The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-05-08

Freedom, from being the music of the Union,
into sing-song chaut in praise of African
Slavery. Applause.
And, as to the " flag of the Uniou," / would
saw to that elegant orator, that the greatest
statesman of New England, when, in possession
of his best reasoning powers and over whelraing
oratory, he stood up to support the Union and
Constitution, could give him a description of
that flag. 1t is "the gorgeous ensign of the
Republic, now known and honored throughout
the earth-still full high advanced-its arms
and trophies streaming in their original lustre-
not stripe erased or polluted, nor a single star
obscured-but everywhere spread all over in
characters of living light, blazing on all its
ample folds, as they float over the sea and over
the land, and in every wind under the whole
heavens, that sentiment dear to every true
American heart, Liberty and Union-nOw and
forever-one and inseparable!'" That is the
flag of the Union which you and all of US will
follow, and keep step to the music of the shouts
of freemen that attend it. Cheers.
But when we find that flag in the hands of
whatever Observation-Disclosures they as
sumo the honored name of the Democratic
party, or any other-and notice that it is I'M
furled, with every stripe polluted, and every
star obscured-all its floating glories darkened,
and its ennobling sentiment giving place to the
shocking motto of Slavery and Union-now
and forever-one and inseparable then will
we trample that flag in the dust, and strike
down that standard-bearer, as a conspirator
against the Public Freedom, and traitor to the
Honor and Freedom of the Union. Prolonged
applause.
When the applause had measurably subsidized,
the report presented by tie Hon. Abijah Mann
was unanimously adopted.
The Chairman then said: have the pleasure
of introducing to the meeting the Hon. John
A. Bingham, member of the House of Repre-
sentatives from the State of Ohio. Applause.
Speech of Hon John A. Bingham.
Mr.. Bingham said:
/ was impressed with the remarks of your
honorable Chairman, in referring to the call
which had convened this vast assembly of the
friends of Freedom, that it was to bring back
the Government of the United States to the
policy of Washington and Jefferson. Those
words were expressed, my fellow citizens, by
that old Continental Congress that met at the
outbreaking of the war of the Revolution, when
they said to their countrymen, awe have
come together to take care of the Liberty of the
country" The people of the Empire State
the people, thank God, of every free State in
the Union-are this day mastering their forces
TO take care of the Liberty of country ap.
plause Ito bring back the GoGernment, under
the Constitution of the United States, to the
policy of Washington and j efferson. Cheering. |
1t is with shame and humiliation that an
American citizen confesses-but he must con-
fess it, for the fact stands in his path-that the
Constitution of this country, which Washington
and his peerless associates gave US, is this day
put upon trial. Those whose special duty it was
to keep watch and ward over that sacred instru-
ment have betrayed it, defled it, and polluted
it. Applause. They have struck from that
hallowed parchment those thrilling words in
the very introduction of it: We, the people of
the United States, in order to establish Justice,
theimperishable attribute ofGod-to secure Lib
erty, the imperishable right of man-do ordan
"and establish the Constitution" These thrilling
words, | say, areto be taken from thatinstrument,
and in their stead are to be written, "injustice,"
and oppression" And then the instrument will
read: We, the people OF the United States, in
order to establish injustice, and to secure to
selves and our posterity the blessings of despot-
ism, do ordain and establish this Constitution.
The question is, Shall that CELEBRATION be made !?
l"No, no."
No man at all conversant with the history of
this country can fail to perceive that great
change has been manifested in the department
of the Government at Washington. The policy
there is as Numerically opposed to the policy
of Washington and Jefferson, as was the policy
of Russia to that of Washington and jefferson.
They made no attempt to satisfy the people of
the United States, but they were banded togeth-
er for the purpose of maintaining the institution
of Human Slavery. No idea of that kind ever
entered into the thoughts of the men who form
ed the Constitution under which we live. Wash
ington said, "The principles of the Constitution
of the United States are entirely free" Those
are the words which he employed in that Fare
well Address which he gives to us as his last
legacy. He says that the principles of the Gov
eminent of the United States are completely
free. Cheers. And in another part of the
same Address he tells us that the community of
Government which constitutes us one people is
dear to US, and it is Justly so because it is the
main pillar in the defence Of our independence,
the support of tranquility at home, of peace
abroad, and of our prosperity in that very Liber.
ty which we so highly prize.
This was the great idea of Washington, that
the principles of our Government are entirely
free, and the Constitution of the United States
constitutes us one people, one in interest, and
one in destiny. And, catching the great spirit of
Washington, our Webster tells us that we have
but one country, one Constitution, and one des-
tiny. What, now, is the language of this Ad-
separate, sovereign, and independent States; not
being one people at oil, not having one in
terest at all, and not having one destiny at all
but a set of sovereign and independent States,
banded together for the purpose-among other
things-of maintaining the worst system of des-
potism the world ever saw. lSensation.
find, in certain message addressed to the
Thirty fourth Congress of the United States of
America, dated the 3lst of December, 1855,
and signed Franklin Pierce, this strange Ian
guage: "That the Congress of the United
States is, in effect, that Congress of Sovereign
ties WHICH good men in the Old World have
sought for, but could never obtain. Our CO.
operative action rests on the conditions of per-
manent confederation prescribed by the Consti-
tuition. Our balance of power is in the sepa-
rate reserved rights of the States" and, after
reasoning on about this Confederation of States
as though the old Articles of Confederation had
not persisted with the last battle of the Revolu.
ton, and been superseded by this new Covenant
of Freedom, which bears the name of Wash
ington, and, afterward, that scarcely less re-
nowned name, your own Alexander Hamilton.
lcheers, after characterizing that Union as a
mere bond of confederation, he goes on and
uses these other words, which come in direct
conflict with those thrilling words of Washing
ton, That the principles of our Government
are parfectly and entirely free" He says
"Hence, while the General Government, az
well by the enumerated powers granted to it as
by those not enumerated, and therefore refused
to it, was forbidden to touch that matter, in
sense of attack or offence, and it was placed
under the general safeguard of the Union in
the sense of defence against either invasion or
domestic violence" Placed under the general
safeguard OF the Unioni What, placed under
the safeguard of the Union! Why, my fellow
citizens, have been disposed to look upon this
Union as a sacred and a holv tb;nn =, no-,as,