Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1856-04-24
Speech of Andrew Jackson Donelson.
I'll The Great Ratification Meeting in .Nsw
York Gin.

VII He UTedt hd'UCdH0n .0HaHS an .NeU
York Ciig. ...
GrNTLEMEg.-I return you my sincere
thanks for this cordial reception. The del.
egates at the late Convention of the Ameri-
can party have thought proper 10 place me
on the American ticket for the second office
in the gift Of the people, and distinguished
and tried statesman of your patriotic State
for the first office. l deem it high honor
to be thought worthy of an association with
Millard Fillmore in the effort to carry for.
ward the principles of the American party
"a party which has been formed out Of the
necessity of the time, to correct the abuses
which have grown out Of the errors Of the
old organizations of party, and which have
brought the country 10 the very verge Of
social disruption and anarchy. 1t was nat
ura|, gentlemen that the people of this great
conrederacy Of States should turn their eyes
upon Millard Fillmore, who in personal
qualities, and in all the characteristics of a
statesman is justly ranked with the great
men who have contributed TO the honor and
glory OF our common country. 1t is differ
ent with myself gentlemen. l have held
but humble situation in the public service,
and can, therefore, attribute my nomination
TO no other circumstance but my earnest
devotion TO the conservative ard sound doc
trines which form the basis of the American
creed.
According 20 my understanding. gentle
men, of the causes which have constituted
us as party, they have hut little reference
to o,lr antecedents as old Wings or old Dem
ocrats. Under such designations we have
each pursued in other days orr own views.
We have entertained opposite opinions in
regard 10 the necessity of a bank and other
measures ofnational interest. But however
we differed on such questions, whenever
those arose Of purely sectional and disor-
ganizng character, the leading patriots Of
our country were always united. Clay and
Jackson united 10 modify the tariff of 1928.
in order 10 give quiet TO the country, and Sc
cure the execution Of the avs. They uni
ted TO disarm the force of sentiments which
were calculated TO array one section Of the
Union against another, and fthey were now
alive they could not be otherwise than par
/ ticpants in the great American movement
which is intended TO check the current Of
the same sentiments. You see men at the
North proposing TO nulliry the laws of the
land. You have seen men at the South DO
ing the same thing. What would Wash
ington, Madison and Jackson say TO men
engaged in such attempts to dismember our
Union?
Gentlemen, II would be waste Of words
to answer in detail this question. All who
are acquainted with the public history of
those great men know that they would be
with us aboring to check sectionol agitation.
and rebuking the heresy that State or por
tion OF the people can enforce a construc-
tion of the laws contrary TO the course poin-
ted out in the constitution. To restore har-
mony tothe various sections olour Union, TO
brighten the links which bind us together
as sovereign State-to purify the ballot box
Ito cut off the dangers to which we are
exposed by the immigrants TO our shores
from foreign lands and 10 repudiate all the
higher law influence, abroad and at home,
which have contributed TO obscure the land
marks of our old Revolutionary fathers
these, gentlemen, are the objects OF the
American party. These are the. e.conSidcra-
tions when have brought us together, no
matter what we may have been heretofore.
And these are the considerations which
will bind us together until our government
is brought back TO its original purity, and
truthfulnes. is restored TO the relations Of
public men to public measures. We have
seen the present administrator Of the gov
ernment employ lis patronage TO cement a
party, without reference TO any legitimate
standard of policy or principle.
Men who have preached secession and
disunon have had the prominent Offices,
and have been made strong when 1t was most
important that they should be weak, Old
fashioned men have been vilified and SLAM
dered merely because they adhere to the
msxims which governed our wise men in
the best days Of our republic. Yes, gentle
men, we have been prescribed throughout
this land for daring TO say that we main
tanned the doctrine inculcated by our great
est statesman. President Pierce, profess
sing 10 follow in the footsteps of Jackson,
has placed himself in direct antogonism TO
the leading sentiments of that great man.
Juckson said that the patronage Of the Fed
eral Government ought not 10 be brought to
bear against the freedom Of elections, and
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