Washington telegraph., 1856-08-27
The Canvass.

for all true Americans to rally and show
what sort of stuff they are made of. And We
wish to address ourselves plainly and une-
quivocally to those to whom our words may
come. This is no time for Sinking the
question, NO time for pausing to consider,
no time for stopping to count the probable
cost of the contest, or to enquire into the
seeming availability of the candidates who
are before the people of this Union, and
from whom they are to select President
for the four years following the 4th day of
March, 1857. No man ever achieved sue
cess without an effort party ever bore
its banner to victory by marching at a
snails pace, and trusting to the lack of bot
tom in the opposition. And it behooves
the American party of this Union to heed
these things well at this particular juno
ture Now is the time to work. And
there are reasons why you should work
And We wish to present them to you, and
make one more appeal! And we are ut
terly at loss to kcSg why you should fail
to heed it.
Now is the time to work But little
more than two months intervene between
to-day and the day when the people of this
Union will decide at the ballot box, who is
to be their ruler. You, Americans-to
whom we address ourselves, are marshalled
under the banner of the Constitution, with
Millard Fillmore for your leader. Him
you have once followed to victory over hot
ly contested fields. Him you have watch
ed.as he gallantly bore himself with daunt-
less front, through the thickest of the fight.
Him you have seen come unscathed from
the conflict, and wear worthiIy the victors
wreath, and the laurel crown To him, in
the hour of danger, when the tempest roar
ed around the good old ship of State, and
she rocked upon the stormy waves, and
every timber creaked and all the cordage
strained and every sail fopped useless in
the gale, your eyes have instinctively turned;
and upon him have you called, when you
sought pilot who should outweather the
storm and guide the tempest tossed vessel
to safe harbor, and he was ready with his
stout arm, and faithful with his steady eye.
He took the tiiler in his hand, and all was
we'll He walked the deck-the master of
the elements at his bidding, through
the yesty waves and past the splintered
rocks and over the deceitful shadows, and
into pleasant port, the good ship of the
Union was guided safely He was glo-
rious captain. The storm fiend is abroad
again. The clouds hang heavy, black and
portentous, and lower omin0us over the
political horizon; the winds of faction
have left their ''stony throated caves" and
are careering madiy over the waters The
mutterings of the storm are heard on every
side, and the old ship quivers in all her
parts But the voice that once before
spake peace to the troubled waters, and
guided the storm rocked ship to port, is
heard again. He speaks to the crew. He
tells us what sails to furl, how to bclay the
ropes, where to take reef, how to
avoid the rocks, and shows us where the
quicksands are bIillard Fillmore speaks.
He tells us at is time to work" Will you
heed his voice? Or stretched supinely on
the deck, will you let the current of mad
ness and fanaticism carry you away. Up
to your task men, if you are men, Man the
rigging, lash yourselves to the tiller, fling
yourselves out upon the spars, heave at the
ropes and all may yet be well. at is time
to work - Will We sleep upon your posts?
There are reasons rhy we should work
The American party was organized to re-
form abuses, to correct evils. 1t was or
ganized upon principles which are eternal
and immutable because they are true. 1t
was the incarnation of the AMERICAN SEN
timent, the embodiment of the AMERICAN
idea Hundreds of thousands rushed into
its folds. The degree of membership was
sought with avidity. The unworthy swell
led Its ranks-the selfsh-the treacher-
ous-the infamous found admission Their.
purposes were not subserved- their be-
hests were not obeyed- their Vaccinations
were foiled-heir falsehood, trickery, dou-
BILE dealing, hypocrisy and infamy were
exposed they RETIRED according to
their accounts they left in disgust The
ranks of the American party were thinned
They were left powerless to effect the proud
and lofty purposes at which they aimed
They were left in minority.
At present the American party is the
butt of s:the groundlings" 1t is an ex-
quisite, good joke for ''some quantity of
barren spectators" But our principles
remain to US, and we cling to them-aye.
cling to them with as faithful and leal a
trust as crusader ever leaned upon his
cross with. We are panoplied to battle for