote, by an
increased term of limitation he could not see INV