Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-05-14
Speech of General Pierce i'm Phil
adeIDhia.

Speech OF General Pierce i'm Phil
adeIphia.
A large crowd recently collected in
Philadelphia, at the residence of Gen
eral Pierce, upon tbs occasion of the
late Democratic meeting. General Pat
t~erson, in it's behalf, made a very COM
p~limentary speech, to which the Ex-
President thus replied:
1 thank you, fellow-citizens, for this
unexpected call, and desire to express
the qualification which I feel in meeting
and being introduced by a gentleman
who has done honor to our city, and
rendered signal service not only to the
State of Pennsylvania but to our COM
mon country, both in civil life and on
the field of battle.
Good news never comes amiss or out
of season. 1 congratulate you upon
the results which have followed your ex-
ercise to-day of the most sacred right of
freemen, that of choosing for themselves
those who shall execute their will in
the conduct of public affairs. I eongra-
tulate you, not because youHfOHow- this
or that banner, with this or thatsinscrip-
ton, but because you sustain principles
which come to us with the unequivocal
and solemn sanction of the Revolution
airy fathers-principles which suggest,
first of all, and as a cardinal virtue,
reverence for the Constitution and love
for the Union. Whatever may be said
or done elsewhere, to whatever degree
the public mind may be inhamed in
other localities by unreleeting fanaticism
you, at least, recognise no law for your
guidance in matters pertaining to gov
eminent, and your duty as citizens of
the Republic, higher than that which
was. framed in your own independence
Hall-Timmense eheering1Hand which,
with the blessing of God, shall stand as
the fundamental law of the land,
honored, revered, obeyed. [Deafening
cheers.
L have highly enjoyed, gentlemen, a
quiet month in your city. The occasion
has afforded me opportunity to observe
more at leisure than ever before, the
extent and admirable character of your
public institutions to admire the large
and intelligent application of means by
your citizens to the promotion of art
and science; and to regard, as 1 have
done, with ~unalloyed qualification, the
noble steps which have been taken to
meet the want-moral, mental and ply
steal - of suffering humanity. You
citizens of Philadelphia, have shown
hat while you remember the generous
spirit of federation of William Penn, you
have not forgotten to emulate his expan.
sive b~enevolence. You have shown
too, that so long as the consccrated Hal
on Independence Square, to which ]
have adverted, shall stand, you are de.
termined that the work wrought by tho
fathers there shall stand with it. Lons
and continued cheers.
1 honor you for all this. Your geo
graphical position in. the Union, ane
the precious and glorious memorie
which must ever cluster around yol
here, impose high and peculiar respon
sibilities, and I have faith to believ,
that you will continue to redeem then
all.
Summoned thus suddenly before you
I can hardly be expected to be stirred
by the same degree of enthusiasm which
glows in your bosoms, at the close O
this day of your struggle and triumph
but I trust the hour may never come
carly or late, night or day, when m.
heart will not warm to my country, AM
to my honest, patriotic and law-abidin:
countrymen, whether native or natural
lied, wherever they may have been born
or wherever, in Jul vast domain, thei
lot may be cast. Hearty cheers.
Although I have declined a publi
demonstration on my way from you
services to my home, 1 can but expires
my grateful Acknowledgements for thi
spontaneous manifestations of consider
ton and regard. [Cheer after cheer 70
several minutes.
The distinguished Ex-President wa
frequently interrupted and compelled t
pause in his remarks by the applaus
they elected.