American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-04-12
MIR. ANDREW :. DoNHLsoN's
SPHECH.
At the American Ratification Meet
ing in New York,

AT the American Ratification Meet
ing in New York,
Mr.. DoNELsoN said:
Gentlemen, I thank you from the
bottom of my heart for this very cor
dial reception. 1t is indeed most well
come to me. l have been requested to
address you here to-nigh, but as am
not used to much public speaking, and
as | have unfortunately been misrep-
resented sometimes in what / little 1
have had to say, | have thought it bet
ter for me instead of making speech,
to spend an hour in preparing my re-
marks and reading them to you.
Mr.. Donelson then proceeded to read
the following speech
GENTLEMEN--I again return you my
thanks for this cordial reception
The delegates at the late Convention
of the American party have thought
proper to place me on the American
ticket for the second Office in the gift
of the people, and distinguished and
tried statesman of your patriotic state
for the first office. Ideem it an honor
to be thought worthy of an association
with Millard Fillmore in the effort to
carry forward the principles of the A.
merican party-a party which has been
formed out Of the necessities of the
times, to correct the abuses which have
grown out of the errors of the old or
ganizations of party and which have
brought the country to the very verge
of social disruption and anarchy. It
was natural, gentlcmon, that the peo-
pie of this great confederacy of States
should turn their eyes upon MILLARD
FILLMORE, who in his personal quail
ties, and in all the characteristics of a
statesman, is justly ranked with the
great men who have contributed to the
honor and glory of our common coun-
try. 1t is different with myself, gen.
tlemen. / have held but humble stu
ations in the public service, and can,
therefore, attribute my nomination to
no other circumstance but my earnest
devotion to the conservative and sound
doctrines which form the basis of the
American creed. (Cheers.)
According to my understanding,
gentlemen, of the causes which have
constituted us new party, they have
but little reference to our antecedents
as old Wings or old Democrats. I'm
der such designations we have each
pursued in other days, our own views.
We have entertained opposition in re-
gard to the necessity of a Bank, and
other measures of national interest,"
But however we differed on such qucs-
tions, whenever those arose of purely
sectional and disorganizing character,
the leading patriots of our country wore
always united. Clay and Jackson uni
ted to modify the Tariff of 1928, in
order to give quiet to the country, and
secure the execution of the laws. They
united to disarm the force of sentiments
! which were calculated to array one
section of the Union against another,
and if they were now alive they could
not bo otherwise than participants in
the great American movement which is
intended to check the current of the
same sentiments. You see men at the
North proposing to nullify the laws Of
the land. You have seen men at the
South doing the same thing. What
would Washington, Jefferson, Madison,
and Jackson say to men engaged in
such attempts to dismember our Unionl
Gentlemen, it would be waste Of
words to answer in detail this question.
All who arc acquainted with the public
history of those great men, know that
they would be with us laboring to check
sectional agitation, and rebuking the
/ heresy that state or portion of the
people can enforce q construction of
the law, contrary to the course pointed
out in the constitution. *
To restore harmony to the various
sections of our Union--to brighten the
links which bind us together as sove.
reign Statcs-to purify the ot-box--
to cut off the dangers to which we are
exposed by the immigrants to oul
shores from foreign lands---and to re.
pudiate all the higher law influences a.
broad and at home which have contrib.
uted to obscure the landmarks of our
old revolutionary fathers---these, gem
tlcmen, are the objects of the Ameri-
can party. These are the considera.
tions which have brought us together,
no matter what we may have been here.
tofore. And these are the considcra.
tlons which will bind us together until
our Government is brought back to its
original purity, and truthfulness is res
tored to the relations Of public men
and public measures. We have seen
tho present Administration Of the Coy
crnmcnt employ its patronage TO CO.
lueut party without reference to any
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