Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-06-21

freedom from political piiestcraft-and since
that time her sterling patriotism has more
than once been foremost in rolling back dan
gerous principles and innovations. She has
again been first to give the repelling blow to
midnight complotter against our political
safeguard. Mr.. T. gave brief but interest
ing review of politico- ecclesiastic history
The great error of the religious world, said he,
has been the intolerance of sectS connected
with State Whenever one sect has been
dominant it has been tyrannical. 1t is for
this reason that Church and State have been
separated in this country, and no sect patron
lied or fostered by the government. 1t was
wise provision of our forefathers-the patriot
trainers of the constitution-and the glory of
their workmanship should not be marred by
the hands of their descendants. Mr.. TOrbet
was particularly happy in his remarks upon
the birth test sought to be imposed by Know
NOthings He elected the warm approval Of
the audience, and left each one apparently
propounding to himself the questions so beau
tifully expressed and answered by Lowell;
- Where is the true mans fatheTland:
l. il where he by chance is born.
Doth not the yearning spirit
In such scant borders 10 b. spanHcd
o. yes, his fatherand must be.
A. the blue heaven, wide and free -
Col. JOHN C. WALKER the Editor Of the In
DINA State Sentinel, was next loudly called for.
and appeared upon the stand looking i'll. not
having vet recovered from achill with which
he was attacked after arriving in our town.
He assured the meeting that he arose with no
intention of attempting to deliver a speech !;
that he was there an invalid scarcely able TO
stand upon his feet, and utterly incapable of
enjoying anything but Democratic meeting.
Regarding his own feelings, he was convinced
that it were better for his audience, that he
should remain silent in the midst of the as
semblei veteran speakers of our party, than
to attempt to impose upon his friends any,
thing which he might at that time lie able to
utter The courtesy extended him, however,
demanded respect at his hands, aud h could
not refuse brief response to the flattering
call made upon his name
| am filled, fellow-citizens, continued Mr.
WALKER, with mingled emotions of pleasure
and embarrassment, in meeting with you, the
inhabitants of the town and county which
gave me birth. 1t was here that breathed
the fresh, pure air of childhood; it was here
that those halcyon hours which come to us
in but one stage of orr existence, were en-
ioyed. 1t was in your green meadows that |
chased, with happy playfelows, the fleeing
butterflies; in your widespread forests that
gathered, in bovish innocence the fragrant
wild flowers; along your softly murmuring
rivulets that, day by day, and week by week,
| wandered, bathing the spirit in the fresh
dews which nature can alone bestow, and i'm
billing those genial influences which natures
4 -, a l.,
dropped and faded before the autumn's frost;
the forest trees have given place to the
ploughshare and the sickle; and the rivulets
in which we bathed with merry hearts, have
dried away and disappeared forever from the
earth. The stream which flows by in silence
at your feet, and a few of the associates of
other DAYS are left, to call to mind the hopes
that have flown away with chldhood-the
garands that have witheled beneath the cor
roding touch of the encroachng years of ma
turity
la speaking to you, fellow citizens of Shell
by county, said Mr.. W., may perhaps speak
to many who have listened often in other
DAYS to the voice of him to whom | owe my
existence;-one, who though separated from
us now by the dark veil which intervenes be-
tween time and eternity, has yet, | trust,
place in the memory, a green spot in the
hearts of those who at this time have extend
ed a welcome to his son.
In the days when he addressed the assem-
bled people of this section of the State upon
political questions, he spoke to them as
WHIG-as member of great and respect
able party-national, open and manly in its
organization. Although, in the present in
stance, the politics of the father were not in
herited by the son, yet the sons of that father
were taught, that while they should have
opinions of their o,0a aud aUos0 them, they
should at the same time extend charity and
respect to persons differing from themselves,
provided those persons declared their princi-
pies in an open and independent manner
| think, fellow-citizens that | can candidly
acknowledge with you, to-day, that the OLD
WIG PARTY, under the ending influence of
the giant intellects of Henry Clay and Daniel
Webster, possessed many intrinsic virtues,
which entitled its devotees to admiration and
respect. But the Wing party as it once was,
is not the loathsome object which now seeks
to fill its place The Wing party, as it was
in the days of its pristine glory, possessed
none of the attributes of that mysterious
political reptile, which now fills the mid
night air with its putrescent venom, and
seeks to stimulate, by Its poisonous breath,
into unnatural vitality, the passions and pre-
judices of religious bigotry and sectional ia
naticsm
Mr. WALKER continued to reflect for some
moments with peculiar severity upon the
anti-republican, debasing and cowardly ten
denotes of Know Nothingsm. He next al
ln1a1 ,,taor,,,nrl,- 20 ho Virrinio aloctipp md
concluded his remarks by an appeal to the
members of the Democratic party to main
tain, under all circumstances, the purity of
their principles, and the integrity of the Con-
stitution of the Union, of which they had
become the exclusive guardians.
Hon. I. A. HENDRICKS being now loudly
called for assembled the stand, and was greet
ed with enthusiastic applause. He said he
would have preferred on this occasion, to
have remained amidst the throng there as
bed a silent listener, especially after the ar
ray of talent that had preceded him. But to
the fattering calls made upon him by his
friends and felow-citizens, he could not help
giving a response. lie felt grateful to them
for their manifestations of regard, in the man
ner in which the resolution complimentary to
himself have been recei we'd, and to the kind
friend who had drafted the resolution, he re-
turned his heartfelt thanks.
He felt a particular pleasure in meeting
with so many of his fellow-citizens to con-
graduate each other over the recent signal
victory the Democracy of Virginia had
gained over the midnight organization. It
was a cheering evidence that the hordes who
had swept over the North till they had be-
come insolent with success, had reached the
stopping place in their history, and voice
had spoken to them in thunder tones, thus
far shalt thou go and no farther" Now, had
come to the turning pont-the re-action-to
which Democrats had so confidently looked
Know Nothingism had gone its length the
self-styled guardians of the American fiag
had shown their hands; the people were eve
rywherc becoming disgnsted with their knave-
ry, and the rebuke in Virginia was the signal
for the Democracy Of the Union to rally to a
conflict which shall exterminate forever the
midnight conspirators. He dealt upon the
A ,oaricon o,,arlians,f a succession of mp,cl-