Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-10-18
A TRIBUTE TO DEm1 - FROM A
HIGH WING SOURCE.


Monday, the 24h Of September 1855.
For the whole of this excellent speech, we
regret that we have not the room. Contenting
ourselves for the present with some extracts
| from it, we will in few words give the sub
stance OF Senator Dixon's preceding remarks.
He likened the alliance of the cold Wings
and Democrats against the Know nothings, to
that of England and France against Russia
sense of pressing peril overcoming their
ancient enmty.
tie stated that the great principles involved
IN the present contest are the preservation of
the Union of the States, of the Constitution
of the United States and the rights Of the
citizens of all aud every section of our coun-
try. TO aid and assist in the maintenance of
these rights, he was willing to blot out all
former party distinctions, to forget all former
names, and to burn upon the altar Of his coun-
try all his former party prejudces
10 the old Wing party (of which he has SO
long been member and shining ornament)
he rendered the tribute of his admiration
But he said, and said truly, that the bulk of
that party had been absorbed by the" Ameri
can party I'VE call il Know. nothing,) which
has risen upon its ruins.
To the members of that Order at the South
he conceded the highest degree of patriotism
Indeed, his sympathies, if not with the Order,
were whit emenwho composed it-men, a large
number Of whom were Of the first intelligence
and undisputed virtue.
But said Senator Dixon Tin substance) as
national organization, the new party, from
which be had hoped much in the beginning
has failed. The Northern members Of it have
shown themselves 10 be opposed TO the pro-
visions Of the Constiution-to the rights Of
the States and to the rights Of the citizens of
the States At their National Convention
feud broke out between the Northern and
Southern members. The Northern members
showed themselves untrue to the Constitutions
to the rights Of the States and to the institu-
ton Of slavery. They retired from the con-
vention. Thus was the new party, as Ma
tionat party, disbanded Of the Northern
wing Of the new party he thus speaks:
THAT this separate organization of the
whole of the Northern States upon common
platform in opposition to the constitutional
rights Of the people of the South promises no
good TO the country, all must admit; but, on
the contrary, meuaces the Union with almost
certain destruction. For, said he, should the
contest for power il the future elections of the
country be between these two organizations of
the know-nothings formed by the Philadelphia
Convention, 1t would amount to nothing more
nor less than a contest between the Northern
and Southern States the one warning upon
the rights of the other, and the other defend
ing those rights to the last extremity. That
such contest will prove most disastrous to
the whole country, none will deny But look
ing to the consequences that will grow out of
II, as Southern and national men, what can
the South hope and expect? VIII not that
worst Of all calamities that can possibly befall
the country, the election of some Aboitionist
to the Presidency, be the result? Would
there be even the possibility Of preventing it
What free State, unless, perhaps, California,
would vote with the Southern Know nothings
on the Southern platform? Not one; and
who does not know that the South would be
in dead minority in the electoral colleges
without the aid and assistance of some Of the
iIcc DlattS W NOle Win HeT
The same result would follow should there
be three candidates in the field for the Office Of
President of the United States-the one rep.
resenting the Democratic party, the second the
Know-nothing party South, and the third the
Know-nothings, Freesoilers, and Abolitionists
of the North. Supposing the southern States
to be divided between the Democratic and
know-nothing candidates, the Abolitionists
would be elected by the people, unless some of
the free States should vote for the Democratic
or Southern know-nothing candidate That
none # them could or would vote for the
Southern know.nothing candidate is perfectly
certain, without an abandonment of their
Northern platform that they will do this
there IS small reason TO expect, or foundation
on which to build hope A similar result
would follow il the Democratic party should
quit the field and give up the contest to the
American party Of the slave States on their
Southern platform, and to the American party
Of the free States on their anti.slavery plat.
form. The Northern American anti-slayery
party would defeat the Southern American
pro-slavcry party
And if there should be union Of all the
anti-slavery men against the pro-slavery Anne.
rican platform, their defeat would be over
| whelming. That this union would take place
IL not only pTbDhDlc, out almost certain. The
members Of the American party in the free
States, instead Of repudiating have rallied the
Northern Abolition platform, and some Of
their ablest men have proposed union Of all
the anti-slayery factions in opposition to slave
| ry and the Southern platform What good,
then, can the American party, thus divided,
thus opposed on great constitutional questions,
do the country? In this its hour Of peril and
of danger, when the united efforts OF all the
patriotic and national men Of every section are
required TO save the country, what aid, what
succor can the American party afford? the
Northern members, in conjunction with Free.
sellers and Abolitionists, aiming ponderous
blows at the Constitution to destroy slavery,
and the Southern members arfning themselves
with the fires Of bigotry and religious intole-
rance TO crush out forever the religious rights
rights sacred to every freeman-of large
| portion of American citizen
After speaking in terms Of the highest com.
mendation Of the rights Of conscience and re-
ligion guaranteed to all men BY the Constitu.