The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-08-29
From the Boston Courier.
Hon. Esufias CIa0ate on the Pres
ideReiaE Question.
From the Boston Coz


EdeReiaE Question.
The Wings of Maine held grand mass meet
ing in the town Of Wateryllr yesterday. Hon
Rufus Choate was invited TO be present, bot be-
ing unable to attend, he sent letter, IN which
hr defined his own position on the Presidential
question; and avowed his intention TO vote iol
Mr.. Buchanan. We give il below.
BosroN, Saturday, Aug. 8, 1886.
Gentlemen Upon my return last evening
after short absence from the city, found your
letter of the Both ult., inviting me to take part
in the proceedings of the Wings of Maine, as.
sembled in mass meeting.
appreciate most highly the honor and kind
ness of this invitation, and should have had
true pleasure in accepting il. The Wings o
Maine composed al all t;mpS so important di-
vision of the great national party which un-
der that name, with or without official power
as responsible administration or as oclv an or
ganized opinion, has done so much for our
country-our whole country-and your respon-
sibilites al this moment are so vast and pecu-
liar, that | acknowledge an anxiety to see-not
wait to hear-with what noble bearing you
meet the demands Of the time. If the tried
legions, TO whom it is committed 10 guard the
frontier Of the Union, 1ater now, who, any
where, can be entrusted?
Nv engagements. however, and the necessity
Of cXpediency of abStaning from all speech re-
quiring much effort, will prevent my bring with
YOU. And yet, invited to share in your conn
sells, and grateful for such distinction, cannot
wholly decline my own opinion on one OF the
duties of the Wings in what you well drscribr
as ''the present crisis in the political affairs OF
the country" | cannot now. and need not,
pause to elaborate or defend, them What
think, and what have decided to do, permit
me- IN the briefest and plainest expression TO tell
you.
The first duty, then, of Wings, not merely
as patriots and as ciizens,-loving, with large
and equal ore our whole native land, ,-hut as
Wings, and because We are Wings, is to unite
with some organization of our conntrymen, to
defeat and dissolve the new geographical party,
calling itself Republican. Tbs is our fist du-
iy. Ii would more exactly express my oplH-
ion TO say, that at this moment, it is our only
duty. Certainly, at least, il comprehends or
suspfnds all others: and in my judgment, thr
question for each and every one o! Us is, not
whether this candidate or that candidate would
he our first choice; not whether there is some
good talk in the worst platform, and some bad
talk in the best platform not whether this
mans ambition. or that mans servllity, or bold
ness, or fanaticiSm, or violence, is responsible
for putting the wild waters in this uproar =
but juSt this,-bv what vote can DO most to
prevent the madness of the times from working
lis maddrst act,-thr very ecStacy OF IFS mad
neSS,-tbe permanent formation and the actual
present triumph Of party which knows one
half America only to bate and dread il from
whose unconsecratrd and revolutionary banner
fifteen stars are erased or have faIlen:-in
whose national anthem the old and endrarrd
airs of the Eutaw Springs, and the Kings Noun
tain, and Yorktown, and those, later, OF New
ORLEANS, and Buena Vista, and ChapuItepec.
breathe no more. To this duty, TO this queS-
ton, all others seem 10 ne TO stand for the pres
ent postponed and secondary.
And why? Because. according to our creed,
it is only the United America which can peace
fully, gradually. safely, improve, lit up and
bless with all social and personal and civil
blessings, all the races and all the conditions
which compose our vast and various family-t
is such an America, only, whose arm can guard
our flag, develope our resources, extend our
tradr, and fill the measure of our glory; aud,
because, according to our convictions, the tri-
umph ofsuch Party pnts that Union 10 dan
ger. That is my reason. And for you, and
for me, and for all of US, in whose regards the
Union possesses such a value and to whose fears
ii seems mcnaced by such danger; it is req
son enough. Believing the noble ship Of state
to be within a half cables lrhgth OF the lee
shore of rock, in gale of wind, our first bus-
ness is to put her about, aud crowd her off, into
the deep, open sea. That done, we can resn-
late the Stowage of her lower tier Of powder, and
select her cruising ground, and bring her off,
GERS 10 court-martial at our leisure.
If there are any in Maine-and among the
Wings Of Maine hope there is not one-but If
there are any, in whose hearts strong passions,
vaulting ambition. Jealousy of men OF sections,
and impatient philanthropy, or
whatever else have turned to hate or GOODNESS
the fraternal blood and quenohed the spirit OF
national life at IFS source with whom the un-
ion Of slave States and free States under the ac-
tual Constitution is curse, hindTance, re-
proach !; with these Of course our view OF our
duty and the reason of it, are stumbling block
and !ooishness. To such you can have Moth
ing to say, and from such ycu can have noi1-
ing 10 hope. Batif there are those again VINO
love the Union as we love If, and prize IT as we
prize it who regard it as we do. not merely as
a vast fundamentally for the protection OF our
commerce and navigation and for achieving
power, eminence and name among the sover-
eigns of the earih-but as means OF improving
the material lot, and elrvating the moral and
mental nature, and insuring the personal happi-
ness ofthc millions Of many distant generations ];