Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-15

kha
delivered speech in this city, {" su'h p'"of "na u
Geo, tina, is publication was so!c''ea oy the party
Thsro has been 10 argument OF greater @oh''y
.;,,., ,ss ,ru,iplos Of tho Know-Nothing party,
:, ,reseuted in tho following admirable ad-
Gress.
SPEECH OF JAMES LYONS ESQ,
r,.-td u! * atr,can Charch, at n.cctsng Of the
Draooo.,c Associa.,oa, on tie night Of Tuesday,
p.y Isl, 1855.
REPORTED BIT r. KEASN
After appropriate introduction of Mr.. LYuys to
Tie association, by tho President, w. A. PArTEsoN,
Esd. he said
lccms before you, tonight, my countrymen, not to
address, you upon tho claims of rival candidates for
Cce public fuvor, but to consider and, far
very humble ability will enable to do to present
70 you, III form worthy of your consideration, tho
-est questions which at issue now before the Anne
Tcnu people; and before you, rs component part OF
,hr more especially before the people OF tue Common
wealth oi Virginia, in her pending elections, which
involve in nv humble Judgment, the most important
rou,ec uenccs and results that have been involved
ipsnyssae presented to people ofhs country since
tLs, hon which first established we have thought
aud believed, the liberty aud independence of this
country Ii is great Tho questions involved
in i, are of great magnitude, and to be properly pre-
s.n,eG 10 Your consideration, they require an ability,
| know perfectly we'll far beyond any possess. And
II ]; NAV seem presumptuous in me 10 undertake Il
discussion Vi them before you, you will find my
snolocv in your own kindness in having go
Ic,,rI me 10 enter upon this task well az in that
spirit which neoessary 10 freedom and Tree govern
,n.n, thai spirit which makes il the duty OF every
,itIen the very humblcst III the Commonwealth, 10
bear his part in every contest that scarried on III that
Commonwealth.
The price Of liberty we have been told by ono Of
lie crea, apostles is eternal vigilance In Virginia.
the characteristic quality of republican government
is that the people manage and control II: that every
man in the Commonwealth il equal in right TO every
Otho hat ha arp
laws and ns.itutions-eVcry man thcretore's
ROT only Interested in examining, considering discuss
M oil prominent questions. but 1t il his duty
10 hiulself and his country 10 do 30. come be.
fore you, tonight my countrymen, in this character
Of acitIzen OF ths Commonwealth interested alike
with al Of you in tho questions that are at is
sue, for the purpose of discussing them, far
on able 70 do presenting such considerations such
views Of them, as in my Judgment ought TO Ge con.
elusive to you, as they have been to mo, Of
,hv. character and merits. IT, in some respects,
shall be able to perform this duty to you sasfo-
tor!y sou will readily perceive, independent of the
.ause 10 which have already alluded that am not
Mst;ar Of my voice. on account of harasslng cold,
which, for more than week, has hung upon me. l
,oane before you, therefore, united for display,
even though l we're capable of making it. come
before you under the deepest Of tho Importance
:hsquessons which aro at issue regardless OF every
,ensdsrsfion in respect to myself TO present them
~ you without oratorical flourish.
4, but short time since great political contest
two crea, parties Of the nation, then organized and
known ss The Wing and Democratic parties of the
soun,ry. That Democratic party, of which the De
moeratic Association OF the city OF Richmond has
bsen always distinguished component part, Is coe-
val with TIE foundation Of the government having its
origin in lie very Constitution under which We have
90 lon. lived and been blessed beyond any other ma
.i"u in The world Coeval with II was another party
then known as the Federal party. differing with tie
Democratic party in respect TO the great principles
upon which the government should DO administered
Twas only at later day that that party Came into
existence, which have said Vas known as inc x -.
Wing party Of the country. That party was leu ny
1reut and noble spirits, who feared not 10 nSLI
openly and in the face OF day. for what they CONSIDER
good and sanary principles ala dnse.t nee I ;n ahcb
rrs led by the lusrioue Scett ana iowereh its nag
before the overwhelming hosts OF the Democratic
party. Ii was announced oy al its organs oy i's
ca6,nu organ in this city, by all its organs south of
,b Potomac after the election had taken place. thut
he Hki. marty at rae North was abolitioniIedi that
i. had brei ed,.ed from its allegiance TO the Consti-
tulop and lcame the tool of one who was the worst
euey Of The South; and the declaration went forth,
b,t tie Wing party Of the South no longer co-ope-
rs;et with il. In this couden Of things great con-
lest came on in the Congress Of the United States
originating in tho Senate, in which new Territories
being abon, TO be formed, the subject of Territorial
government preparatory to the exercise Of the sove-
reign power Of the people in the formation Of State
governments, constituted the main feature We had,
in that contest, tho men OF the Democratic party
10 reference ~ both sections OF the unlon lhey
maintained that Of the South were in ell respects,
the equal Of the men Of the North; that our natural
social, political rights, were the same; that IN
introducing this Territory into the government, there
ahould be established that principle Of equality which
he Constitution guarantees, aud which, 1t was
thought, had been finally established in the compro-
n!ss which succeeded the old controversies in this
regard They maintained that the public Territory
which had been acquired by ths common treasure
aud the common blood of tho North and South; TO
which If there was Gny difference, the South contri
buted most should be the common property of North
snd South; that, like property which belongs to any
pnVdfe association purchased by tho Joint means of
those who constitute that association and contribute
equally TO lis acquisition, each should be entitled to an
equal SHARE and enjoy equal protection under the law
and constitutions Carrying out that principle was in
dsp-nsaby necessary thwt they should do what they
dd-that they should oblterate from the records that
line between the North aud the South called the
Missouri line, which, in the spirit Of the impious bur
iupo,unt Canute who undertook TO CONTROL against
the ordinances Of God, the waves OF the sen, said
tho South, Thus far and no further shalt thou CO.
tho common territory of the country shall not be
Yours az well as mine, but shall be mine alone
This was the Kansas and Nebraska bill
II proclaimed aud sought to establish, the doc
trine Of simple Justice, and political and constitution
81 equality, which said to the Hen OF the South, You
IRE the equala df tbs nien Of the North The man
who owns slaves is much entitled to 20 with his
Hlaves into the common territory, as tho man who
lhuB grew up, Immediately new party, called by
tho attractive appellaon of the Nothing party,
proessed pGriSts who belonging originally to both the
political parties pharasaically announced their pur-
pose TO form party composed Of the good men OF
The old parties, whosc watch-word and battle'cry
wero, repeal Of the Kansas and Nebraska bill, and
The restoration ui the Missouri line. Aotuated, how
over; as much by the hops of spoil bound together in
t"e languages OF great statesman, by the cohesive
power o' public plumber, they were not content or
sanu'a onoNga to wage their against the South
oGne, ou' c"3osed OF nIen of all shades of religious
~ onS, "h. OF men without religion of any kind,
p1le''eG 10 purity the religion of tue country,
not @ mase war upon the Cathc!ios because they did
~ p'S'nP 'fod after the manner and fashion which
10 hno@'Aothngs would prescribe.
hi. p"pose now 10 consider the principles of
",ls new combination. come here ne said not TO
sas'eate the claims of rival candidates to office,
Gut 10 DISCUSS important principles. I have moth.
If the members "t %'i The personal qualities
Il az party, and with tho princ,ias :" u'"i s"ii
!; profsssedy relies, as are iniormu T,,,un s",n
many good and upright men who ore said r. h a'
similar character, all as pure in motive anJ ,'sS "i
asl caI claim to DO, who are sad To b" .,n,p
ympslhsers,' each Of whom would abandon 'So ,So
ORDER and renounce all conneXiou with !, "'e ne
.hey saw do, and did not think "a tb.n
DO, tia, weapon is too bad to use for
The purpose Of destroying the Democratic ps,rr.
because they regard Democracy as the greatest evil
shall regard it, therefore, in three aspvcts-l.,
-, N aeauh upon the freedom Oh conscience ID. In
h'~n' upOn tho adopted citizens whom it calls 10
'ek~"' 81. As u monstrous political coalitIoD a
Eset political trick, in order to get into power
Ssst'is il IN all these aspects as conspiracy in truth
sa'' 'Go liberty Of the country for the sake of pow
snce there be liberty in any land in which all
eH' 20 nj" stand upon ali equal footing, and every
on no' a; liberty worship his Creator accord
Ivy 20 ,ne dictates Of his own conscience. II claims
ma 'eI' uie ntie sometimes, of Native American"
~ sometimes OF the American Party" Native
eh ha
q S"'th American Indians, American party Is not
i"i'y composed Of Know. .Nothugs, Of men addicted
;mt sseed or to no creed; but that party which is
v"s "ilh tue great principles of the American re-