Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-03-26

prophet to predict that Pennsylvania, from
her green valleys, from her lofty mountains,
from her hills and her dales, will roll up a
majority equal to those that she rolled up in
the days of the immortal and illustrious jack
son. Cheers.
And, speaking of that man, that illustrious
patriot whose memory is enshrined III the
heart of every American. [ cannot but re-
mark that l was struck by notice which
saw in Berks county paper some time ago,
| announcing the nominations of the party that
met at Philadelphia. do not know its name
Republican, Free Soil or Know-Nothing-
it had . Andrew jackson" in capital letters,
and g Donclson' in small type, with small
:.d''-very appropriate and significant.
Gentlemen, L will not detain you longer.
We shall not meet again in this hall before
the election takes place; but | hope to meet
every Delegate upon this floor, and not only
to meet him, but the great people of this great
State, at the ballot box, where one man is as
good as another and a good deal better
Laughter Let us meet there, and vindi-
cate our principles and support candidate,
and victory will be ours. [Great applause. ]
GEN. WIN. F. PACKER.
Gen. Packer was loudly called for, and re-
sponded in the following eloquent speech:
Mr.. President:-I am little surprised that
whilst we are congratulating ourselves upon
the bright prospects of the Democracy from
our own elevated position, that little or moth
ing has been said in relation to the position
and prospects of the party against which our
forces will be turned on the first Tuesday of
next November. What, pray, is their posi-
tion at this time? Where is their platform
Our platform has been announced here, and
has received the unanimous sanction of this
body, and will be received with accamations
of JOY by the great national Democratic party
from one end of this Union to the other. We
go forth as a unit, with our banners stream
ing, and standing upon a platform to every
part of which the Democracy of the country
viii say yea, and amen. Applause. What
sir, is the platform of the opposition? Where
is it Why, sir. they have been in power
in Pennsylvania for the last year and half !;
and what is the history of that year and a
half? They had the last Legislature of Penn
sylvania. In the House of Representatives
that assembled in this hall only one year ago
the dark lantern party had a majority of
nearly forty. They had Senator of the U.
States to elect, but they met not in Conven-
ton as the Democratic party does, with open
doors, and a record of their proceedings fair
ly kept and published to the world but wind
ing up that stairway with their dark lantern,
at the hour of midnight, secretly and covert
ly made their nomination, and when that
nomination was made, and their decision pro-
nounced, so grossly corrupt according to their
own testimony, was the entire proceeding,
that one half of their own caucus repudiated
and spit upon their own nomination, and post
poned the election of United States Senator
indefinitely.
What are the Distinguishing principles of
the party opposed to the Democracy? Sir,
they unite In but one thing, and that is in
opposition to the Democratic party. They
not only had this Legislature for the purpose
of electing a United States Senator; but it
became their duty to carry out the will of the
people in regard to the license law, which had
been directly expressed by the popular vote ;
the question having been submitted to them
by the previous Legislature for their decision
and they having decided by some thousands
of majority against prohibition Under these
circumstances, what did this party do when it
came to these halls? Sir, one of its first acts
was to pass prohibtory law, and to defy the
will of mighty majority of the people
do not object SO much to the passage of that
law. as to the circumstances under which it
was passed, and the infamous manner in
which they carried their legislation over the
expressed will of majority of the people of
the State 1t was an exhibition of that kind
of disrespect for the popular will, which finds
a proper channel through the representatives,
of the dark lantern party, who here, year
ago, concocted their wicked schemes
Mr. President, this party not only had the
Legislature of Pennsylvania within the last
year, but that OF our sister State, Massachu-
sets So overwhelming was the majority in
that State in favor of the Know-Nothing par
ty, that they had a clear majority over the
Democrats and Wings combined, of 500 in
the popular branch of the Legislature And
with this majority, what did they do? There
is provision of the Constitution of the Uni
ted States-that Constitution which every
member of the State Legislature is sworn to
support, in terms something like these
50 This Constitution, and the laws of the u
States passed In pursuance thereof, shall be
the supreme law of the land" One of three
acts of Congress passed IL 1850, which was,
therefore, the supreme law of the land, and
which every member of the Massachusetts
Legislature had sworn to support, prescribed
the manner in which fugitives from labor
should be delivered up to the person to whom
such service or labor was due This act the
members of that Legislature, with the Bible
in one hand and the Constitution in the other,
which they had sworn to support, they utterly
repudiated and nullifed, by solemn act of
Assembly. Nay, they went further, and
made it a crime in the State of Massachusetts
Tor any man to aid in delivering up fugitive
slave What do you think, fellow-citizens
and members of the Convention, of that par
tty, which, IN the administration of public af-
fairs, Will take an oath to support the Consti-
tuition OF the United States, and yet will vio-
late the plain letter of its provisions So