Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-05-29

laughter, and that if the Wing party were
its father, then that old gentleman could not
have been very choice in at least one OF his
amours. We therefore dismissed the young
impostor, and though sorry to display any
want of courtesy, yet we felt obliged, in let
ting Sam 90 on, to give him kick as he
went. Loud laughter and applause.
Sir, what first turned our stomachs against
Know Nothing physic was a reflection on
what composed it. We had no taste for
mixed liquors Above all, we abhorred a
mixture of bad liquors. Laughter. In
the time of tumult and uncertainty there
might have been many parties attractive to
us but it was morally impossible we should
join party composed of the fag-ends of all
other parties, and clothed in the rags Of old
doctrines which they had long ago cast off.
/ Applause. There might have been many
combinations of men agreeable to us; but
we could never, [ hope, find our account in
a combination of rapscallions whom all 9TH
er parties had been glad to get rid of-of
men who, on the one hand had broken down
the Wings, and, on the other, gave good
promise of corrupting the Democrats
rushed into the new party with the irresisti-
bic attraction of the needle to the pole, in
the belief that there they would find that re-
ward which other parties had Justly refused
them. Loud applause. But further: we
failed to find in the doctrines of this new
party any resemblance to the principles of
the Wings. The pretence that narrow
minded nativism was good Whiggery was
foolish as it was false; for we we'll knew
how the Wings Of Maryland had expressly
repudiated it in 1870 and how uniformly
the leading Wing statesmen had denounced
it. AS Wings, it is true we had ever claim
ed to be good Americans so had Democrats
claimed to be; and both with good reason.
The Americanism of the olden time was a
Isweet-smelling SAVIOR in our nostrils, but the
odor of this new-fashioned, bob-tailed,
Know Nothing Americanism was - what
perhaps it would be indclicate here to ex-
press. Laughter and applause. And as
for the intolerant spirit Of that party, and
its war upon mems religion, sir, we were
bound to oppose it, not only as Wings, not
as Democrats, not onl y as patriots jealous
Of the cornerstone of liberty, but, [ am
proud to say, as Southern llaaylonders, anx-
ious to preserve our soil untarnished and the
memories Of our forefathers unviolated =
Loud applause. Sir, within our district
was the spot where the spirit of religious
liberation first looked up and was glad,
where Americans first vowed that no man
should suffer for his religions sake, where
that grain Of mustard-sced was first planted
,yb,c 4,o
herbs. and overshadows our prosperity and
peace. 1t was an insult to men born and
reared amid such associations to imagine that
they would desert principle for which their
ancestors had contended during two long
centuries, for the sake of helping set of
broken down politicians into office. Ap-
plause.
But, sir, this new party was not less op-
posed to our tastes than to our principles.-
As Wings we had never been used to secret
conclaves. AS Wings we had never de-
meaned ourselves to the use of grips and
signs, and slang phrases, and catchwords
and low maneuvring. What we did, we
did openly and aboveboard Surely it was
hardly to be expected that, after twenty five
years bold action in the open daylight, we
should consent to assemble like owls and
bats, and consult together amid the shades
of night in empty barns and the caverns of
the earth by the Pickering light of penny
candles. Laughter and applause Hence
it was that we let Sam slide" Hence it
was that as soon as his real character be-
came known to the people of Southern Mary
land, they rose up like one man to rebuke
the insult offered to their patriotism.
In the meantime, the Democratic party
stood firm and unwavering presenting the
only organized opposition to these new here
sizes. From one end of the country to the
other it occupied the same attitude and
fought the same fght-at first with doubt
full success, but always boldly, always hero
ically. Applause. The truth, as it al
ways will, eventually, prevailed; and Sam
has been sorry champion from the day
when he lay upon his back in the Old Do
minion. with the foot of Virginia Democra-
cy on his breast. Sir, it is for this unhin-
ching course that the Democratic party en-
titled itself to our gratitude and support
Applause. But the great, irresistible con-
sideration which at this crisis has brought
us into this company, is the position Of the
Democratic party on the question of slavery.
Applause. Sir, there are no people more
devoted to the maintenance of constitutional
rights in this behalf than the people of
Southern Maryland, nor are any others more
deeply interested in their preservation. Had
we been ten-fold as bitter in our prejudices
as we were, we could not have failed to ap-
preciate the splendid efforts of leading De-
mocratic statesmen, who have almost sacri-
feed their own interests in maintaining our
rights, and measuring out equal justice to
every section of the confederacy When
we saw the Democracy standing up to the
of tho KoDc hill Tho 40