Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-09-11
From the Boston Courier
Hon. Rufus Choate on the Presidential
Question.

The Wings of Maine held a grand mass
meeting in the town of Waterville, Wedues-
dav, 18th ult. Hon. Rufus Choate was
invited to be present, but being unable to
attend he sent letter, in which he defn-
ed his own position on the Presidential
question; and avowed his intention to vote
for Mr. Buchanan. We give it below:
BosroN, Saturday, Aug. Q, 1856.
GENTLEMEN: Upon my return last eve
ming, after short absence from the city,
found your letter of 3Oth ult., inviting me
to take part in the proceedings of the
Wings of Maine, assembled in mass meet
ings.
appreciate most highly the honor and
kindness ofthis invitation, and should have
had true pleasure i'll accepting It, The
Wings of Maine composed at all times so
important division of the great national
party; which under that name, with or
without official power, as a responsible adj
minstration or as only an organized opin-
ion, has done SO much for our county,
our whole country,-and your response
bilities at this moment are SO vast and pc
culiar, that 1 acknowledge an anxiety to
sec.-not wait to hcar,-with what noble
bearing you meet the demands of the time
If the tried le"ions, TO whom 1t Is commit
ted to guard the frontier of the Union, fall
ter now, who, any where, can be trusted?
Ny engagements, however, and the ne
cessity or expediency of abstaining from
all speech requiring much effort, will pre-
vent my being with you. And yet, invi-
ted to share in your counsels, and grateful
for such distinction, cannot wholly de-
cline my own opinions on one of the duties
of the Wings in what you well describe as
1.-THE present crisis in the political affairs
of the country" / cannot now, and need
not, pause to elaborate or defend them
What | think, and What | have decided to
do, permit me in the briefest and plainest
expression to tell you.
The first duty then, Of Wings, not mere
ly as patriots and citizens, loving, with a
large and equal love our whole native land,
but as Wings and because we are Wings,
Is TO UNITE WITH SOME ORGANI-
ZATION OF OUR COUNTRYMEN, TO
DEFEAT AND DISSOLVE THE NEW
BIOGRAPHICAL PARTY, calling it
self Republican This IS our first duty
1t would more exactly express my opinion
to say. ut thia moment, II Is OUR ONLY
DUTY. Certainly, At least, it compre-
hcnds or suspcnds al! others; and in my
judgment, the question for each and every
one of lis IS, not whether this candidate or
that candidate would be our first choice;
nor whether there is some good talk in the
best platform; "or whether this mans am
bition, or that mans scrvility, or boldness,
or fdnaticiSm, or violence, is responsible
for putting the wild waters in this uproar:
but just this,-by what vote can do
most to prevent the madness of the times
from working its maddest act,-the very
ecstacy of is madness, the permanent for
nation and the actual present triumph Ola
party which knows one-h half of America
only to hate and dread it; from whose un-
consecrated and revolutionary banner fif-
teen stars are erased or have falcn;-in
whose national anthem the old and endear-
ed airs of the Eutaw Springs, and the
Kings Mountain, and Yorktown, and those
later, Of New Orleans, and Buena Vista,
and Chapul.epcc, breathe no more. To
this duty, to this question, all other seem
to me to stand for the present postponed
and secondary.
And why? Because, according to our
creed it is only the united American which
can peacefully, gradually, safely, improve,
lift up, and bless with all social and person
al and civil blessings, all the races and all
''V Cobuit'HS WHICH cOiIpoSc our vast ana
various family.-it is such an American
only, whose arm can guard our flag, de-
velop our resources, extend our trade:--
and fill the measure of our glory; and be-
cause, according to our convictions the
triumph o. such party puts that Union
in danger That is my reason. And for
you, and for me, and for all of us, in whose
regards the Union possesses such a value,
and 10 whose fears it seems mcnaccd BY
such danger, it is reason enough. Be
lieving the noble ship of state to be within
half cables length of the Ice shore of
rock, in a gale of wind, our first business is
to put her about, and crowd her off into
the deep, open sea.-That done, we can re
gulate tie stowage Of her lower tier of
powder, and select her cruising ground,
and bring her officers to court martial at
our leisure.
Is there any in Maine-and among the
Wings of Maine hope there Is not ONE