The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-10-31
speech of Fletcher webster!

y
Lancaster, the home of James Buchanan!
FELLowClrIzENs OF THE UNITED STATES
Thank God ! can say 50 still! am happy 10
meet you | thank YOU for the nattering man
ner in which you have received me. II gives
me joy, citizens of Lancaster, to meet here ma
I ny distinguished gentlemen who will address
| you, and from whose words of elooupnce and
wisdom you Will derive new resolution in sun
polt OF your patriotic cauSr, but il particularly
gives me JOY 10 meet here the son Of an illustr-
Gus statesman now no more. (AppIause.) He
also told you, and he told others Of your fellow
citizens in-oiher places, that he was quiet far
mer, living upon his place in Kentucky.
1.-THE keystone Club escorted by the Wheatland
Club of Lancaster, at O'Clock here fled into the
square, having just arrived from Philadelphia The
Club was preceded by the Pennsylvania CoFnet
Band, aad aumbsy,d aJout 1000 Democrats. As this
Iarge body Of men marched up to the meeting the
enthusiasm was unbounded The sturdy yeomanry
of Lancaster received the citizens OF Philadelphia
with shout after shout OF JOY, and they gazed up
on the banner at the head OF the Club, bearing the
inscription, 'Phadephia salutes the home Of Penn
sylYan'a tavoriie Son., they pushed forward to en-
brace their brethren, and give them heartfelt wei
come.l
Mn. WEBSTER When was interrupted, |
was referring to the Distinguished gentleman
who preceded me. He told You he never vas
IN political life. am myself no politician and
no orator. have made bat one political speech
IN sixteen years. only desire ptare and the
protection OF the laws, and prefer The quiet
comforts Of my home TO the excitement Of po-
lItical STRIFE. What trings me here? What
brings me, citizen Of Massachusetts, on this
platform with the gentleman from Kcntockv, to
meet you the citizens Of LancaSierl What mo-
tlve, what conmca cauSr has drawn Us. with
out concert or combination, or correspondence.
voluntarily here. but the education and the
principles wp received trom-our great fathers,
who have gone before us-to love and stand by
the Union: Great applausr.) Whv, gentle
mrn. believing as We 90, that The pstprtuitv of
this Union is threatened, and seeing the dread
ful storm impending over Us, which may burst
upon Us with destructive fury if We had sa,
down Ijstlrss and folded Our arms. Won would
have expected, and we would have expected
our fathers 10 risr from their graves and de-
nouace Us. (Cheers.) We are but discEar-
ging sacred duty which we owe to our God. /
Our country, and the glorious principles for
which our fathers battled, when we come for
ward and lend oar aid 70 the only party which I
can save the Constitution and lhe Unlon
Cheers.
MY friends. am no orator, bot will with
r"nr permission, have a IITe r,aitr tafr ,.ith
you. ] ayed not tell YOU that | havr. been 7
Whg, aad suppose il is equally unnecessary
tor me- to say that ] am not ashamed to own II. (
No doubt there are great many before me who I
bold a similar position with Rys-f Allof YOU
tlt, mot !.
Gratis or there never would have been a Wbjr
vote 10 Lancaster county. Tremendous ap- I
plaHse.l Well, 10 you original Democrats as
we'll as to the old tine Wings with whom
lately acted, would address myself for few
and give you the faith that is in me
for being here, on this platform to-day, and the
reasons which have rliuencrd me in my deter
and which suppose have Influenced
other persons equally disihterested.
Fellow-citzens Of Lancaster At the OMEN
ing OF th}s campaign politics had become 81 IN
yoIved and intricate that ] did not know where
stood, and my first inquiry was where 10 20.
l'he Wing party in Massachusetts,, as in the
country, was entirely Dispersed. 1t only catr-
ID four states al th- last Presidential election.
and was 50 utterly drftatrd that it never seemed
likely TO recover sufficiently to make another
1omlnation. In the upper branch Of the Leg
stature OF Massachusetts there was not one
Wing, and but one in the lower branch be-
ieve the Democratic party bad bot one repre-
entatre IN The Legislature also, aud the cues
ion was which Of The two great parties had the
majority, which was decided at last in IA vor Of
he Democracy, Their representative weighing
he most. Laughter and applause.I Aly in-
lairy then was where TO 90? The Wing party {
ras dlsbandrd aad swept from the face Of the
.ouatFy by such tornado Of popular rnisapPre-
ienSlon never before Witnessed in
he United States from the foundation Of the :
government TO the present dav. A party
lnnluatlag Mr.. Fremont upon sectional grounds {
nllrely, 10 Convention at which no South 5
IN gentleman could by any possibility be
'rrsrut, and upon principles Of bitter hostility
o The South. The Fremont Convention dtcla-
ed dissolution OF all political connection with !
he South BY their nomination, and therefore no t
Jnlon could act with them! | held on
lie prudent man, until the Democratic party
1ade its nomination at Cincinnati, aud when
be telegraphic voices communicated the INTEL +
gence that Mr.. Buchanan vas nominated as q
be representative Of principles which my fath-
r had spent his life in advocating, the light- /
lug was not hdii SO loUg I'D bringing the news, a
5 was in taking my position. Enthusiastic c
pplause.) As soon as the issues of the can- I
aign were clrarly defined, when the question ?
f Union or Disunion was deliberately prrsen a
ID 10 the American people, and it became evi- i
ent that bold and shameless denagogues who S
ontrolrd Frrmout and the Republican party g
ad determined to make fearful struggle to "
Iccepd in their treasonable designs, it became a
le duty of every man who loved his country Il
array himself under the banner of that party /