Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1855-09-22
Elf. atephens OF Georgia, on Know-Noth-
insisnn

lHC H1dtoti VA eltBT6pn " lie L LII
instant contains an editorial report of III,
speeches delivered at grand mass meet
ing of Democrats and anti Know Nothing.
held in Griffin on THURSDAY the 9Th inst
from which re clip the following which
the editor gives as the substance OF the re.
marks made by Hon. A. II. Stephens now
Ia candidate for reelection to Congress
from that Stale. The battle IS over in
Virginia--the monster was efIectuail,
stranged By the galan, Democracy in this
State on the 24Il Of May last .sotwith.
standing, we have none the less interest in
similar struggles In our sister States, aud
are, therefore, assured tina, even brief
synopsis of the remarks of the eloquent,
bcld and gifted Stephens-we ralght add.
with perfect propriety, the patriotic and
truly Southern Stephens-wil be accept
able TO those IN Virginia who have enjoy
ed one victory and who earnestly hope for
the pleasure 0. congratulating their Dem
ocrtic friends Of Georgia upon similar
triumph IN that State.
Gov. Mcdonald opened the proceedings.
and then introduced to the audience, the
Hon, A, II. Stephens, whose appearance
was greeted with cheer upon cheer OF con.
graduation aud delight:
MIR. Stephens said he wanted the peo-
pie to hear his words aud remember them.
He came to speak rot to their passions, but
TO their reason-not to their hearts but 10
their heads. He had confidence in the
people and their capacity to govern them
selves. They needed no secret dictators
and he had no fears for the result when he
saw them, a. L,en. feeling al interest in
public affairs, aud determined to examine
into them. The question was merely this:
Were they wiling to live under the Con-
st,e,ion of their fathers, or did they want
another? We have formerly differed about
measures, DO. now the difference was about
a jor1. Of Goeerhmen,. The Know Moth.
lings propose TO substitute their supreme
council tor the present Government and
their Constitution tor the Constitution o.
the country. lie, Tie people choose
Which would they bave-the Constitution
loe their Fathers, or that of the kno y
Nothing Councii That was the real
question. He had the Know Nothing
Constitution in his hand. Ii Was genuine
and he knew ii. 1t declared tina, the Su.
preme National Council should decide ali
matters appertainiDg TO National politics"
that It should have power to tax" and
"power to purish." without limitation or
restriction. This was more power than
was claimed for Congress. Our feseid,hers
guarded our liberty with checks aad bal
ances. 1t made the Senate check upoa
the House-t..e President check upon
the Senate, and the Judiciary check up
on The President. But this party claimed
all these powers for is secret National
Council alone. Here was power to decide
our National polilics-power to tax and to
punish-power over the sword and pow
err over the puIse-in short, all the great
powers OF government, in the hands OF a
few men, aud men no: chosen by the peo-
pie at that what then was the us- o. our
Constitution or Of our Government This
part. made another Constitution aud Gov
erument for US. Would freeman ac-
Their right to tar Eim' 70
punish him3 To decide all political Gues-
lions for him' What was the question
We're they tired OF the Constitution o,
JEFFERSON and Washington ana Franklin
They must ehosse between them. They
aus. sa: whether they wanted another
:orm of Government. He held ia ais
!aDi the two Constitutions. The one
made oy our fathers, the other by the
Know Nolhings. Choose -, tins dag
which OF the two ye Will have.
lie said tina, good de al had been said
about phrase oil his, in reference to the
sdry rot" aud the Democratic party
When that party had free-soiers in lis
folds, he did think they ha,. the dry ror"
but they had met at Miliedgevile and Gu,
uif the "dry rot part OF it, and refused 10
acknowledge such men as the Van Burens
and Preston King. Banks Of Massachn-
sets was the leader Of the "dry rot DEM
ocrats'' who voted against the Kansas Bill
As soon as that bill passed, Banks and for.
ty-,hrer dry 70, Democrats, weniand pitch
ed into the pool of Know Noihingism.-
The seven Southern WAigs who opposed
that Fill, went and pitched into the same
pool " it'll Banks. Such whig as they
were, he never had been, and so help him
God, he never would be- For his part he
" ould rather act with those who had cut
VII tne ull Iot i,aIN 'hai WIN uo,0 "ho
had it. Every man who fought by his
side for the Kansas bll---he meant from
the North--called himself Democrat;
every one Of them. He was none OF your
glass-eyed SIXTY horses to SHY al shadow.
He went, net for sound but for substance
He was not frightened at y name, aud he
would strike hands with an, man from the
North, 10 matter what he called himself,
when he stood up aud ba.tled for the right.
of the South. There was one man who
had stood by his side for two DAYS and
nights, when he was lighting for Kansas.
A man who has been very much ab1sed,
but who in his opinion stood head and
shoulders above any man in the New York
delegation. He meant Mike Halsh--a
man who had graduated. as he said him
self, no, in Colleges but a. the plane aud
carpenters bench-a man " no spoke with
an Irish lisp and all irish accent. but who
had as true an American heart aod as true
a Southern heart as ever animated mortal
frame. II made no difference to him, be-
cause Mike Walsh called himself Demo-
crat. He was true man, and, before this
Southern Audience, he called for three
cheers for Mike Walsh. (Here three
cheers went IN from about 1000 throats