The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-10-02
GAzsTTI ,okREspeNpkNcK
LIZ CLAIRE, Sept 90, 1856.
Political Discussion

place At Waters School House, between |
Mr.. 4. Lemar, OF Pleasant Valley, and X. |
M. Gwinn, of lie Claire, on the issue pre-
sentiag itself at present before the Ameri- |
can people, the former being Southern
Know NotLlng, the latter sound national
Republican, l made ii point to be present.
When the hour arrived the house was filled
TO overlooking. IL was an august assem-.
bly,, indeed, composed principally OF the
honest farmers and mechanics OF this por-
ton OF Scott county.
After the meeting was called to order the
discussion was opened by Mr.. Lsmar.-
And now, Mr.. Editor, feeling as do deep
,ate:est in the cause OF freedom, and for.
merly having had some interest in the cause
al Mr.. Fillmore. must confess thai all my
interest became dissiPated when ! heard
| Mr.. Lemar undertake to defend him in the
manner IA which be did.
| The frst hall hour VAS occupied BY that
gentleman in asserting that the Republican
part, was a sectional party, that Col. Ere.
! nisnt vas Catholic. and that the Repu0li.
can was an out and-out Abolitonist party.
| Show nae, said he boastingiy, The difference
between al Abolitionist and black Republi-
IAN and will kaock under But Mr.. L.
mar did not forget 10 Inform the audience st
,h- same lime that he was anli-siaNery
| Siro4e, but he utterly failed 10 sustain this
point. He then returned to Fremont's Ca
ihoiiesm, and said be had been born and
| raised Catholic and surely he must be
one now But this is not oil the charge |
have to bring, said be, for he is foreigner
| aud his friends can never prove him any
thing else; consequently, il there were no
other charge, this one is sufficient to dis.
gu aljfy lin for holding the office OF Psesi-
cent. These, with many other assertions
10 which the audience paid but little aiten-
Ton, composed the burden Of bis song
True there was a small portion of the audi
enee who seemed to think that Mr.. L emsr
had about saved the Union and made quite
an effort al sla ndering the character Of an
opponent whose character. truly SO TO speak
is above the reproach Of evsn ~ formidable
an adversary a. Mr.. Lemsr.
Mr.. Gwinn mex, followed ia speech OF
half al hour, which was received with I'M
bounded applause. SO eaectsaly did he
refute the ISLANDERS brought sgai nst the Re-
publican party snd It's candidates, that
tsesiy minutes from the time he took the
stand the enemy began 10 fall back aud
cry for quarter. Bot Mr.. Gwinn wss firm
a. rock and Kept pouring in one broad.
side after smother in quick succession until
RS hour was up, when il was found almost
| impossible for the enemys fsrees TO rally at
all Indeed, Mr. Gwinn's argument was
nothing more nor less than an arrangement
Of great trusbs, brought forward in beau
tiful and logical manner BY him, presented
With SO much csndor that they were irresis.
table II brought conrincingiy TO nv mind
the maxim that truth is mighty and " i'll
prevail And must say, in justice to the
audience, that they seemed to appreciate
tralh and snoal listen TO nothing else.
When men look for truth to sustain
Falsehood they rarely succeed in finding it,
and must necessarily deal in detraction; this
seems TO be the common weapon now used
BY our enemies. Indeed, there appears to
be an understanding between the Fillmore
and Buchanan parties on that subject; al
least il has been my experience through the
present campaign, that the Fillmore and
Buchanan parties are united on one point;
thus when Fillmore pipes Buck dances, and
when Buck shouts glory Fillmore cries SC
let il be. So on this occasion, SIS on all
others, the object seemed to be by those
Buchaniers present, if possible, to out-do
their Know Nothing friends in spplsudng
: their Pro-Slayey champion. Indeed one
/ Of the prominent Democrats present came
cot boldly and said their platforms were
identical on the present issue made by the
Republican party, Who will NOT admire
hm for his honesty as vel :. his consist
ency
la the course Vi Ar. Lemsr's second
speech he lsbored s.siiuously to shield him
self against certain charges brought against
/ him b. Mr. Gwinn, but alas the a,tempr
, was made in vain, for the charges were
grave ones, made in al! eandor, too, and
; nailed by the testimony Of two witnesses
present, and elinehed by his own frank &C.
kHo Aiedgnen, Of the same. forbesr Civ
ag these t,oo particulars. Suffice 1t 10 cay
hey shos ed uniform consistency.
DIR. Lemsr's next position wss against
the three thousand New England clergy who
dared 10 raise their voice sgainr, the repeal
Il he Mssouri Compromise in fact, the
higher s~ principles. Henry Ward Beech
e,, the irsemen Of Kansas, together silt
the Emigrs att aid Society, seemed 70 have
Incurred his special displeasure. Alas, for
allen humanity . how likely politicians are
to disregard the rights Of the dORn-lr5ddan
and enroll themselves on the side OF tFrsnts
/. Bot the scene changed; Ar, Geinn
again resumed the stand, the audience Tas
once zore aroused from their drowsiness
and his remarks were presented sith sbou.
. ,ae sam. degree Of csndoE &c before. The
4ll.utioI Of the audience Wa. ELECTED
- whilst be showed Ii. Fillmore party to be
occupying TIE same position as tn. Tore
OF 10, refusing 10 lend helping hand 70
freedom, OF sYmpsthize with her bleeding
sons On the plains Of Kansas. lie coaclr.
, dsd by saying that they stood s. Pro
. Slavery parts on Pro-slsTeFy platform a.
4 yoesiing Pfo-SiaVe:y principle.
Your, truly, "BURLIssAMr"