The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-08
TWO CENTS.
SPEECH OF VIM BROWNE, ESQ, AT THE DEMO
CRATIC RATIFICATION MEETING LNBR00RLRN,
OCTOBER 4TH 1855

MIR. CHAIRMAN at this late hour
of the evening and after the able and eloquent addresses
which you have heard from the gentlemen who have al
ready spoken feel that ii is almost unnecessary for TO
detain you by any remarks of mine conscious am that
nothing can say add TO the force of what you have
already heard arouse you more thoroughly than you
are aroused to Of the magnitude and importance
of the duty that deove upon you in the great political
contest on which about TO enter.
see with heartfelt qualification, In the size and enthu
ssm OF the assemblage which surrounds me, that the
true and steadfast democrats of Brooklyn as deter
mined to stand forth in defence of the great
principles of their party, from the wefounded conyc-
ton that the triumph Of those principles depend the
welfare Of the country and the State the highest happi
of the people, and the preservation of the consttu
ton and the Union, as they have subsisted since the
foundation of the republic.
claim your indulgence, then, while make few oh
servaons two subjects, which conceive we'll
worthy your deliberate consideration.
We assembled here tonight TO tlfy the action Of
the chosen representatives of the democracy of State
and country to give the popular sanction to the ticket
which has been presented for support and to pledge
ourselves to best energies to elect that ticket
deem the Empire State from the debasing thraldom in
which she has been held by black republican regents and
restore her 10 her proper place among the democratic
States Of the Union.
To achieve this great victory to place in the guberna
toria chair such noble consistent gifted and Jealous
democrat Amasa J. Parker; to elevate to the high
Office of lieutenant governor thoroughly deserving
of the honor John j. Taylor to entrust with the i'm
porant arduous, and responsible duties of canal
missioner able, energetic and honest Sher
burnc b. Piper to give the supervision of prisons to
talented and popular fellow Citizen Edward Leo Dom
nelly and to reeee representative in the national
legislature present. tried rusty and faithful repre-
sent George Taylor is task worthy of best efforts
and one which we can certainly perform if we will
We must remember that we, the democracy Of Brook
lyn integral part of the democracy of the United
Statesof that great party whose principles and organ
ization not hemmed in by sectional preudices inn
aginary geographical lines but extend from extremi
ty t, of bte
tinctons of North South East West but recognising
nation, equal in rights and privileges in
prosperity and adyersitya the States and people who
exist under the ngis of our glorious constitution.
We must remember the great deeds which the demo-
cratic party has achieved from the time of Thomas JEFF
ferson when it asserted the capacity of to govern
himself, and the individual rights Of the States pros
trated federalism, and demolished intolerance and pro-
scripton when, in the days Of Andrew jackson, it
crushed the doube-hcaded yant, monopoly and capital
and when in our own time, by the election of James
Buchanan to the chief magstracy Of the republic pre-
served the integrity Of the constitution and the Union
against the assaults Of selfish and INSCRIPTIONS politicians
wild and excited fanatics, row-minded bgots, and
ayowed traitors. r.. ..s. ..,a-J, s.,n. ...5t
We must remember, however, that it by the union
of the entire party, by the most implicit and faithful obe
dence party organization by total abnegation of
selfish preudiccs and the utmost devotion to the nation
al good lin short by long pull strong pull, and pull
atogether-that these beneiccnt tumphs achieved
and must remember that it is by this united action
alone that we can hope to triumph in the future.
Fellow citizens when the democratic party is united
and resouc, it is invncbie. But have not always
been triumphant. We have sustained bitter and humilia
ting defeats and why? Because have sometimes for
gotten high and important mission, have allowed In
dvdnal rcsentments rartiay for ambitious leaders, and
selfish quarres among ourselves, to control our action
and induce to forsake the sacred cause of right and
great principles.
Within few years we have been often defeated in
this State, and must admit that these defeats
only to be attributed to our own fouds and dissen
sons and not to the strength of the opposition. In
1856 we were united In 1857 we asserted the power
of the democracy and the occasion is offered lis
to reap the full fruits of the victory Against whom
have to contend? We have to contend against the
party to which Thurlow Weed, Wendell Phillips, Lloyd
Garrison, Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, N. L. Banks
and Mr.. Weeds sgoodenough" Morgan No 2, belongs,
and which is commonly known as the back-rcpublican
partythat party which in disregard of the interests Of
country and the chartered rights of the citizens of fifteen
States of the conoderayn defiance of the constitution
and III destruction of those political bonds of fellowship
from which country derives its of the United
Stateswould array the North against the South and
light the brand of civil in midstagainst that
party which would admit the runaway negro to the inn
mediate enjoyment of the high privileges of United
States citizenship while it would strive to nufy the
constitutional rights of the Hishman the German who,
after five years probation and honest, productive la
bor becomes American citizen ready to do and die for
the welfare and glory of his adopted country. #
know that there many in this vast assembage
who like myself have been born in Ireland, who like
lnySeI PROUD OF the OF our pc-
lieve, do that we are not that account less
thy less intelligent less loyal citizens of the United
States.
Shall by votes elevate to place and power those
who from the basest and most corrupt motives would
place us in position politically inferior to that of the
negro who has robbed his master shall go forth
to do battle for that party which has always been the
firm friend and generous protector of the foreign born
citizen--whch has surrendered, and viii
surrender any Of those privileges to which enti
tied under the constitution
viii my German fellow-czens vote for the party
of whose leaders-Mr Palmer, of Chautauque county
recently declared that though there might be Germans
in New York Brooklyn, and Buffalo who might object to
the denial of the naturalzed citizens right to vote un
til year after naturalization, 'there phe An1cri
who would warmly approve it2" 1t Is against this
party which would elevate the negro 10y degrading the
Irishman and the German that we have to contend
Fellow citizens have also TO contend against the par
known the native American know nothing party
which would make the place of birth and the religious
creed the test of this qualification for citizenship and
which would prescribe all who did not up to Its
peculiar standard.
This party composed Of the refuse of the old whig
party and the of every party is neither nu
merous influential but its dogmas quite od
ous dangerous, and unconstitutional those of the
black republicans and it is equally the duty of the
democratic party to rally to defeat the aspirations OF the
know nothings it is to defeat those Of the ngger
These two parties citizens constitute open
and declared enemy, and whether they fuse, they
threaten whether they continue divided are able
TO defeat them utterly if We try.
But we have another foe TO contend WITH more dan
gerous because he the mask of friendship, and with
professions Of attachment to the democratic party seeks
divide and distract u.s. by raising false issues and cast