The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-09-21

SPEECHES DELIVERED AT THE CELEBRATION OF
CONSTITUTION DAY IN PHILADELPHIA.

CONSTITUTION DAY IN PHILADELPHIA.
In the hurry OF preparing The proceedings Of tho amir
Yesary meeting of the nth for publication could not
find room for the speeches Of Hon. A. o. p Nicholson Of
Tennessee Hon. w. A. Richardson. of Illinois Hon.
Daniel E. sickes Of New York and Hon. Barclay Martin
of Tennessee We lay before our readers the abb
stracts Of the remarks Of such gentlemen as we could In
duce TO resise their reported remarks.
FIRST STAND.
The gallant Colonel Richardson of Illinois, spoke first
after the adoption Of the resolutions and with powerful e
feet lie had served the terrible battle OF Buena VISTA
and fought in the ranks with adopted and nave cit
liens He spoke with much feeling this subject COL
Richardson was reelected the distinct issue of the Ne
braka bin and therefore his clear and lucid view Of that
question cannot fail be full Of pcrnency at this mo-
Inent lie spoke as follows;
Speech of COL Richardson
have many times addressed my fellow-cizens by hun
dres and sometimes by thousands, but this is the first
time have been called TO speak 10 acres Of people
This essembage gives that in the old Key
stone State shall overthrow all the isms and that here
the rights and doctrines OF the constitution viii be vindi-
Gated. ts 4
appropriate upon the return of every anniversary of
the adoption of the constitution that its friends should
meet to pledge themselves carry out the guarantees and
OBLIGATIONS of that sacred instrument with all its compro-
misses in the spirit in which 1t was formed The consu-
ton equality TO the States equal rights to all its
etizens-excusiye privileges to In this spirit it
was formed in this spirit alone it be maintained and
in this spirit alone all its blessings and its glories be
preserved.
Parties of late have sprung up in this country who
test and deny this doctrine They are the abolonists
and -potbings though called by different names
they substantially the thngthey certainly are
in portion OF the States
At The adoption Of the federal constitution every State
IN the Union q slave State but After its adop-
ton and prior to 1920 six Of these States by tie action
thar people ain uenced By any Others abolished sla
very In 1920 Congress assumed jurisdiction OF the sub
jec by dividing the territory that to in the pur-
chase Of louisiana restricting slavery north Of SO So and
Gin basa
existed Why is this Men when left free to consult
their and interest without interference from those
who have right to dictate got rid of slavery when it
was not rcnuneratve; but when their passions
cited by unwarrantabe interference from those who have
and rights they resent the interference
against their interest Is there reason means
OF accounting for the existence OF slavery at this day in
of the States except ebuke those who have deter
mined to manage everybodys affairs except their own?
But the great hobby of these gentlemen is the passage
by the last Congress Of the Nebraska and Kansas bills
propose to show by ncontesabe evidence that the demo-
Gratis the wings and the aboltioniss for the
principle and that the bills right In 1920 Congress
divided have said the Louisiana purchase North of
particular line slavery was to be abolished South of
that line the law was left in force recognising slavery In
1885, when Texas annexed, the line extended
through that State North Of the line slavery abol
ished sou it existed.
In 1916 acquired large extent of coEnry from Mex
co For years Congress repeatedly rejected the prop
osition to extend this line 1t defeated time and
again in the House of Representatives You know who it
that rejected it. Great difficulty in consequence
and the country intensely excited The existence of
the Union was menaced and endangered. In 1850
ory Congress- satisfied that the territory could not be
divided it had been ia 1920 and in 845 came back to
the doctrine that had existed in the first years Of the
ernment They organized two Territories Utah and New
Mexico comforting upon the people the right and power
decide for themselves whether they should have or should
have slavery part of the Territory Of Utah
the purchase of Louisiana, and was north Of Sc 80.
part of New Mexico came in the annexation of Texas and
also north of SO 30 Thus you will perceive that the
of 1850 disregarded the title by which we acquired
territory They took portions Of ALL and conferred the
fha IN thn
selves Both the wing and democratic conventions in
adopted those acts correct and pledged their candidates
and their parties to them.
In 1853 Congress organized the Territory Of Washing
ton out of Oregon Territory In August, l848 the
called Wimot proviso attached all of Oregon pro-
hbitng slavery forever in it In organizing Washington
first of September l848 from OPERATION and confer the
by another section upon the people to egate
oil subjects not prohibited by the constitution We re-
move all restrictions and limitations and confer upon the
people the power TO egate for themselves In the whole
North there were but four vos against b and no vote
from Pennsylvania in the negative. Mr. Fillmore approved
the bill In Nebraska and Kansas we did nothing more
than was done in Utah, New Mexico, and Washington
The mode was dfferent--the end the same
Speech Of Hon. n. o. p. Nicholson
Hon. A. O. p Nicholson was next introduced to the meet
ing, and said:
do not appear before you to discuss the political ques-
tons which now exciting the popular mind and heart
but to express the qualification with which, southern
democrat have witnessed this enthusiastic celebration
the birthday of the constitution In view of the porten-
tous indications of threatened disaster our happy CON
iederacy which within the last year have alarmed the
hodest statesmen and patriots of country such cee
braton this characterized by the immense outpouring
Unpopular enthusiasm where see before thousand
banners and ransparsnces the strongest evidences of an
nabated devotion to the constitution and tho Union
not but be regarded peculiarly appropriate The place.
too is most happily selected for such renewal of de-
votion to the constitutional is fit that Independence
Square should be thus dedicated year after year. the
sacred comemoraon not only of the birth Of indie
pendence but Of the not less important eventhe birth of
ion nj orr prnl
was strongly impressed fclow-citizens with one fact
as assembled the platform. The resolutions which you
have so enthusiastically adopted being read. They
sounded miliaand discovered, to my great satis
faction, that they the ssne substantially that had
seen presented to southern meeting few weeks
since and adopted with the enthusiasm with which
they We're received here This fact gratifying, be-
cause il showed that democracy is the at the North
that it at the Southbecasse it proved that the demo-
cratic party is indeed national party.
have seen it reported III the newspapers recently said
Nh M that prominent senator in Congress from Ohio
{Mr Wude) declared, in speech in the State Of Maine
that there exists the hostility Of feeling between
the people Of the South and of the North that exists be-
tween the British and the Russians who engaged in
most destructive and cruel Senator Wade meant
by this startling declaration to advance the opinion that
the federal constitution has ceased to be bond of
fraternil union between the North and the South
that the federal Union itself existed only in form
IL the overwhelming defeat Of his party in Maine
which followed the heels Of this declaration has
not already satisfied tAat senator that his statement
was wholly unfounded If he could witness this
demonstration in independence Square tonight he would
acknowledge that whatever may be the in Massa-
life and energy in Pennsylvania IT is not true said Mr.
NJ that the people of the North and the South are enc