Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-05-15
mashingtun gentinsl.
MR.. HUNTER,s sPEECH.,
Delivered before the Democratic AssOcia-
tion OF Petersburg, Va, April, 1855.

tion or Petersburg, Va, April, 1855.
FELLOW CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG l appear
before you this evening, not merely to show
my appreciation Of the courtesy of your invita-
ton to address you, but also because, in the
present critical condition of public affairs, /
desire to commune with my friends and con-
sttuents. also wish to speak to the people
of this good city, which has SO well won its
soubriquetof "the Cockade of Virginia" and
who have, proved, by their past history, that
whenever the safety of the government or the
honor of The State demands a service at their
hands, the call will not be made upon them in
vain. / stand here this evening to appeal to
YOU, in the name Of both these high considera-
lions, and if / fail to make good that appeal, it
will be owing to my fault and not because the
occasion does not justify it.
Peace has its trials as well as war; and the
same spirit which gathered your sons around
the flag of the country in the war of 1872, will
rally them to the defense Of the political ban
ner Of their native State, if they see it about to
be prostrated and trampled in the dust.
have said that the present is a critical condi-
ton of public affairs; and, truly, the signs of
the times are such as to warrant me IN thus
characterizing it. In the world without we have
war, and should it continue much longer, or
enlarge the field of its operations, it is impos-
sible but that some of its agitations must reach
us also Within, the elements of domestic
strife are already maturing in angry discon-
tent, as if in presage of the coming storm.
The cloud which for so long has hung in the
Northeastern quarter of our horizon, grows
larger and darker, and is yisibly nearing as IN
the distance. When was it ever before, that
majority of the popular branch of Congress
would probably be in favor of abollshing
r ~ L. a aIxal.a
ing what is called the domestic slave trade; of
abolishing slavery wherever it may exist in the
Territories; and to repeal the fugitive slave law,
to say nothing of the restoration of the odious
Missouri restriction, now so happily removed2
More than one of the Southern States have
declared that the execution of some of these
measures would present, in their opinion, the
"cdsus ftpderisn itself; and yet to such extrem-
tiles will the present House of Representa-
tives be probably willing to drive US at the
next session. Such are the trials for which
we have already had warning to prepare. For
the present, Democratic President and a
Democratic Senate stand, as the lion In the
path" between them and the execution OF their
measures. But these antslavery men boast
that they have already secured the Church,
the School and the State" the great natural
corporations Of all human society, as they have
been not inaptly denominated and they are
thus possessed OF all the main avenues through
which public sentiment in the North may be
concentrated and poured upon. the devoted
South. And what are our preparations tor
this contest? 1t is evident that we must de-
pend upon truth, the Constitution, the sacred
compact Of Federation, and such detenses as
we may make in their behalf, for our safety
and peace. Are we Furnishing our arnor for
IL L. L. aAuE for ha nQn
test? These are some of the topics upon which
| desire to commune with you this evening.
Fellow-citizens, il seems to me there is yet
another circumstance which must make us
more anxious with regard to the future. 1t is,
that these issues have been precipi,ated upon
us with the assistance of a new and strange
party, which has arisen in our midst which, by
some wild freak of taste, or in some bit OF reck-
less levity. has called itself the Know. nothing
party" whose opinions upon many important
subjects are unknown, and whose principles In
regard to some other subjects, so far as known,
would seem to be highly mischievous and dan
gerous.
] have said that these isms had been pre-
cipitated upon us with the assistance OF this
party in the North. Can there be doubt of
it2 They constituted q portion Of the " fu-
sionists" who sought to turn out young Dodge,
of Iowa, who had been so true to the Consitu-
ton and Just to the South, and to substitute
Freesoier in his place. In Illinois, too, they
acted in like manner towards the gallant
Shields. in Massachusetts, the Know nothings
constituted a majority Of those who sent Wilson
TO the Senate Of the United States, where his
declarations have been such as to leave no
doubt of his extreme and dangerous opinions
upon the subject Of slavery. Indeed, | heard
"A ,r.a hat .,,f he do
clare that, in the non savehofding States, this
new party, so far as he was acquainted with
its history, had invariably cast its vote for the
anti. slavery and anti Nebraska candidate, and
he challenged an instance to be produced, in
which they had voted for candidate in favor
Of the Nebraska bill. The case could not be
produced, tSeept that Governor Seward men.
toned some one man in New York, who had
been elected TO some Office by the vote Of the
Know-nothings. To which Judge Douglas well
reped, that in New York there were two Know
nothing parties, one the bogus" and the other
genuine, so that there might be grave mistakes
in referring to their action in New York for an
explanation Of their principles. Now, all this
proves one Of two things, either that this party,
in the North, is deeply infected with the aboli-
ton feeling, or else, that it is so Indifferent upon
the subject, that it is willing to elect men who
would drive the South to any extremity, and ex-
pose us to the most severe and dangerous trials.
How, then, can we affiliate with men who seem
to consider the peace and safety of the South,
as the cheap material upon which rash expert.
ments may be tried with impuhity? Ought II
not to make us anxious to find that the over
lures for affliation, made by such party, have
been instantly rejected by Southern men with
scorn2
1t seems to me, that the very apparition Of
such party in our midst, is calculated TO in
spire feelings Of distrust and apprehension.
When was il ever heard Of before, that a party
could be organized for political purposes in
this State, which deliberated and acted in Sc
cret and yelled the very names Of their mem.
bers in impenetrable mystery When was il
ever before that party could have existed
here, avowing itself to be strong enough to
seize upon the administration Of public affairs
in this great Confederacy, and yet refusing to
declare its opinions upon all the leading ques-
tons which have heretofore characterized our
political divisions7 When it ought to speak,
it is silent, and some Of the sentiments II does