San Andreas independent., 1858-08-07
The Crittsnden Testimonial

we learn by the eastern newspapers. h
received the heartfelt greetings of tn
people all along his line of travel. A
Cincinnati an overwhelming concourse o
citizens, members of all parties rep
resentatives of all sections, nationaiitie
and political assembled to welcom
the old patriot and tender their admira
tlon of his, late course In the Senate OF
the affairs OF Kansas. On crossing tn,
Ohio, ne was met at the landing in Gov
lngton, by committee of Kentuckians
and escorted to the centre of vast gath
erlng, assembled for his reception. A
Lexington, the old home of the "grea
Commoner," there was an unanimous ris
ing of the citizens to do him honor; anc
wherever he went in his native State, the
gallant and noble Kentuckians lost no op
portunity to testify their love and respec,
for the man who had faithfully served the
State and the nation for thirty-six years
These oyations were not the ebullitions
of partizan feeling; for the last three
years it can hardIy be said that Mr.. Crit
tenden has been party man. With
Wing antecedents that are engrafted on
cotemporary history, having learned his
craftsmanship from the lips of Henry
Clay, whose apt and ardent desciple he
continued for many years, when both chief
tain and party were numbered with the
dead, Mr.. Crittenden expressed prefer
ence for Americanism, identifying himself
with that cause until it ceased to be ma
tional. Then, animated rather by patri-
otism than partizan zeal, he took sides
with the Democracy-with that branch of
the party known as the anti-Lecompton
wing. He might have remained, SO far
as this issue concerned his State, mere
"looker-on in Venice" but passive
course is not the characteristic of Ken
tuckian-least of all the characteristic of
one of her old-school statesmen. Mr.. G.
watched the progress of that memorable
debate, and after the vehemence of the
contending powers and the fiery temper
of the angered sections had exhausted
themselves, he arose in the Senate to re-
peat the policy of Cato. All eyes were
leveled towards the seat once occupied by
the American Demosthenes. Much was
expected; but the successor of Clay sur
passed expectation. We may take occa-
sion hereafter to re-publish that speech.
1t stands in the front rank of the patri-
otic efforts recorded in our country's his
tory. Every line breaths eloquence-
every thought burns with that noble and
enlarged love Of country which embraces
the whole Union, and claims all her chill
dren as brothers 1t fclllike wet blanket
on the heated pride of the southern nulli-
fers, and struck down in an instant that
northern monster, fanaticism. Whatever
were the misgivings of national men be-
fore, after Mr.. Crittenden had spoken no
danger was apprehended of irreconcilable
differences between the two great sections
of the Union He spoke the true senti-
ment of Kentucky; and this noble-hearted
commonwealth occupiesa most command
ing position in. relation to these sectional
quarrels. She thus, through her venera-
Bile Senator, became the arbiter between
the north and south From a remote
corner of the country-the prairies of
Kansas point of difference had been,
by political chicane, transferred to the
Federal capital. 1t became the bone of
contention among politicians. The hum
cry, the ambitious, the narrow-minded,
the selfish, had surrounded the question
with the direst confusion, and the start
ling echoes of their clamor reverberated
throughout all the States. An array of
parties upon a purely sectional basis
seemed inevitable. Little men, without
genius or understanding, or aaght to rec
ommend them to public favor but the
violence with which they expressed them
selves, were beginning to elbow expert
enced craftsmanship off the stage Con-
servatism was nick named &c old-fogyism"
in the south, and the moderates were
called dough-faces' in the north. 1t
was thus in 1892, that the Men of the
Mountain" crushed the " Girondins of
the French Revolution, and spread car
pet of blood over France. Men of genius
and patriotism, like Lafayette, and Bar
naro, and Petion, were driven out by the
jackal cries of Robespierre, Marat and
Danton.
in Kansas the question of which We
speak had been bad enough constant