The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-09-16
0oIdttal
An Eloquent Extract.


The following eloquent tribute to truth is
extracted from the speech of Vice President
Breckenridge, delivered at Florence, KY,
on the Gath ult. twill bear comparison in
its grandeur and classical eloquence with
some of the loftiest flights of Burke, a
Sheridan, or an Erksine.
"And would Kentuckians go with this
great party of the North, under the delusive
name OF the peoples party! He had shown
Kentuckians the banquet set before them.
Had they any stomachs for the feast Oh
for the giants that were-for the triumvirate
that saw afar the danger that now was near.
Calhoun with his far-reaching intellect, saw
it first, and warned his countrymen. Clay
saw it, aud in his latter days served his
country with q patriotism broader than ever
before and fervor deeper, in seeking to
avert it. And still the mellow beams of the
setting sun of that great man fingered in
golden radiance of the western sky. Web.
ster saw it-that grand and gigantic man re.
sisted the madness of the torrent of political
fanatcsm that arose in his own State as
rock resists the waves but the dirty tide
rolled over him, and now seethed there tri.
umphant, with damagoguesj drift-wood float
ing with the froth and scum that arises to
the surface amid the fury of faction. The
giants were no more and it remained for
those to whose hands were confided the
trusts OF their country to consider what
should be done to destroy the growing pow.
er of the republican party, the paths OF
whose triumphs would be amid the ruins Of
the nation. The slavery question had killed
all parties but one the democratic. 1t
had been the death of the old whg party,
that organization which was bold, open, and
gallant, game, full of pluck and fire, which
had always marched with drums beating and
banners flying, and which he had regarded
as the best of parties, always excepting hi:
own. The gallant old whig party had diei
of the slavery question. And the American
party, of which it was really not necessary
to say much, had died, partly of the slavery
question and partly of an inherent weakness:
of constitution, which incapacitated it from
battling long under any external circum
stances. The Americans might object tt
hearing him speak in this styles but where
had they material power Could they pol
fifteen thousand votes in Ohio Were they
not inefficient and used up as an independ
ent organization in every township OF til,
North! At any rate he thought that h'
might state, without disrespect, that th'
American party had not answered the expec
tations of its friends ! But what shoult
have been expected of a party built upol
one idea, and that idea wrong. The Anne
rican party had sprung up quicker, lived fas
ter, and died out more suddenly, than any
other organization of which he had evel
heard. -... ....
The democratic party was not destruc
tive or radical party. 1t was conservative
not in the common place, clap.trap sense il
which the word was used, but in it's broad
liberal, and true sense. 1t was vital or
ganiza,ion. 1t stood in the history of tn,
country, great landmark, towering owe
the ruins of opposing organizations. 1t ha,
managed the policy OF the country at home
and abroad. II has never died, ducked, OF
lodged. Its banner, though torn sometimes
has never been trailed in the dust. 1t hac
never fled from any question, but had al
ways faced the music. 1t was the only vita
organization in the country that possessed
historical renown.
The tenacity of life and capacity for grea
works which this party displayed was no
owing to chance, nor to the drift Of circm
stances. There was a substantial philoso
ply underlying it. Why had it survived ane
fiourished amid the wrecks of other parties
Because it had tried oil questions in the cru
chile of the constitution and because, ac
cordng to the best of its judgement, it ha,
vindicated equality Of birth and Of individua
rights, and Of the States. Basing itself up
on the constitution, and upon the indestruc
tble rights of citizens and States, the demo
cratic party had survived, and was now vital
untamable, and unconquerable. 1t was con
fronted from one end of the Union to tn
other by the republican party. And Their
was only room in the Union for those tw,
parties, with the ciangor of the contest Be
tween whom the whole heavens would sool
resound. What position would the sons @
Kentucky take in this combat Her geo
graphical position was important. She bo,
dered on free States for six Numbered miles
t Were her people willing that some of tn
t desperate politicians within her border
should put her up as stake =! Would the
!, hazard her honor! No; the honor an
glory Of the old Commonwealth filed th
core Of their hearts, and they would bur
the animosities Of the past, and vindicat
J that honor which was to them SO dear tina
for it they would be willing to die.
7 IN. n Fl