Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-04-25
SPEECH OF
HON. LEWIS D. CAMPBELL.
OF OHIO,
1t the American Mass meeting in
Washington City, Feb. 2Gth,
f25k.

AZ the American Mass meeting i'm
Washington City, Feb. 26th,
1856.
Mr. Campbell entered the hall, and was
received with enthusiastic cheers by the as
sembly.
He appeared upon the stand, and said
.ur. President and Feliow Citizens:
have this moment entered the ball. and do
not know exactly what you are dtiag, or
what you intend TO do. Ia fact, sir, ] have
been almost forced from my d uiet apart
meuts, few steps up the bill, by your com
mittee, after ! had once declined the iDvi-
tation in the early part of the evening. /
feel, therefore, tha: am placed under en-
barrasing circumstances. If it be your
purpose to perpetuatc the great principles
Of American Liberty and the Union Of the
States in that spirit in which our Reyolu-
tionary fathers secured them for Us, then
am with you with all my soul [Cheers.l
Before proceed to make speech, it is
but proper that should say, that / came
here with no intention to commit myself to
the supper. of men, or TO identify myself
with your proceedings further than to speak
my views upon American principles.
have always been Whig Enlisting
under the great banner of that great party
in 1882, when it was CALAMITY borne on
ward by the lamented American statesman
'Harry Of the West" I did not desert it
so long as the organization continued. But
it is now conceded that TIE Whig party is
dead that it is ':defunct in the abstract''
| daughter and applause.l 1t was glori-
Gus old party, and my eminent friend from
Kentucky (Mr. Crittenden, who sat on the
stand) and will long cherish our pleasant
recollections Of it in the stirring times of
1840 aud 1874, when, shoulder to shoulder
without reference to geographical lines, We
battled for its principles. Applause.l
Mr.. President, all the old parties have
been knocked to pieces. [cheers,I To
use the favorite expression of western
friend, they are now in state Of "confu-
SION contuzied,"- Laughter and cheers.l
Why, sir, where is the Democratic party,
the party as it existed in the days of GeE-
eral Jacksonl 1t has been reduced to a
mere association Of men whose only aim APP
pears to be the spoils of victory Jap
plausel 1t no longer exists as party Of
| fixed principles. Were President Pierce
to send out all his force Of marshals and
deputy marshals, to find such party, each
one provided with a national search warrant
they would fai! to discover the fugitive
[Applause.l 1t too, has departed! His
marshals would have to make returns upon
their writs similar to tha t of the Kentucky
constable A Kentuck fight once occurred
at tavern on "bar grass" One of the
combatants broke whiskey bottle over the
head of his antagonist. The result was
s,ate's warrant. The defendant fec
through cornfeld, over the creek, inte
a swami. ant, there climbed a stump. Seat
inc himself in the fork, he drew his "Bowie,'
and as the constable approached in pursuit
he addressed him; =.
Snow, Mr.. Constable, you want 20 fa1'
me. and / give you fair warning that II you
attempt to climb this stump, "PHtcke yOu.
laughter and applause The constable :
| who had been about the court house enough
| to learn some of the technical terms use'
| in returning writs, went back to the squire