Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-02-16
Speech Of Mr.. wilkinson.


At the Republican meeting at the Capitol, on
Mehday Svsdiag La duripf Absepes Of the
oommitteeto draft rssolujlohs, Mr. Wilkinson
being loudly edlled fors nals thu following te-
marks: NJ E
1Is said shss when g. c.asy to Is. nss.e i. had
no idea of being called upon to address itAbut
he was very glad meeting had been called to
nominate delegates to the Republican National
Conventional was due to the people of Mime
sofa and the Republican party that delegates
should be sent there.
+ THERE'S an attempt snowr being made in the
United States by the Democrats and Know Moth
ings to stigmatize the Republicans as sectional
lists this cry would win no longer. The very
party who denounced the Republicans as section
alists. were the very ones who proved themselves
MS such. It was also true that the Know Notbings
had united with the Democrats TO carry out their
sectionalisn,. A cry had been raised in the Dem.
ocratic camp that If Banks was elected the Union
would be lost. The Republican principles were
honest and the Southerners respected them. As
an illustration, when tho election of Mr.. Banks
was announced, Mr.. Aiken, his Interest South
ern opponent, jumped from his scat and asked
for the privilege of conducting MIR. Banks to the
chair. An honest man is always respected, and
the bitterest shareholders were the first to bow
tho Speaker to the chair. The people both north
and south were beginning to find out that the Re-
publican party was THE party that stood true to
the Constitution and the country. r.ag .Yf3g.,zo
He was pleased to find the Know NOthings had
voted with the Democrats, for it had been one of
the greatest hobbies ofithe democratic, party to
accuse the Republicans as being connected with
the Know Notbings-but the recent vote in Con-
gress clearly proved that a secret understanding
existed between the Democracy and know Moth
ings. o-7 ~ 10 2sa5 eeqJ asn .ita f,.l
The Know Nothngs received severe castiga-
ton at the hands of the Speaker, and he clearly
demonstrated how Know Mornings were elected
to Congress as anti Nebraska men had made a
coalition with Nebraska Democrats. ioq es1T ~
He alluded to the manner in which Pierce was
bidding for votes for the Presidency THAT he
had written one of the most degrading and in
sulting letters ever presented to an American
Congress, in which he said the South was never
wrong i'm its demands and that its rights had
been trampled upon by the North. Pierce knows
that he cannot get the Northern vote--not sim
gle State-so he cringes and makes plant tool
of himself to subseryc the ini erests of Southern
shareholders. Pierce at one moment advocates
Sqnatter Sovereignty, and in the next breat,
called for an appropriation to raise ammunition
and bayonets to put down the Squatters OF Kan
SaS-
The speaker referred to the administrations of
jackson and Tyler, and said although they were
both from the hot bed of pro-slaveryism, and
had never, as Pierce had done, so insulted the
North or cringed to the South. When Calhoun
raised the cry of secession, jackson issued proc
lamatiion to the citizens of the United States to
arm and march to South Carolina but when a
mob of border rufians with Atchison at their
head were overrunning Kansas, Pierce asked for
an appropriation to assist the mob in their vii
lainly. lie did so for the purpose of promul-
eating Slavery, and substantating Southern in
sttutions. This so-called Popular Sovereignty
was nothing when popular liberty was expressed;
i: was a mere blnd-a sham-,a miserable lie
Laws should be made for the protection OF the
minority and the restriction Of the majority. :
But the laws of Kansas allowed mob to con-
troll its Government it was the same kind o
Popular Sovereignty that was prevalent in France
during the Reign of Terror. lie called tn.
attention of the meeting to the fact that the Re
publican party was vet in its infan cy-it wa.
scarcely one year oIl--therc never was party
formed in the Union that had performed so much
in so short space of time; it was grand ant
sublime.
During his remarks, Mr.. Wilkinson was fire.
quenty appaudcd by the multitude.