Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-09-21


rom which we clip the following which the editor
ives as the substance of the remarks made by the
IIon A. H. Stephens now candidate for reelection
- Congress from that Stale. The battle is over in
Virginia--the monster efectually strangled by
The gallant Democracy in this State on the gath of
Nav last. Notwithstanding, we have none the less
interest in similar struggles in our sister States and
ore therefore, assured that even brief synopsis of
the remarks of the eloquent, bold and gifted Stephens
we might add, with perfect propriey the patriotic
and traly Southern Stephens-viIl be acceptable to
those in Virginia who have enjoyed one victory and
Who earnestly hope for the pleasure of congratua.
ting their Democratic friends of Georgia upon SIM
FLAIR triumph in that State.
Gov. Mcdonald opened the proceedings, and then
introduced to the audience, the Hon. A. Stephens.
whose appearance was greeted with cheer upon
cheer Of congratulation and delight:
MIR Senhens said he wanted the people 10 hear his
words and remember them. He came to speak not
10 their passions, but TO their reason-not 10 their
hearts but to their heads He had confidence in the
people and their capacity to govern themselves
They needed no secret dctators and he had no fears
for the result when he saw them, them feeling
interest in public affairs, and determined to examine
into them. The question was merely this Were
thew willing to live under the Constitution of their
fathers or did they want another I! We have for
merly differed about measures but nowthe difference
was about form of Government. The Know 10Th
ngs propose to substitute their supreme council tor
the Constitution of the country. Let the people
choose. Which would they have-the Constitution
of their Fathers, that of the Know Nothing COun
Gil? That was the real question. He had the Know.
Nothing Constitution in his hand. 1t was genuine
and he knew it. 1t declared that the Supreme Ma
tional Council should decide all matters appertain
ing to National politics., that it should have power
to tax, and power to punish" without Limitation
or restriction This was more power than was claim.
ed for Congress- Our foTetathers guarded our liber
~ with checks and balances. 1t made the Senate a
check upon the House-the President check upon
the Senate and the Judiciary a check upon the Pre-
sdent But this party claimed all these powers for
its secret National Council alone. Here power
to decide our National pollticspower to tax and 10
punish-poWer over the sword and power over the
purse-in short, all the great powers of government
in the hands of few men, and men not chosen by
the people at that. What then was the use of our
Constitution or of our Government? This party
made another Constitution and Government for US
Would Il freeman acknowle lge their right TO tar
him To punish him? To decide all political
questions for him What the question Did
the people want new Government Were they
tired of the Constitution of Jefferson and Washington
and franklin They must choose between them
They must say whether they wanted another form of
Government. He held in his hand the two Constitu 8,
tons. The one made by our fathers, the other by
the Know Nothings. Choose ye, this day which of
the two We will have.
lie SdlQ lnal gOOQ zeal nd0 Deen Sdlu ABOUT d
phrase of his, in reference to the "dry rot and the
Democratic party. When that party had free soilers
it's folds he did think they had the F'dry rot but
they had met at Miledgeville and cut off the ''dry
rot part of it, and refused 10 acknowledge such men
as the Van Burens and Preston King. BANKS of
Massachusetts, the leader of the dry rot demo
Crats' who voted against the Kansas Bill AS soon
as that bill passed, Banks, and forty three dry rot
Democrats went and pitched into the pool of Know
Nothingism. The seven Southern Wings who OPP
posed that bill, went and pitched into the same pool
with Banks. Such wing as they were, he never
had been, and so help him God, he never would be.
For his part he would rather act with those who had
cut off the dry rot part, than with those who had 1t
Every man who fought by his side for the Kansas
bIll-he meant from the NoTth-caled himself a
Democrat; every of them. He was none OF your
gIass-eyed SIXTY horses to shy at a shadow. He
went, not for sound but for substance. He was not
frightened at a NAME and he would strike hands with
any man from the North or South no matter what he
called himself, when he stood up and batled Tor the
rights of the South. There man who had
stood by his side for two days and nights, when he
was fighting for Kansas. A man who has been very
much abused, but who in his opinion stood bead and
shoulders above any man in the New York delega-
lion He meant Mike WGtSh-a man who had gra-
duaed, as he said himself not in Colleges, but at the
plane and carpenters bench-a man who spoke with
and Irish lisp and an Irish accent, but who had as
true an American heart, and as true Southern heart
10 him. because Mike Walsh called himself q
Democrat. He was true man, and, before this
Southern audience, he called for three cheers fol
Nike Walsh. (Here three cheers went up from about
1000 threats, which were worthy of Tammany itself
and which, we hope, some friendly wind bore to the
ears of Mike himseIf)
Mr. Stephens went on to say that the Know Moth
lngs Of Georgia, shooting slyly at the Kan
Sas b--not attacking it openly, that they were
afraid debut grumbIing atil, carping at it, shoot
ing at it, and shooting at it through him. he WoulC
remove their little arrows. They were not like the
spear of Talemon. He could brush them off as cas-
lily he could thistle prIckles. He wished Judge
NlSbet was there to hear him, as he wished every
other was there, who was Directing to the bill
because it allowed Foreigners to vote in the territory
their own territorial matters. That prInclpe hac
been acknowledged and acted on from the beginning
Of the Government 1t was in the Ordinance OF, 81
1t was repeated in bill after bill down to 1912. L
was in the Clayton Compromise bill, too. Why
We're these men so silent all this time q? They neUe
crirped until the South got Kansas. Why was it
he asked that they never found this principal danger
GUS till we got Kansas? AS TO giving land to for
egners, there was such provision either as TO ma
hyes or foreigners, in the bill. How sensible mar
could say that the Foreigners to Kansas had beer
against the South, he could not understand. Foul
thousand votes in Kansas for Slavery and one thous
aGd against t-lhat the way ii operated. If these
gentlemen wanted Kansas to be a Tree State, Their
they may say that the foreigners there were untrend
ly 10 the South. MIR Stephens continued to address
the crowd in a mingled strain of eloquence, argument
and satire, which fairly unclaimed their attention fo
ABOUT TWO hours and half. In the course OF his re
marks, he descended upon Mr.. Robert IrlPpe as al
eagle may be supposed to swoop down upon jay
and administered wholesome lesson to that gentle
man, to the improperly of making garbIed extrac
from public speeches. 1t is impossible four to Civ
anything like sketch of his mastery effort. 1t wal
speech worthy of the man and the occasion. |
eVnced most thorough and comprehensive know
ledge of all tue political history of the country AM
Was speech, which it seems 10 us, could not be hears