Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-10-25
SATURDAY, OCT. 95th, 1856,
The Meeting ora the 18th,
PRESTON POND, JR.


According to previous notice, this distin~
guished orator whose name is above recorded
punctualIy arrived in our town on Friday the
18th for the purpose Of addressing the people
upon the general political topics Of the day.
Early in the day the people from the country
began to flock into Town, and it was soon evi.
dent that large audience would be in atten~5
dance from all parts of the parish for the pur-
pose Of hearing the arguments and eloquence
ofsthis gifted son Of Louisiana.
AT the appointed hour tile Court House was.
crowded, and among the assemblage were ses-
eral of the fair ones of our parish
Col. POM looked pale and thin-he was far
from being in good health. The arduous la
bors he had gone through during the campaign
had evidently affected his physical strength
In the publication of his appointments he had
invited free discussion every where. But it
was not known that he was to have an oppos
nent here until Just before the organization of
the meeting, when it was understood that The
Democrats had selected Col. E. w. RoBERT-
son to reply 10 Col. PoED.
Dr. J. l.. HoRNsBY and v. ]. DUPuY, Esq,
were chosen as moderators--when Col. PoED
.ascended the stand. There was one wild burst
Of prolonged applause when the crowd beheld
this noble champion Of American rights stand
ing proudly before them. When il had suhsi-
6ed, the speaker, in bis usually clear and must
cal voice, paid q compliment to the ladies, and
remarked to the audience that he should never
forget the fattering testimonials which had
been extended him by his friends in Iberville.
He would divide bis remarks into four parts
first, the foreign or emigration question se-
condly, the question of slavery and the Kansas
act thirdly, the Catholic question; and fourth
ly, the comparative merits of FILLMORE and
BUCHANAN.
Had we the ability properly TO review bis
able and eloquent speech from memory alone,
we would be uaable to do so, for the whole Of
our paper would not be half enough space
He spoke for over an hour onsthe emigration
question and the evils flowing from il. HepEo-
duced statistics, which Of course could not be
controyeFted, and satisfactorily proved from
them that emigration was and long bad been
. great national evil. WAsHrEeToN was fear.
ful of il even at his day, when the flow Of eul>
igration was only seven thousand per anuum,
MS he proved by his writingsj in like manner
he proved that JEFFERSON was fearful oil if
that JOHN RANDOLPH was fearful Of Il These
statesmen knew emigration only in itainfancys
and were then jealous Of it's approach. What
would they now think and say were.t they 10 ]
arise from their gfayes and find that The influx
Of migrants, which had created alaFnl in their
breasts when It was only eight or ten thou-
sand year, had grown into half million an
naally! II was a subject which mefited the
most earnest attention and the deepest solici-
tade Of every man who had an American heart
within him. II was all well enough perhaps
80 long as this emigration could be taken up
and absorbed by American society, principles,
feelings and Instincts But when it grows in.
to giant numbers like the present, spreads it.
self into various communities throughout the
county, retaining old European habits, cusp