Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-09-18
- p Il Il 9 FL
OF
HON. JAMES b. CLAY
AT THE
Battle-Ground Convention, Sept. Sd.
FeHo,c citizens Of Indiana,

in Kentucky, the trade of a politician has
not been mine, unaccus'omed to public
speaking, with 10 skill in those arts with
which popular orators are wont to interest,
to dazzle, and lead away the minds of their
audiences, can re ly upon nothing except
the justice of the cause l have espoused
and my own entire and perfect sincerity in
advocating it.
Above all, fellow-cilizens, it has occur
led to me that it was not inappropriate, and
that | would not be stepping too far out OF
my way to cast in my mite with yours for
the salvation of this Union, at place where
the bones of Davies and so many of our
kentuckians, rest together in the same
grave with the people of your own State,
and in the midst Of a territory for which
peace, happiness and prosperity have been
secured to YOU by the common efforts Of
South and the North, on the battle fields of
Tippecanoe, of the Raisn, of Fort Meigs,
and every other battlefield in the North
west.
Fellow citizens, the immense crowds
which have assembled together in your
State. the fact that public speakers being
called together from all parts Of the Union
to assist you in this contest in which you
are engaged, has very perfectly reminded
me Of those days in the middle ages when
single man, weak and feeble went about
Europe assembling crowds quite as vast to
redeem the Holy SepuIchre from the land
of the Infdel |. like old Peter. the Her
mi, weak, feeble, with no weight of my
own, except what believe to be truth.
have come to cast in my might with yours,
to redeem and to save our glorious I'm
ion.
Fellow-citizens, I am an entire stranger
to ycu there is scarcely a single indiviiu-
nj IL this vas. assembIase who has ever
seen me before. and there are very few
nmongst You who would have ever heard
my name, except Per APPS from my connec-
tion with that man, VINO gave Il long lif.
70 the service Of lis ,untry, and whose
name Is heard wherever on the broad sur
flce Of he globe an al ar has been raised
- human liberty. God knows, fellow cit
izens, through his long. varied and glori-
Gus career, be WAS well schooled In the les
son how to bear the shafts Of hatred and
mali igniy, of calumny and detracrion He
survived them all, and the sun OF his day
was more glorious ut It's 81 ting than ever
III It's MERRIAM splendor. |, too, fellow
citizens, though nothing more than hum
BILE, private man, who never in the whole
course Of his lifs presented himself for the
sulirages Of his fellow men, have had full
measure Of vililicaiion and abuse on ac-
count Of my opinions, but seeking to do
what | believed to be my duty. looking on
ly to tie honor, the prosperity and preser-
vation of our Curious Union have been
sustained by the conviction of rectitude of
purpose, and in no slight degree by the
example of my father.
Fellow-ciiizens, educated beneath the
shades of Ashland, the son, the par.ner,
and the trusted friend of Henry Clay, to
be Wing was part of my nature So long
as there was Il Wing party in the field, SO
long long as there was Whig banner in
the field, WAS ready to follow it, | be-
leve now that the principles taught by
Clay and Webster were true principles and
| expect always to follow them and by
them square my political life. But there
is no longer Wing party. Why 1t was
destroyed is question we may well ask;
and ii is not 50 difficult to answer AL
though in the opinion of the great leader
of the party it was better to be right than
be President, the politicians aud office seek
ers were not content to be righ, it was
necessary to their very existence that they
should also be successful, and immediate
l. successful From the day that the idea
became prevalent that availability, regard
less o. principle, was prime consideration
IN the choice of cand late for the Presi-
dency, the fate # the party was sealed =
1t was not all at once that this idea was
receved:-it was inaugerated in 184O,
when Gen. Harrison was chosen as The
candidate of the Wings He was good
man, patriot, and good Whi5; but it was
nei,her lis personal qualifications nor his
Whiggcry tha caused him to be elected in
preference 10 he man wio to whom the
party was more indeb ed than to all othe.
men, who was in iced the incarnation and
embodiment of its principles 1t was moi
that the civil qualifications IF General Har
rIson We're beyond those ofany other indi
vlduals; it was, fellow -ci. .izens, mainly on
account of the military reputation which he
had achieved on the battle field, that he