Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-01-02

| that party OF tnepSortn VINO, Dy Cnelr votes
and conduct, had proven themselves true to
| the Constitution There was no man in that
hour who would have risen before a Southern
constituency and called to the stand northern
Free Soilers to pioEe the want of soundness
and nationality, and true principles, in the
men who had bedn, sacrificed in their defence
of their constitutional rights. Why was the
| South not unit Why did not she speak
but one voice in common with those national
| Democrats who, ih times past, stood by her,
and have stood here, in defence of the consti-
tution q firm andunbrokeE phalanx. from the
| commencement oil the session down to the
present moment Sir, | do not feel author
! lied to speak OF what occurred in other States,
fbut viii speak IN reference 90 wiIat srans--
PRED in my own In the hour in which this
universal sentiment prevailed. there was un-
known to us, unknown to the Democratic par
| ty as itnow stands organized, secret political
organization springing up in our midst, and,
before we were aware of it large portion OF
our people were bound by solemn oaths and
obligations to subject their feilow-eitizens to a
new test, unknown to the past political history
of our country, and, as we honestly believe,
| then and now, violatiye Of the constitutional
rights of many good, worthy, and patriotic
citizens of this land. Sir. the Democratic
party of my own State stood prepared to unite
with every man, North and South, who would
stand by the constitution, and seeing that this
question to which have alluded had over
whelmed all other questions, had indeed be-
come the paramount question of the day as
illustrated here, we wanted to be united. we
wanted to speak as one man, with one voice,
and one heart, as there was q universal spirit
and feeling of sympathy throughout our region.
But this secret party broke upon us-if may
be permitted to use the homely illustration
like clap of thunder from a clear sky, pro-
wing that there existed in our midst secret
political organization having for its principle
the prescription of Catholic and foreign-born
citizens, and these new tests were to be ap-
piled to judge of the orthodoxy of overy man
in our State before we were to be permitted
to cooperate with them. Gentlemen say
there were no such tests submitted, no such
| tests to be found in their Philadelphia plat
f! form, and none such to be found in their pub
lished declaration of principles. reply that
| know not how it may be in their own States,
| but in mine I looked not merely to your Phil
adelphia platform, L did not content myself
| inquring as to their published declarations,
but being enabled to see little further into
! this matter, inquired into their oaths and
/ obligations to ascertain what tests they inten-
Jselcs- -as,<s~ tlsse zctiz,s.
with me. In order that may be distinctly
understood, and that gentlemen may compre-
! hend my reasons for the course have marked
! out for myself, beg leave to read two or
three lines only of these oaths taken by por-
ton, if not all, of the Know-Nothing or
American party of my own State, as follows |:
9 That you will not vote, or give your in
fuence for any man for any Office in the gift
Of the people. unless he be an American born
citizen in favor of Americans ruling Ameri-
ca, nor if he be a Roman Catholic
Sir, | leave it to those whose tastes lead
them to inquire to discover whether this was
openly set forth in the Philadelphia plat
form. [ find it in the oath. And further:
g That you will, when elected or appointed
to any official station conferring on YOU tho
| power to do so, remove all foreigners, aliens,
or Roman Catholics from Office or place, and
that you will IN no case appoint such to any
Office or place in your gift"
Sir, those principles were openly defended
and justified by the representatives of this
party in the canvass in the State of Georgia,
aud when they applied to me and to my friends
this new test, we rejected it,
Who is responsible for the division in my
State? Who is responsible for the fact that
Georgia, upon this floor, does not speak one
united voice? put no test to my friends of
the American party. [ raise no barries be-
tween them and myself They erected, they
put them there, and they are responsible for
it. If gentlemen when they say that their
party is not in favor of prescription, mean
that they have not taken, and do not justify,
these oaths, then will go with such gentle
men to inquire where and what their princi-
pies are; but if they are the defenders, the
advocates, and the apologists of these oaths,
then | say the barrier between US is deep,
wide and impossible until. by their own act,
they have removed it. (Applause)
In my State the contest was carried on upon
the issue formed upon those principles Geor-
| gia, In common with her sister States in all
portions OF the Union, pronounced against
those principles and upon that issue her rep
resentatlves of the Democratic party met here
at the commencement of this session What
did they do They placed in nomination for
the ofhce OF Speaker the gentleman from nli-
nois. We have the testimony of more than
one OF our friends voting against him on this
floor that there is no personal objection to his
election.
| A Voice. Or political either.
Mr.. Cobb. There may be political with
some-I say there is no personal objection to
him. Why can they not support him, and
vote for him. agreeing as they do with him
upon this great issue involved in the Kansas
and Nebraska act? Why. sir, because of the
resolution adopted by our caucus That res
olutlon extends to our countrymen all over the
land our heartfelt congratulations upon the
triumph OF the principle imbodied in that
hansas-Nebraska act in many of the States.
But our friends desire us to withdraw those
congratulations What for? Is there any
al fho4 Al fo-1