Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-03

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the Catholics of the Union, he said:
81 hope ever TO see America among tho fore
most nations in examples Of justice and barality
and presume that your fellow citizens will NOT
forget the patriotic part which you took in the
accomplishment of the Revolution and in the
establishment of the government; or the impor-
tant assistance they received from a nation in
which the Roman Catholic religion is professed
Tremendous applause, which CONTINUED several
minutes. In conclusion he says and may the
members OF your Society in America, animated
by the pure spirit Of Christianity, and still CON
dactIng themselves the faithful subjects Of our
free government, enjoy for ever every temporal
and spiritual felicity.
These were the sentiments, and this the prayer
OF Washington. II now remains to be seen
whether the know-nothngs, who call themselves
purely American party will act upon tina coun-
sells OF that illnstrious man, or whether nation
has SO degenerated to ignore Tho ciples
and purposes which he advocated Gentlemen
having referred to the doings of the Massachu-
setts Legislature, let me close that part Of NV
subject by inquiring what this party would do, If
oy any chance they got majority in Congress,
upon the question of the annexation of Cuba For
the only proper test for any political party is to
inquire how it would act upon great national
question. There are few Americans who do not
believe that the acquisition of the Island of Cuba
would add greatly 10 the power and prosperity of
the Union IN every point Of view, the acquisi-
ton OF this isand--if it could be carried through
honorably, and without involving the country in
war-would be an object which every one would
approve. Now hold it to be simple PROPOSE
tlon, which may be very easily demonstrated
that if the know-nothings should gain maio-
rity in Congress such acquisition would be totally
impossible, if their proclaimed principles were
constantly carried out. We should be Obliged TO
admit Cuba into the Union as a State, as we did
Texas, Louisiana, and California, giving its peo-
pie all the privileges enjoyed by the citizens Of the
several States. But consistently with the doc
trines of the kDew-nothing party, we could not
do this, because we should be obliged TO admit as
citizens at once two or three hundred thousand
foreigners. Now, hold that such party,is OPP
posed to the genius of American libeYty--op-
Posed to expansion of territory--opposed to the
mission Of the United States, which is to extend
freedom over the whole continent Of America
It's principles and policy, il carried out, would
have left our conntry's boundaries now confined
to the limits OF the old thirteen States We
should have never acquired Florida, California.
and the whole Of our splendid possessions on the
Pacific coast; and have yet to learn that, after
a fair and candid view Of the whole subject,
Americans can ever be induced to give the prin-
ciples of such party their approval No, gen.
tlemen, it lisa party for the hour. 1t is disease
on the body polite. [Suggestions from the par
quette-"Alt's not the consumption 1t is an
epidemic which will soon disappear before the
pure air of national Democratic principles Gem
tlemen, we have another issue before us in the
coming campaign. We will be obliged to meet;
and fight once more the slavery question-fori
Abolitionism is one of the subdivisions of fanal
ticism at the North, and singuarly enough, wi
are obliged to meet it in the form of the Nebraska
bill. Ithink that can briefly relieve this qua-
ton of much of the misrepresentation and myS-
hcation which have been thrown around it BY ie-
signing and corrupt presses, and still moreke-
ctn irrn 49,
boxes" Give us the names hush, . 'sordsr''
Ego on. Il | affirm as proposition, that issus-
ceptible OF the clearest proof, that the Nebaska
bill SO tar from being violation of any COM
pact or agreement existing between thetStates
or any OF them, is an honest and faithful falfl-
ment of the agreement made by the compromise
measures of 1850, when Webster, Clay, our own
Dickinson, [applause,l and other eminent men,
arranged the plan for the adjustment of all future
questions Of the same kind upon theprinciplc
OF territorial and popular sovercfgnty--that
hereafter the question oc slavery, ii any State
or Territory, should be left entirely 10 the will of
the people occupying the Territory. The Federal
Government had previously acted Upon differ
ent policy. [Mr. Sickles proceededto detail the
circumstances attendant upon the resolution of
the compromise of IS20--the admission of Texas
and Oregon-to show that Congress had pre-
vlously taken upon itself to setteall difficulties
about slavery The consequence Of this policy
added to the Union, the slavery question was
again revived, with all its attendant evils. The
statesmen of 1850 resolved that the question
should be settled at once, and forever, by the
a affirmation of the principle that the people of the
Territory should settle the question-slavery or
no slavery-for themselves That decision is
now one of the well settled principles of the Demo-
cratic party. We hold that New York should not
make laws for Massachusetts,: nor Massa chusetts
for Kansas. The people of Nebraska should
make laws for themselves. fSeveral FESTIVE
young men called loudly for . Brady'l They
are supposed to know their own business
Congress, in passing the Nebraska bill, only acted
up to the compromise measures OF 1850, which
had been sanctioned in the election Of so by the
votes of three-fourths of the people Of the United
States upon the platform as laid down by the
Democratic convention at Baltimore. A few
weeks ago the people of New York were address
ed in this very haR, think, by one of the ablest
among the abolition agitators, who traced the
history of the party, and claimed that it had
made great deal of progress at the North--that
It's meetings were undisturbcd--that it elected
Senators, members of the lower house, and gov
ernors of States Now, there may be great
deal of truth in all this; but should like to ask
what progress the abolitionists have made in the
South, the only quarter where it could be of any
practical good to their cause. In 1899, before
there were any abolition societies, Mr. Randolph
introduced bill in the Legislature of Virginia
for the abolition Of slavery in that State 1t found
many advocates, and it was believed that, had 1t
been pushed to test vote, many Of It's provisions
would have passed. 1t was laid over to the next
Legislature for consideration and amendment, MS
it would be the work of some time to arrange a
plan for the gradual abolition Of slavery. This
measure, which, starting in the great State Of
Virginia, would have been initiated inmany other
slave States, was stopped by tho formation of the
abolition societies in 1893, "a, '35. The South
was then forced to take the defensive. They met
threats with defiance aggression with resistance,
and turned deaf ear TO the fanatics who attcmpt-
ed to teach them how to manage their own affairs
From this we may see that to the abotionsts at
the North must be attributed the continuance of
slavery at the South. New York is essentially
free city; all its attributes are those of freedom
it rs peopled by all nations; all kinds of pursuits
are carried on within its borders. New York city |
is place where fanatics can never succeed IN |
fixing their erratic doctries upon the poople; we
are opposed to them in our very natures. Ap- |
plause. And ! think that if we, as National |
Democrats, 60 into the coming contest with the |
inscription on our banners--'Popular govern |
nent IN the Territories; opposition to intolerance
IN -tapplause) -oppssition TO the pro- |
scriptlon oil any man on account of his hirlhpl1