Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-09-29
THE ADMINISTRATION EXPOSED.

IN the 9th Congressional District represented by
Hon. John B. Haskin, who was re-nominated
the Peoples candidate on that day.
FELLOW CITIZENS Il feel gratified in being
able to appear before you one to partici-
pate in the ceremony which has been announc-
cd-the nomination, as the peoples candidate,
of one of the tribunes who stood up during
the whole exciting session of Congress for an
undying principle. And | am gratified, fur
cher, in being able to bear, here in your pres
ence. nv personal tribute to the courage, the
independence and consistency of the gentle
snan whom you have thus formally placed be-
fore the people for reelection. Having taken
some part in the controversy which is not
set closed, and having been present when va
rous demands were made at the seat of the
Federal Government, saw Mr.. Haskin tried,
not only by fTowns and the threats of power.
but by its Establishments, too. And there new
.er a moment from the beginning TO the end
of that struggle, in which that man quaiied or
faltered. GCheers. 1t required on his part,
gentlemen, uncommon courage, sustaining
Il peculiar personal relation, as he did, to the
Executive, to resist these combined influences.
1t required great independence and great self
denial to tear himself loose from those with
whom lie had been Thus closely associated
and, more than all, it required that he should
keep constant watch over himself, lest in that
great political centre, where public virtue is
constantly sapped, where the public man is
constantly III uaNEcT Ol DciUp lt
should fall into the hands of his enemies. 1t
required on his part that he should SO bear
himself not only to resist the influence of
power, but be able 10 stand without suspicion.
lie came from District which had not only
given him large plurality, but which had
given to Mr.. Buchanan decisive vote and
TO no man more, venture to say, is Mr.. Bu-
cianan indebted than to Mr.. Ilaskin, for the
manner in which the Democratic party in this
vicinity rolled up the vote they gave to the
Democratic candidate 1856. His active
ertions, his personal devotion to the character
of the President we feel that that candidate
reciprocated, COR pretended to reciprocatc)
all the devotion which Mr.. Haskin himself
manifested, rendered him of all men The man
upon whom the President might rely in con-
ducting the affairs of the Government at the
seat of the Federal Capital. lie did not go to
Washington TO betray principle. or to desert
the candidate of his choice. He this
Administration which he had thus toiled to
elect With four years of power, with unbound
ed patronage. Besides, as have said, he was
his friend. The Cabinet was filled with men
towards whom he sustained the most intimate
relations. What reason, then, had he TO do
anything but the right2 What inducemeut
was there on the part of Mr.. Haskin to take
any other than an honest course! | say.
then, my fellow citizens that you do well in
placing him before his constituents for anoth-
er trial. GCheers and applause Yes, you
not only do we'll, but you would not do we'll if
Won did not do But say now, that when
the time comes that public men in the North
gre not sustained who have done what Mr.
lIaskn has dOnc--when that time comes-that
the people OF this Congressional District
any Congressional district, refuse to do honor
10 such a man. then we become in This region
a race OF towards and slaves. [Cheers and
applause.l
Nv fellow citizens. must now be little per-
hs.fn I IL
l am impellcd, if not compelled. to refer to a
portion of political history in which | have
borne Somewhat prominent part. Ny rcla-
tions to the present Executive of the United
States begun with carly hoyhoOd, from the
time long before became a voter, when | was
his intimate confident and friend. From early
youth down to the present hour, or rather to
period one year ago, | sustained toward Mr..
Buchanan relations not only of intimacy, but
of more than intimacy. Had he been my
father. il his blood ran in my veins. | could
not have been more devOtedly attached to him.
IApplause.l / believe that thar sentiment and
affection was reciprocated. We had tried in
our good old State of Pennsylvana, for many
wears, to elect this gentleman TO the Prcsiden
cv. It fell to my lot-born in the county
where ne grew to man hood, IN the county
where he read law, in the county where he
still has his residence, in that county where
he saws he expects to dic-and knowing him
a. =
of the hard work incident TO the fnlfiilmcnt of
the aspirations of himself and the wishes OF
his friends. In 1911 went to the city Of
Baltimore instructed to vote for distinguish
ed citizen of you- State, Mr.. Van Buren, but
ogyizg To the publication OF his celebrated Texas
getter the delegation from Pennsylvania, rs is
aveI known, concluded that Mr.. Van Buren,
had forfeited the confidence OK the Democratic
party and that it bee me us TO present our
own fayurcd citizen for that high place. We
did So ard We failed. But still in 1SiS we re-
appeared upon the scene with our fellow-citi-
Ze,Is and there the friends of Mr.. Van Buren,
in this state repaid in kind for the good
turn we had served them four years before
IAppiausc.l Uudaunted, we continued to or
ganize and in 1852 we reappearcd IN the same
scene with our former friend, and we were a
rain defeated. That secmcd to be the last
chapce-the last shot in the iockcr-if | may
use the expression. But he was appointed by
President Pierce in 1853 TO fill the high and
important mission of Minister to England.
While there he vas removed from the scenes
of domestic politics, and quietly and nbser-
vanity watched the movements at home pend
ing and succeeding the repeal of the Missouri
line. Mr.. Buchanan had been known for his
attachment to that line. Though in 1873,
while student of law with Mr.. Hopkins, at
Lancaster. Pa, lie attended meeting IN which
he denounced it; subsequently, IN 1871 ne
came out I'm his celebrated Berks Couhty iet-
ter, and stated there that the only way to settle
the Slavery question was to run the hhe W
the Pacific so as to secure to the y orth ana 10
the South their respective benefits on each
side oil it as proposed by its original friends.
Therefore, it was, that while at a foreign court,
absent from his own country, his name became
peculiarly the name of the American people,
as the one that would lead the Democratic par
ty to victory again. His old friends in Penn
nuadf ord