Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-08-12
Speech Of Hon. Jefferson Da'
Wis, i'm Portland, Maine.

cere thanks for this manifestation of your
kindness. Vanity does not lead me to so
far misconcsive your purpose as to appro-
pirate the demonstration to myself, but 1t
is not less gratifying to me to be made the
medium through which Maine tenders her
regard for Mississippi. 1t is, moreover,
with feelings of profound qualification that
witness this indication OF that national
sentiment and fraternity which made US,
and which alone can keep us one people.
At a period but as yesterday, when COM
pared with the life of nations, these States
were separate-in some respects opposing
colonies; their only relation to each other
was that of a common allegiance to the
government of Great Britain. So separate,
indeed, almost hostile, was their attitude,
that when General Stark, of Bennington
memory, was captured by savages on the
head waters of the Kennebec, he was sub
sequently taken to Albany where they went
to sell furs, and again led away captive,
without interference on the part Of the in
habitants of that neighboring colony to OBJ
tain or demand his release. United, as we
now are, were acitizen of the. United States,
as an act of hostility to our countrf, i'm
prisonsd or slain in any quarter of the
world, whether on land or sea, the people
of each and every State of the Union. with
one heart and one voice, would demand
1d.ess; and woe be to him against whom
a brothers. blood cried to us from the
ground. Such is the fruit of the wisdom
and the justice with which our fathers
bound contending colonies into confedera-
ton, and blended different habits and RI
val interests into harmonious whole, so
that, shoulder to shoulder. they entered on
the trial of the Revolution, aud step with
step trod its thorny paths until they reach
ed the height of national independence, and
founded the constitutional liberty which is
our birth-right.
When the mother country entered upon
her career of oppression, In disregard OF
chartered and constitutional rights, our
forefathers did not stop to measure the
exact weight Of the burden, or to ask if
the pressure bore most upon this colony or
upon that, but saw in it the infraction of a
great principle-the denial of common
right, in defense of which they made COM
mon cause--Massachusetts, Virginia and
South Carolina vieing with each other as
to who should be foremost in the struggle
where the penalty of failure would be a
dishonorable grave. Tempered By the trials
and sacrifices of the Revolution, digni6ed
by its noble purposes, elevated by its brill
liant triumphs, endeared to each other by
its glorious memories; they abandoned the
confsderacy, not to fly apart when the out.
ward pressure of hostile fleets and armies
was removed, but to draw closer their en-
brace in the formation Of more perfect
union. By such men, thus trained and
ennobled, our Constitution was formed. Il
stands monument of principle. of fore
cast, and above all, of that liberality which
made each willing to sacrifice local inter
est. individual prejudices or temporary
good to the general welfare and the perpe'
tuity of republican institutions. which they
had passed through fire blood to seeure.-
: The grants were as broad as were necessa
ry for the functions of the general agent
and the mutual concessions were twice
blessed-blessing him who gave aud him
who received. Whatever was necessary
for domestic government, requisite in tht
social organization of each community. was
retained by the States and people thereof
and these it was made the duty of all te
defend and maintain.
Such, in very general terms, is the ricl
! political legacy our fathers bequesthed t.
} US. Shall we preserve and transmit it t.
posterity? Yes, the heart responds; anl
shS ouonCko, tu0 ttSA Is cdSil ~
performed. 1t but requires that eacl
should attend to that which most concerns
him, and on which alone he has riQhtfn
power to decide and to act; that each shoult
adhe'' to the terms of written compact
and that all should cooperate for that which
: interest, duty and honor demand. For III
general affairs of our country. both foreig1
and domestic, we have national executive
"a national legislature. Representative
and Senators are chosen by districts an,
7 by States; but their acts effect the Who'll
coantry, and their obligations are to th
whole people. He who, holding eithe
seat, would con6ne his Investigations to tn
mere interests of his constituents. woul
h be derelict to his plain duty, and be VIII
e would legislate in hostility to any section
would be morally unfit for the station, an
surely an unsafe depository if not treach
erous guardian, of the inheritance wit