Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-08-12
The Discussion at OskalOOsa.
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!, We despair Of giving our readers clea
!. conception Ut the rare contest which too
place in this city, on Friday of last week
between the two rival candidates for Governor
The demonstrations made by the Democrat
: candidate were so original, so different fror
t anything of the kind that we have ever befor
witnessed, that our descriptive powers ar
entirely unequal to the task of portrayin
them as they should be portrayed, in order
, leave the impression on the mind of the reade
r that they made on the minds of those who's
, rare privilege it was to see and hear them
However, we will attempt brief account o
the proceedings, and first OF ...., H., ....
MR.. KIRKwooD's SPEECH.
Mr.. Kirkwood's regular appointment TO
speaking at this place was at 2 o'clock OF
Friday, the 29th ult At that hour, Unior
Hall was well filled with a large and attentiv,
audience. Mr.. K. spoke for nearly three
hours, occupying the first half of that time il
discussing questions Of State policy, and thu
last half in speaking Of National politics. II
: noticing .he charge made in the platform o
the Democratic party, "that the burdens o.
taxation have increased and are increasing
under the present administration Of State
affairs" he proved it false by showing that
the aggregate of State taxes for 1858 was
nearly 100000 less than that of 1857, and
that the aggregate for 1859 was SO, 900 les'
than that of 1858; thus proving conclusively
that, instead of increasing, the burdens Of
taxation for State purposes are rapidly
diminishing. Lbs
Without pretending to give full synopsis
or even an outline Of Mr.. KS speech, we may
say of it, in brief, that it was clear and able
exposition Of political questions, both State
and National. 1t was characterized by clear
ness of statement, fullness of illustration, and
soundness Of logic and argument, seldom
equalled by political speakers. Mr.. Kirkwood,
in this speech, and throughout his subsequent
discussion with Gen. Dodge, acquitted himself
in a manner which won the respect Of his
political opponents, and the marked 1appro-
baton and even admiration of his political
! friends. r.r-. 4. -.. a;
GEN. DODGE CONES IN. s.--,
Although Gen. Dodge had been invited to
meet Mr.. Kirkwood, but not having accepted
the invitation, the audience was taken by
surprise when, towards the close of Mr.. k.'s
remarks, he walked proudly into the. room.
He was politely recognized by Mr.. K, to
which recognition he responded by various
waves Of the hand, and a variety Of bows and
Spanish grimaces, which amused and' aston
ished the uncultivated Hawk-Eyes not a little.
In the course of his subsequent remarks, NJ:
K alluded to his competitor in most respectful
and complimentary terms, and said not
word which could be construed as personally
offensive to the General. He spoke plainly
of the Dred Scott decision, Of the blighting
influence of slave labor, and of the efforts of
the Democracy to extend and perpetuate that
institution.
GEN. DODGE TAXES THE STAND. -'-s
When Mr.. Kirkwood had finished speaking,
Gen. Dodge, with an air of selfimportance
and offended dignity that we have never seen
equalled, strobe on to the platform and COM
menced wild harangue, which literally
beggars all report or description. His excite
ment and passion were intense. He paced
back and forth on the stand, foaming and
raving like a Gagged Bengal tiger. His inco-
hercnt calculations were uttered in a hoarse,
cultural voice. His face and his whole form
exhibited intense emotion and indignation.
Just what the General was so excited about
nobody could tell. His remarks were jum-
bled mass of Inconsistencies and disconnected
sentences. In speaking of the admission of
Kansas, he declared that his 'ssympathies
were all in .favor of q slaue State" Whether
he made a mistake, or whether he uttered the
honest sentiment of his heart, was left for the
audience to deterrnine. In speaking of the
compromise measures of 1850, the General
said that "the fugitive slave lao is a part
and parcel of the Constitution" This is
but a specimen of his desutory and unguarded
remarks.
n. f. t- :
GEN. DODGE Avows HIS WILLINGNESS TO PER
soNALLY AID IN CAPTURING FUGITIVE SLAVES.
Gen. Dodge in the course of his disjointed
speech, asked Mr.. Kirkwood if he (Mr. k.)
supported the compromise measures of 1850.
Mr.. K. replied that, in common with the great
body of the people of the country, he accepted
those measures as a settlement of the slavery
question. Gen. ID. then asked him if he Mr..
X. would aid in carrying out the Fugitive
Slave law. Mr. X. replied that he would not
resist the enforcement of that law, but he
would suffer the loss of his right arm, and
every dollars worth of property he possessed,
rather than aid in catching fugitive slave;
that he would suffer its penalty, but he would
not obey it. Mr.. Kirkwood then asked Gen.
Dodge if he (Gen. d. would aid in catching a
fugitive slave. Gen. Dodge replied that he
would: that he would do whatever the law
commanded him to do. In the evening, Mr.
Kirkwood again referred to this matter, with
the remark that Gen. Dodge was the first man
to avow his willingness to help capture rum
away negroes that he had found in Iowa. In
reply to this, Gen. Dodge did not modify his
position, but contended that the stringent
provisions of the fugitive slave law were nee
essary in order to render it effective. Gen.
Dodge thus placed himself on the record not
only as the apolo9ist and defender Of the
Justly odious Fugitive SLAVE Lau, butas one
aoho Is aoillinq to assist in running dozen the
ignorant, foot-sore and tamisted fugitive.
,Oho is fleeing from a cruel and brutal master!
EVENING MEErING-GEN. DoDGE's SPEECH.
At the close Of the exercises in the after
noon, Gen. Dodge announced that he would
make speech in the evening. At the
appointed hour, a large audience crowded the
Hail. The General took the stand and pro-
ceeded with his speech. And such speech
For something over an hour he paraded him
self in front Of the audience, with all the
pomposty and self-infiation that it seemed
possible for man to assume. While speak
ing, he walked constantly back and forth on
the stand, strutting, spreading, swelling,
swinging his arms, loftily tossing his head,
and every now and then bringing his right
hand down on his left breast with wonderful
significance. Hisspeech consisted of series
of disconnected eulogies on himself, Clay,
Webster, Douglas, Buchanan, the compromise
measures of 1850, Washington's Farewell
Address, the Democratic party, ETC., etc. He
was careful to tell his hearers repeatedly that
Clay and Webster were his warm personal
friends. He said that Douglas was "his dear,
his bosom friend" and that Buchanan was
his ''tried and lifelong friend" His speech
throughout was fat and pointless, without a
single characteristic to save it from being
most miserable failure. 1t was weak and
ecotistical in the extreme. Once in a while