Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-08-06
Extracts from the Address Of Hon. Darie /
lIlImanu.

btuHu, tHs uby, VII Tie rUt vi iilf HdbNe NtAu
to address, within the City Hall of the city of my
birth, an audience composed of It's worthy and ir-
telgent inhabitants. Peculiar circumstances give
TO This occasion an especial Interest to me. That
principle Which, an A-wise Providence has in
planted deep In tho SOUL calling the waDdare'
with fond reminiscence, to his chillhood's homt,
as the spot on earth dearest 10 his heart st,s up
feelings within me, which words have no power to
express. look around; and meet the gaze Of
those who have known me all the days of my life
look around; and behold scenes familiar to ma
from the dawn of reason. These beautiful hilr,
rising to meet the first rays of the morning sur;
yonder placid river which, flowing majesfcal,,
bears upon its broad bosom the rich freights Of
many far cline; these fertile fields, with ha
vests waving, golden In the breezy warmth OF II 0
summer sky; those romantic dells, where the rust
ling forest is made musical by the dashng Of tho
limpd waters--eycry glade teeming win <pin-
stirring memories Of colonial tradition and revolt
tionary history all these are familiar things to mt.
This fair earth, and these faircr skes all have
tongues for my car; their thrilling voices find u
responsive chord in my heart; for
This is my own, my native land"
And yet this has been denied. An attempt las
been made to rob me of my brth.right Because
more than one hundred and twenty thousand Of
the freemen Of the great State of New York--thc
most powerful in the union--saw fit to cast their
sufffages for ne--a native Of one Of the smaller
States in the Union--as their candidate for tho
Chief Magistracy Of that Statc--caumnies
Thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks
| In Vallombrosa,"
were showered on my devoted head.
| Venerable men! Fathersl Mothers. Sons
and daughters Of Delaware! appeal to you
that you may decide whether shall be subjected
to this gross wrong. Am not Delawarian,
Am not an American? / now stand almost In
sight OF tire graves of my father and nv motller--
descendants OF long line of French Huguenots
Isee many in this assembly who knew them well.
They can bear testimony that in their lives they
We're upright, and in their deaths they were hon.
orcd. They now sleep the sleep Of the righteous
and the pure; and their offspring this day stand
before you, men of Delaware, to defend their mem
ories, and to vindcate myself was born in this
city of Wimington and all the falsi6ers since tho
days of Ananias and Sapphira, cannot change tho
fact. have never trod any other soil but thB
American soil have never brcathel any air but
this American air--I have never looked upon any
| skies but these American skes---I have never BEEN
under the protection Of any flag but this American
flag; and, trust, that when / shall be laid In the
silent tomb shall be permitted to repose in
peace-buried in this American earth-zin yondsr
"old church-yard," by the side OF my ancestors
and my kindred.
! prize beyond all earthly inheritanccs, the
birth-right of an American citizen. regard II,
with oil Its attendant relations, as the highest
earthly position human being can hold; andI
! am, therefore, not willing to surrender IL with
out struggle, or ut least, the natural indignant
protest Of free American, thus assailed. I1ovc
my country. i glory In her institutions. glory
In her history. glory in all that constitutes the
American people nation. God and the Constitu-
tion of the United States have given me an equal
share, with all my coun.rymen, in the rights and
privileges OF a native American citzen and, with
the blessing Of that God, who notices as wen the
fall of sparrow ms the disruption Of an empire,
will defend this, my birth-fight so long he shall
give me breath, with the last drop Of blood in my
body.
The great truth which was promulgated by the
! Declaration Of Independence, and established By
the war of the Revolution, and made the distin.
gushing characteristic of our nationality was that
all legitimate power resides in and is derived from,
the people. This sublime truth. to US 30 self.
evident, SO simple, so obvious, was before that
time mcasurably undeveloped in the history Of the
world. philosophers, in their dreams, had built
ideal governments Plato bad luxuriated in tho
| happiness Of his fancifnl republic; Sir Thomas
| More had rcveed IN the bright visions of his
Utopia; the immortal Milton had uttered his sub
lime views on freedom; aud the great Locke had
published his profound speculations on the true
principles Of government bat never, until the cs.
tablishment OF American Independence, was IL,
except in very imperfect modes, acknowledged by
a nation, and made the cornerstone aud founda-
tion Of It's government that the sovereign power
| Is vested In the mass. II was n total condemna-
ton of all prevalent political theories; absolute
contradiction Of the doctrines Of the divine right
of kings TO reign, and OF passive obedience; an
utter denial Of the infaiibiiitg Of prince or Pope
| an emanation from, and constituent part of the
agelong movement Of the human mind--the prin-
ciple of progress. IL burst upon mankind like th,
roar Of thunder Ia cloudless sky, and the hearts
Of nations leaped with sympathy. They felt thata
hidden power had been revealed 10 mana power
destined 10 advance ia lis glorious career Of con-
quest until the day when il shall spring ut u sim
gle bound TO the throne Of the world
This fundamental principle of our republican
government, the sovereignty Of the people, when
analyzed resolves itself into the equal and unrc
strained right Of each individual 20 Judge and neL
for himself In all matters Of social civil, political
and religious import When each constituent
member Of the community freely and fsarlcssiy
forms and expresses bis opinions, aud consenis
70 be controlled by the general result OF the opip
ions Of all who united in the organization,
we have a complete exemplifcation OF Lire theory
Of our government. A community thus constituted
exhibits the strongest possible contrast TO that
most abominable and abhorred Of all human gov
| ernments, despotism. In the former, OIL ara
| equal and the combined opinions OF majority
| control. In the latter, one mind, or a fev minds,
control, but the great mass are slaves. Between
these two extremes may be arranged those govern
nenv, in which equal political rights are partially
extended or curtailed. But the slightest cuftaiI.
ment mpairs the fundamental principle Divcst
but a sipgle member Of fhis great republic o. hi'
1 right 10 form and exercise his free opinion on all
matters, political and religious, and you mnr the
beauty and symmetry of the system, and SO fir
impair its perfection. Entire equality, entire frct
dom in the formation Of political and religions
opinions and the exercise Of political and religious
rights are the vital principle Of our republic u
matters not, TO the public veal whether this irer
dom OF individual opinion be crushed by single
despot, or be extorted by the tyranny of an oil.
garchy, or hierarchy, II is lost TO the man aud
the elementary principle Of progress and Freedom
is equally extinguisied, or silcnccd. So hr a. the
dsspot, otigdrchy, or hierarchy assumes eontFel
over bis opinions, he is driven back from the free
dom Of an equal independent orIzry. and is cor
strained TO approach the condition Of mtject or
q SLAVE,
The Constitution OF the United States the sccot,l
great charter Of our liberties, contains tbefoilowi
sectiOn: