Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-08-08

pro gress of Democracy since the day Of jefferson
and claimed the Anti Benton party as the repre-
sentative of Jehersonian principles. After TINS
exordium, Know Nothngsm and Emancipation
were considered at length. He based his argu,
ment against the latter almost solely on financial
ground, estimating the value of the lOO,OO0 slaves
in Missouri at $50 100000. Abiding to the pro.
vision in the State Constitution that they should
never be liberated except upon the payment OF an
equivalent to their masters he argued that Eman-
f cipation would necessitate public debt OF over
$50 coo, Missouri per cent stock selling as
it does, Is per cent below par and inqurng II the
people would be willing to pay the annual interest,"
on such sum, in addition to that on the present
State debt of $29, 100000 lie referred alone tc
, constitutional amendment initiated by the las
|, Legislature, prohibiting the increase OF the otat'
debt above S30,000000. lie did not use ethel
the Pro-Slayery Biblical argument ncr even th'
4 Simian theory of descent from the baboon. Or
the contrary, he appealed to the audience II they
would be willing any way, ito give up their deai
old mammies,," who had nursed them, and lei
them be driven out to starve? He denounced the
Emancipation movement also, as equivalent 10
| burglary equivalent to an attempt to break ana
en- ter the private house. the Anglo SaxOn's castle,
&c. The election of the anti-Benton candidate
| for Governor Col. Stewart, he advocated on the
ground that he stood opposed to Know Nothing
ism, Spiritualism, Free Soilism, aud all the sms
He made no allusion to the Pacific Railroad nor
the Overland Mail Route, neither to Kansas nor
to Utah. With no desire to do I'M ustice to Mr..
Polk, | think the comment on his speech bY an
old farmer who sat in front of me, was very apt,
that "it would take mighty fine tooth comp 10
catch the ideas in it." Mr.. Polk is anungracious,
inelegant speaker. His intonations are harshand
his manner boyish. His language was often un-
grammatical, and abounded in diversions OF the
natural order of words, the verb being thrown to
the end of the sentence, after the German con
struction n,his few moments OF excitement he
ierked his left leg over the bench as to sit
o-stpoJJla JT,s spnlra IN hOur and three
quarters, but might have condensed his remarks
into half the time.
The udience, to my surprise, were not enthusi-
astic. There was not cheer, nor even q stamp,
except once when forcible reply was made to an
ncautious interruption. They sat lazily on the
benches and window seats, the most prominent
figure being the little lawyer who had made his
maiden speech in the morning. lie was about
five feet two, and sat table in the middle Of
the room, with cigar in his mouth almost as long
as his arm down from his elbow. Several ladies
were present, and whispered busily,
Mr.. Polk's great deficiency was in adaptation of
his style to the audience His sharp remarks were
made so clumsily that their edge did not cut. In
this respect he was very unequal to Blair. who
was now introduced In personal appearance, the
two speakers differed widely Mr.. Blair is tall,
1.-THE, we'll built, and several years Mr., Folks
junior His eye is bright and blue, and has that
magnetic power which tastens the attention of any
one on whom it is turned His chief person al
advantage is his figure, for his face is homely, his
hair reddish, and he wears no beard. As wrote my
principal object in the trip to note his appear
ance on the stump, and am satisfied that be will
meet few equals in debate in the next Congress.
His speech abounded in sharp remarks which
were woIded neatly and cut deep. In denunci
alton, which he employed far more than MIR. Polk,
| he was gentemanly, and more severe than it he
had used rougher phrases. On one occasion, he
employed an epi.het which caused Mr.. Polk to
start in his chair; but the emphasis with which
the idea reiterated in the few next sentences,
as the speaker turned toward his opponent, caused
him to sink back in the cushion. 1t was in allu-
sion to the charge which Mr.. Polk had brought
against Col Benton in last years canvass, that he
was only seeking to be Governor in order to be
transferred to the United States Senate and the
fact was noticed that Mr.. Polk, succeeding in the
election, had procured his transerence to that
Senate and put the State to all the expense Of the
present canvass. Mr. Blair advocated the election
of Major Rollins, the Opposition candidate, but ex
onerated him from any responsibility for his
(Bair's) views on the Slavery question. He based
his advocacy on the argument that Maj Rollins
was more devoted TO the interests Of the State, and
an honester man than his opponent. In regard to
Know Nothingsm, the dogmas of which he un-
qualifedly condemned, he preferred Rollins to
Stewart, for the former an avowed American,
an out-and-outer ono knew where to find him
while the latter was a renegade, who had stayed
in a Know-Nothng lodge during the year and
out the country, but had deserted SO soon as its for
tunes began to sink
But it was to his remarks on the Slavery ques-
tion that listened with most interest The SIM
pie circumstance that the doctrine of Prohibition
could be advocated from the stump in Slave State
would have riveted my attention to any speaker
His argument was exploit and thorough. lie
arraigned the Anti Benton party for their deser
ton of the principles of Jefferson on this ques.
ton, and denounced them stealing the name OF
! Democracy to cover anything but Democratic doc
:. trines. He declared himself in favor of the ex-
cluson of Slavery from all the Territories into
which the introduction of the labor of the servile
negro would exclude that of the free white. The
question he considered to be rather that of the
rights of the free white laoorer than those of the
, slave and, for the sake of the prosperity OF Mis-
y souri, he hoped for the day when slavery should
be extinct within her borders. II it had mover
been olanted there, her population would have
been thrice its present number, and he looked tC
$ immigration Of free laborers and emigration OF
slaveowners at present for its extirpaon. lie be
+ ieved in separation of the two races. AT thu
g same time, it was not he nor his friends wh'
$ raised this emancipation issue. Although he ha'
l. ALWAYS held to the doctrines he was now proclaim
s. ing, it was not he who had raised the agitation il
It Missouri 1t was the Anti-Benton party, by theil
h incendiary resolutions in the last Legislature
e party whose political game was to hunt down al
n their opponents with the cry OF "nigger Ihi'
it portion of his speech was listened to "th tnt
closest attention, and drew repeated and hearty ap
pause. lie then passed to the question OF 'he
route selected for the Overland Mai, ,and,amid con
siderable excitement of Mr.. Folks friends, de
nounced him personally his party, and his party
organs, for betrayal of the rights of Missouri. II
was they who were intrusted with the guardianship
at Washington of the interests of the State, and
they have betrayed their charge by coneeding and
even advocating the location Of the route through tht
southern deserts untraversed except by occasion
D al explorer with troop of dragons at his heels
instead of on the central track over which fifty
thousand emigrants had passed in year.
Mr.. Blair spoke for an hour, and Mr.. Polk repli
ed in another long haransue which lasted till sun
. down. lie was vehement and personal, and ! lis
te ned to him for q few minutes but then retired
satisfied with having heard Anti,Slavery doetrin
announced and applauded in a political meeting ]
Slave State. The occasion was notable, as 81
!. Louis paper remarks. as the commencement of