Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-08-08
WASHINGTON. D. c. FRIDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST s 1856
SPEECH OF THE HON. l.. M. cox.
OF Kentucky.

SPEECH OF THE HON. l.. M. COX,
of Kentucky,
Delivered in the House Of Representative on tie
26h Of July 1856, IN defence Of tie principles
Q me american party, and the approaching
Presidential election
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: / did not come to the House
tonight TO make speech. Indeed ! had no such
inteAtion when / entered this Hall But some re-
marks have fallen from my colleague Mr.. JEwETT
which think call for reply and which may as
well answer now as at any other time. OF course
know nothing of what has bsen said by my col
league before came into the House. But his OBJ
servations which have fallen upsn my ear indicate
bis opinions of the political creed Of the American
party, and his feelings Of uncompromising hostility
and bitterness towards what he calls an organiZa-
tion rather than party. They illustrate, too the
notions of political prescription which my col
league and the party to which he belongs enter
TAIN and expose the utter allacy of the charge of
prescription and unconstitutional designs against
the American party NY colleague repeats the
oft-repeated and oftrefuted charge against the
American party that their principles are unconsti-
tutlonal and anti-republican-and the specifications
Oh this charge are that the American party intends
to modify the naturalization laws so as to extend
the time OF probation which the foreign immigrant
must undergo before he can be invested with the
rights OF citizenship, and that the members of that
party will not support Roman Catholics in their
aspirations for political station. Before notice
the argument to sustain the assertion that the
American party is engaged in an effort to deprive
portion of their felow-citizens of their constitu
tional rights, will examine some observations Of
my colleague which require separate criticism
He says, first that the idea that the Roman Catho-
lies entertain the doctrines imputed to them by
the American party is mistake, growing out Of a
misunderstanding of their true sentiments. This,
sir, is fair and legitimate mode of stating politi
cal differences of opinion But in the progress of
my colleagues remarks he grew more heated and
INDUCED the passionate ascerbity which has char
acterized the opposition Of the Democratic party
towards the American party from its organization.
Under the influence OF this feeling, my colleague
declares that the doctrine imputed by the Ameri.
can party to the Roman Cath ocs is gross SLAM
der, which he hurls back in the teeth of the SLAM
derers Now, ask, in calm and dispassonate
reason, whether an honest mistake in judgment is
staader? Is that which party or a number of
persons believe to be true as a matter of opinion
held by another party or body of people sanderY
And does it comport with that boasted Democratic
liberaty and liberation thus to characterize, in the
halls of legislation opinions honestly entertained,
even if erroneous as unmitigated slander9
Mr.. JEWETT. ask my colleague what he
means by an honest mistake?
Mr.. COX. am not at all surprised at my col
that he should fight his battles over again. He
had hard contest to obtain the seat he now oc-
cupies He was sustained by large body of
Catholics, and he feels that gratitude towards them
which men usually manifest towards those who
vote for and sustain them, and he declares here
that to discharge in part the duty he owes them,
was one OF the inducements which prompted him
to speak this evening. All this is very proper
But in discharging his duty to his friends, he ought
to do justice to others, and allow them at least that
presumptive honesty and sincerity in their opin-
ions which the law imputes to every citizen. When
my colleague is free from the party feeling which
prompts expressions of severe denunciation against
political opponents and left to the dictates of his
legal reason, he is compelled in justice and truth
to admit, in substance that the charge of proscrip
tion against the American party is wholly unfound-
ed He says that the American party is not OBJ
noxious to the charge of prescription And / now
nail that charge ofproscripton, SO often made by
the orators and press of the Democratic party,
with the appreciation of my colleague, to the
counter, as an erroneous and unfounded allegation.
There is not, then, any prescription in the creed
OF the American party. That is acknowledged by
my colleague. Let it 60 to the country and to the
people, that it has been asserted here tonight by
my colleague, that the American party in the
measures II proposes, is not proscriptve. This
admission recalls more than half of the thunder
which has been hurled against the American party.
But my colleague says the members of the Amer
lean party are conspirators to do mischief
Mr.. JEWETT. am satisfied thatmy colleague
does not desire to do me any injustice.
Mr.. COX. Certainly not, Mr.. Chairman--and
If have misunderstood my colleague, desire him
to explain and correct me.
Mr.. JEWETT. When spoke of the Catholics,
/ spoke without any reference to my constituents,
and said that the oaths and obligations taken and
subscribed by the Know Nothing party, might not
be, in strict speech or in estimation of law, pro-
scrption against Catholics, but that it was con-
spiracy. made no concession in regard to their
proposed legislation in regard to naturalized citi-
zens. #H
Mr.. cox. My friend used the term proscrip-
tion in legal sense. He is lawyer, and wen
versed and profoundly read in that abstruse SCI
ence, and he knew when he examined the avowed
principles OF the American party in the light of
that science that the charge of prescription was
but the denunciation of party malevolence. Hence
he admits that the American party is not proscrip-
tive in the technical meaning of that term. Well,
sir, that is the only meaning of that term whcn
has any application to party principles and inten-
tions-and therefore the American party has been
acquitted of that charge by my colleague. But
my colleague says the members of that party are
conspirators do not apply the couplets which
am about to quote to my colleague, but to that
species of argument:
~ hate the man who builds his name
On ruins of another's fame
Thus prudes, by characters o'erthrown,
Imagine that they raise their own"
he says we are conspirators--but the Demo
cratic party to which he belongs, Is an honest and
patriotic party. The members of the American
party, composed of his ow-ctizens, born on the
same soil, many of them living in the same State,
enjoying as high reputation for moral integrity and
personal virtues, are conspirators in deep-laid
conspiracy TO do mischief Is that the liberal and