Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-10-16
MIR, EOYCE'S SPEECH.


of his stewardship to n large number ci his con-
stituercy in York District Tic Court Eouse was
well filed. and throughout The address the audto-
| rv gave that marked attention which the absorb
ing interest of the topics uar discussion and the
distinguished reputation Of tht speaker could not
fail to secure. Oar limited space will not allow
full report Of Mr.. Boyce's argument; the reader,
who had no; the pleasure Of hearing It, must there
fore be content with mcagrc outline.
A.cr the brief statement Of Tic sectional nature
| of the penl!ng controversy, Mr. Boyce proceeded
to sketch the prominent events in the history Of
tic las: session Of Congrcss-touching first upon
the election Of Banks, the calm, silrcwd, selfish
and malignant Yankee who occupied the Speakers
Chair lie rightly thought that Tic Democratic
, and Know Nothing parties were equally to be
blamed for this unfortunate result, which threw
tie course of legislation under the control of the
Black Republicans, and taught them the iapor-
tance of organization and union amongst them
selves He then discussed the Kansas question
exposing The shameless tricks by which the agita-
tors imposed upon the crcdulity Of the Northern
masses, ana aroused torrent Of feeling in behalf
of bleeding Kansas" the bare-fnccd fraud at-
tempted in the action Of tho Topeka convention:
the passage l,y the House CT the bill admitting
Kansas into the Union rs Il free State nader that
constitution and, finally, the desperate struggle
on the Army bill, which at last forced through
Congress by tho aid Of the clamor raised by the
Northern masses who would otherwise, bayc been
deprived of the lions share of the public money.
With this act the session ended and one might
hope that the agitators expired w:tt, were i not
for the fear that If one swarm went cut another
and more desrcratc crew might come in. Il may
excite surprise that the Black Republicans, having
possession Of the leading Committees, did noi
agitate the abolition of slavery in the District Of
Columbia. the repeal of the F"gi;ve-SIave Law
&C. Yet they forehorc, from policy not from
moderation. They feared to alarm the North, and
hence confined the agitation in 4 great degree to
the single issue of ''Kansas." This moderation
was out temporary, however,; whenever they at
tain the power, their agsressioas, hc thought,
would proceed 10 the extreme point Of universal
c;iancipatio!."
Now, the absorbing issue is the Presidents
election. II is difficult to ascertain the position
of Mr.. Fillmorc's party Gil the slavery question,
since the expunSing Of the 18th section Of the
now-Nothirg platform. While in Congress,
representing his little bailiwck Of Buffalo, Mr..
Fillmore was an aho,:tonist OF the strictcst sect;
hu; when he became President his views were en-
largcd and were more conservative. But it is
useless to consider Kim. rs hr stands - possible
chancc Of election. Mr.. Boycc considered the
platform of the Cincinnati Convention SuOStanti-
ally sound OH the slavery question, and he a"lor
with which the conservative men Of thc North are
adhering to its terms commanded his regard in
high degree. H. thought Mr. Buchanan all able
and conservative statesman, particularly III re-
gard to our domestic pol:cy--n0t the man he
would have chosen, bat one w''o would probably
nc: JUSTLY and lie therefore had no hesitation ii
supporting him in preference to the other candi-
dates, though he could not go crazy upon the sub
Jet;
Discussing tie merits OF the third and most
formidable party, the Blaci; Republicans, Mr..
Eoyce drew lrcrou: picture O: TIC character,
a.. rcdouhtah" exploits anG the Ridiculous claims
of john Cha,'as T:2mor. for the Presidency
He could not -. u. the idea Of such creature
being President Of = mighty Republic, the Office
once digniiel by the great Washington. between
whom and Fremont the comparison is rs odious
rs that between the impcricus Julius Ceasar, with
his gigantic sword, and the effcminate and tyran-
nical Nero, with'h;s fiddle. He was selected on
account of his plant principles, by men who had
none but the etching palm for the public plum
der. and knew that under his administration they
could ''rob the Exchcquer" with impunity; and
he was made available to humhug the Northern
masses, BY the most extravagant and ridiculous
pretentons to hcroiSm on account of his b!oodless
campaign in California and bootlcss expeditions
through the Rocky Mounta;ns-rendered into
fiction by his romantic father-in-aw, Thomas H.
Benton. Frcmonts real claims to heroism were
all fabulous during his term of service lie had
swirdled the government out of enormous amounts
Of money, and ended his military career hy being
ignominiousy dismissed from the army. His
pretensions as politician were even of less con-
sequence-hc was in the Senate but three weeks.
Mr.. Boycc thought the nomination of such
man q striking illustration Of the dcgeneracy OF
the times; We; he believed that Fremont would he
elected. The sectionalisln Of the North ; their
intense hatred Of the South their love o. power
and plunder; the frec-soii feeling, predominatiug
over every other sentiment; the evaporation at
the supposed outrGgcs in Kansas the corruption
fostering in Northern Society; all these elements
arc together forming fierce, headlong current in
favor of Fremont, which. he had very little doubt,
would sweep before it every opposition.
If Fremont be elected, the all-important ques
ton occurs--What will the South do? Upon this
point, Mr.. Boycc plain and explicit. He could
not speak fOr others, but for himself he would an
swcr-s.wc must not srbmt.' II was well known
that he had been conservative i'll his politics. He
had always been disposed 10 do everything posi-
bic, consistent with ri hts and our honor, to con-
ciliatc the sound portion Of the Northern masses.
But concilation has its limits; and If Fremont is
elected, the conciiatory policy is exhausted. He
would consider his election, under all its atten-
dant circumstances, such an evidence of the
arrogance and hostility of the North that we, Of
the South, would be justified by every cOnsidera-