Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-03
DEMOCRATIC DEMONSTRATION AT
METROPOLITAN THEATRE.

racy Of the city Of New York, assembled last
evening IN Metropolitan Theatre, in accordance
with the following call:
Grand Mass Meeting OF the National De-
mocracy.
The National Democratic republican electors
Of the city of New York are invited 70 attend
meeting OF the Democracy OF this city, TO be held
at the Metropolitan Theatre, Broadway,
"Wednesday, 9th instant, al n O'Clock, p. m,
Tor the purpose of taking into consideration the
condition and prospects of the National Demo
cratic party, and To review the oppressive and
unjust legislation of the Wing party of this State,
Al the recent session of the Legislature.
The meeting was called TO order BY John b.
Haskn, Corporation Attorney, who offered
presiding officer that old Roman National Demo
crat, the Hon Samuel Beardsley.
The nomination was confirmed unanimously
and with great applause.
After the appointment OF a number OF Vice
Presidents and Secretaries--
The Hon. Judge Beardsley addressed the meet
ing follows:
We meet here to-night, fellow citizens us mem
hers ofthe old National Democratic party party
which was organized about the period when MIR.
Jefferson was elected to the Presdency--a party
which was then planted on free, liberal and manly
principles party which has ever since main
tanned those prnciples.the predominant feature
Of which is devotion TO the union of the States
and concession TO every region Of the country
of the same rights and the same privileges in all
respects so that the North and the South, the
East and the West, stand alike in the view of
that party as equally entitled to all the rights
which secured to American citizens. Cheers.
Well, gentlemen, we come here to see if anything
can be done, not to strengthen the faith of the
members OF that party, not to plant in their
breasts any principles, but to see if anything
can be done to renovate, and build up and plant
in power that great and good party, as it was
heretofore in power in this State, and in the
Union. Lour cheers,l Ii is but few years,
iellow-ctizens, since that party was in the as
tendency in the State Of New York. We had
then no divisions snch IS separate those who
were then members of that party We were not
troubled then with the doctrine of Freesoilism-
The Wilmot provso was unknown, and no man
heard of Abolitonist-l mean a political
; Abohtionist-in the Democratic party. There
was no man III that party who was disposed,
upon the question of slavery, TO array one sec
ton of the Union against the other This was
The condition OF the party few years ago. But
in lS4T, in the State convention Of that party,
which was represented by men from every section
of the State. large, prominent and 1nfinential
portion of the delegates chose-srnply because
the conventionwould not plant itself upon anti
slavery platform-to abandon the convention and
to array themselves against the nominations made
by il. The consequence defeat, and the
State passed over into the hands of the Wings.
This was in lS47. In 1913 the Presidential cleo
ton came on. A nomination made at Baiti-
more by the assembled Democracy of the Union,
and the same men who had caused our defeat in
l547 arrayed themselves against the nomination,
and by exertng all their power in the two great
central States of the Union, New York and Penn
sylvania, they enabled to triumph by pros
trating the Democracy of the Union and putting
the Presidencyin tire hands ofthe Wings. Hear,
hear.l
That was tho result in ls4s. should have
said that in the brightest days of the democracy
of New York, when we were all united upon
those questions which now agtate and divide us,
or rather which now agitate and divide those who
were then united-in those days, Mr.. Van Buren,
vas concededly at the head Of the democracy of
New York He had embraced those doctrines
No man protested them more strongly than he
did. He "Northern man with Southern
principles. Hear, hear. He stood up at that
tRe for the integrity Of the Union. But, in lS46,
this same Mr.. Van Buren, chose to allow himself
TO become the nominee of the Freesoilers of New
York for the Presidency, in opposition to the Ma
Z tonal Democratic nominations; and under the
flag which hoated over their heads, of "free
speech, free soil, and free men" they were en-
abled to PROSTATE and cut down the Democracy
of the Union. Well, gentlemen, having achieved
that result, an effort made in l849 to patch
up q coalition between the old National Demo
Gratis, who had always stood by their principles
and maintained their integrity, and the Freesoil-
ers. II succeeded after fashion, but II was not
a bargain that any Of US were proud Of, am
sure. Hear, hear. had hand in making
il myself, and | trust there IS no ono here who
thinks that il wise step. By common con-
sent II has been abandoned, and the whole De
mocracy of the State now agree that il was indie
cent and corrupt in its motives, origin, and OBJ
wholly unfit 10 be countenanced by
\ claimed TO be honest and patriotic.
We'll. coalton " Matched nm and
| sort Of triumph-such as il was-in the
Of what called Democratic State
tration. pass it BIZ, for it is already al
.r rgotten. BY common consent, that coali-
ne TO an end and we all know that since
ne the Old National Democratic party,
DFe who compose the Freesoil party claim
ing also to be Democrats, have acted separately,
and that the consequences has been tho triumph
of the Wings in the State. Hear, hear. Wen,
gentlemen, we should all be satisfied with union
and harmony, IL il was union on principles
one that would result in harmony Of action. But
when one section is for standing by the integrity
Of the Union, for discarding all sectional feeling
FOR putting down all abolition agitation, aud al
lowing the South 10 manage their own concerns
IN the matter Of slavery in their own way; and
the other section says that the Wilmot proviso
must be adopted, and that Congress must enter
tain and act upon the subject Of slavery il is Ut
tery impossible thai parties entertaining such OPP
Posite opinions can act in concert. Hear, hear !
with us before the "boltr have spoken Of now
they were then, acting upon the principles
which the national democracy have always stood
by. But until they espouse those principles
until they can agree to the same platform that is
upheld by the Democrats Of all the States OF the
Union where there is anything which deserves TO
be called democracy; until they abide by
that and stand on that principle, il is utterly inn
possible that there can be anything which is AT
10 be called a union. Loud cheers The thing
IS wholly impossible. Well, felow-citizeDs-for
shall be very brief in what have to ssy-Gcn-
eral Pierce was chosen President upon the princi-
Piles of the National Democracy; be was believed
to be sound upon those principles, and had he
proved TO be so, we all well know that to-day the
Democratic party Of the Union would have been
IN the ascendant; should not have been tram
pied down by any Of the parties that have grown
up in the night and faded away in the morning;
we could have resisted the whole of them.
lCheers But from the very first moment ofthe
administration Of General Pierce, in defiance OF