The Washington union., 1858-03-07
THE DEMONsTRATIOK AT TAMMANY
HALL

SPEECH OF HON JOHN VAN buren,.
On de Kansas Question Es1~ay Hail. Nao fork, March
L. 1858.
FELLow- -onlxEss thank you for this kind reception
We are here assembled the 4th Of March, 1858, just
year after the Inauguration Of the President, to
dorse his administration certain measure and il
most proper to to to the circumstances OF
that campaign m which he elected to the presidential
chair well to the declaration in his inaugural adj
dress to the principles which he should administer
the government that may whether Il Is true na'
he has proved false to the trust repoed In him by 'e
people Of the country, whether IL is true that
stances have occurred since his election which auhoAe
any person assert many Of his opponents now do
that he has forfeited the confidence of the country anu u
the democratic party, by whom be was choeeh anu Una.
that party now prostmted by It's opponents lou wiz
recoect that the presidential election very large
portion of tho free OF this Union voted for the a
versary of Mr. Buchanan You will recoliect that very
considerable portion of the southern country II you have
regard to conventional distinctions, showed majority
for an adversary of Mr. Buchanan. Since that time
we have carried in the South, in the North, and in
the West and in the southern country he has been
sustained The State of Virginia, for example has now
elected democrat The State of Wisconsin, in the
West which gave large majority for Fremont at the
recent election has shown majority for the democratic
ticket and in this little State, in which he in mi
nority of 80 900 at the presidential election the last
State election showed that he had majority Of $4,000
jCheers The change OF ten hundred thousand in one
short year in single free State effected by wise and
Just administration which we asked to denonnce @
principles of that party But fellow it is said
circumstances occurred that election that
have rendered him unpopuar-that have rendered Mr..
Buchanan unpopular. Well, what have we seen with
in the three daysthe city Of Troy, in the heart
of the State gives u majority of iome five hundred
both the republican and American parties com
bined. Cheers The city of Oswego, in the North,
on the extreme frontier Of the State, where the
anti slavery sentiment is known to be strong, gives
"a large democratic majority The city of Rochester
does the The city of Rome, the city Of Pough-
keepse and towns in Herkmer county Ogdensburg and
others have also expressed their opinions Cheers And
assembled here to night to sustain the aminst
ton of James Buchanan, under call to sustain his ad
mnisraton for object both praseworthy and honora
BILE. ICheers.1 Irrespective Of that, we have Henry
Grnne and other distinguished merchants heading the
call-men who supported Fremont during last years
campaign and yet in view of these facts we are told
that the democratic party has been prostaed by Mr. Bu
Chana and that sorry set of fellows to attempt
to defend his conduct his administration. Chcers.
We are told this too by democrats told this by
those who have belonged to the party by those
very who supported Mr. Buchanan at the presidential
election and who to suppose that if they withhold
their support from him the democratic party will be
prostrated The circumstances to which have advered
show that thus far they mistaken in their cacula
tons We are told that we have abandoned the prom
ses held to the people at the presidential election and
the platform then stood upon and that circumstances
have occurred to show that fact that the pledges held
forth at the inauguration of Mr. Buchanan have not been
fulfilled Now, fellow-citscns look little at this be
cause you and largely concerned IN that presi
DENTAL election. was myself largely concerned in en-
deavoring persuade the citizens OF the free States to
support James Buchanan, whatever might have been
their views the subject of slavery addressed the
people of Pennsylvania every day, Sundays excepted
from the LIST to the 4th Of October preceding the
State election, which went to decide the presidential
election addressed the people of this State in almost
every part of tin New Jersey Indiana, Illinois, Wis
consn. and Ohio; and while don't undertake to say
precisely what sentiments uttered do undertake to
say that If any pledges made to the people,
in NAL l vS,S N hen hey
made and they may charge me with making these
pledges directly well any man in the United States
While havc been assailed it business to defend
myself and have been taught it is maxim in polt
cal life allow people to be eernay preferring charges
against you fraud and dishonesty and with having
endeavOrcd to force upon the people what knew to
be wicked and fraudulent and not to make effort to
defend yourself against the charges have also been
taught by those who sometimes speak of what they call
the noble art of defence that it rs way to contra
dict the opposite party by continuing to ward off but
must proceed well party to bring the defence to
a successful result Laughter We assembled here
the 23d of December to sustain the President Of the
United States. He had made certain statements in ref
to Kansas affairs and up to that time the conduct
of the President truly ustablc and endorsed hy the
democratic party but since that have been assailed
by fierce denuncations by portion Of that party.
Gentlemen may be extremely sensitive at beng told
that they longer members of the party, and
far that is concerned may have right to see
whether they members Of the democratic party
As understand it, il Is legitimate free love associa
ton true member OF the democratic party IL man
who undertakes and desires to vote for the real democratic
ticket and other proper definition be given of the
term s[Checrs And now let see what the President
recommends designs by this Kansas Lccompton con
stution What tho objections to the admission OF
Kansas II has been stated that the constitution
been submitted to the people, that II made by the
convention say that that convention had full power to
make that constitution without submitting ii to the people
And when IL docs not require then they not only
not bound to submit It, but their act In submitting II s
irregular on the part Of the convention is true the
people may 60 and make aconstituon IL they choose
which independent Of the action Of the convention but
the act OF the convention their act is Irregular and
to speak, illegal Now, il you look at the two laws
calling the conventions that framed constitutions of
1921 and 1886 you will find both Of them require the
convention submit the constitution 10 the people You
will find the constitution reads differently when IL is sub
mitted to the people from what it does when il is not
When it is made by the convention the constitution says
'the convention oria,ls and declarcs'' thus and
When it is submitted to the people 1t reads with prcam
BILE, I'VE, !As people, Ortlan and establish the following
constitution But this idea that constitution is not val
Id until II h submitted to the pcople-which is the sub
ject of the resolutions Of Ohio and Indiana by demo-
cratic friends il that desire to understand, be-
they may he coming to Charleston two three
years hence at the presidential convention with rcson
tons 70 that effect and say it is prcposterous propo
sition There is not shadow of foundation for it, If
is true of the people Of Kansas 1t mus he Of the poo
pie of New York Suppose the people Of this State should
direct them 10 submit 1t 10 the people. They go and
frame constitution and put IL in operation and the gov
ernor under the old constitution holds That
where you may apply to the President to put down do
mestic nsurccton Does anybody doubt that he would
be bound 10 sustan the governor In that case and