Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-08-11
From The Elwood. (Kansas) Free Press, July l6.
SPEECH OF T. P. BLAIR, JR..
OF MISSOURI.
FIRST FREE.SUIL SPEECH EVER
DELIVERED IN ST. JOSEPH, MO.

FIRST FREE.SUIL SPEECH EVEN
DELIVERED IN ST. JOSEPH, NO
At p. n. the Court-House Ia St. Joseph
Mo-, was filled with an audience of four o
FIVE hundred, those in the foreground being
, the prominent Pro-Slavery citizens of 81
Joseph, while scattered around were the
Iaboring men ofthe citv--the honest, heart,
Free-State men of the section.
H. B. Branch introduced the speaker, whit
was received with loud applause.
Mr. Blair was thankful for the large at
tendance present, and must admit he fell
embarrassment in addressing them. know
Z ing tha, so many differed from him, and SC
widely. shall express my views frankly
and fearlessly, yet striving not to wound
The feelings of those who disagree with me-
I have been re ared in the strie,est sect oI
aenEnxaeE-<Ih have not changed. but sliH
remain q sound Democrat; yet | differ es-
sentially from the theory of politics held oy
the s0-called Democracy of the present
time They have apostatzed and abandon.
ed every Democratic measure, and are not
capable of uttering Democratic sentiments
They have forsaken every measure hereto
fore held as Democratic, and were to adduce
all the proof of this should detain you till
tomorrow morning. shall only select
some of these points upon which to touch.
The President met the last Congress
with proposition for protective tariff
Where did he learn such Democracy! His
Admin stration came into power with a sur
plus in the treasury of twenty millions, and
at the end of nine months he asked for an
issue of twenty millions of shinplasters
Where did he learn such Democracy! This
was soon gone, and he asked for twenty
millions more, which was voted; and the
next session another twenty million was
asked for and granted. All this was re-
quired by Democratic Administration, and
oted by Democratic Congress. The ex-
pendiure oe the Administration has been
one hundred millions year more than was
expended when we supported an army in
Mexico Economy used to be cardinal
principle with the Democracy, but now, ex-
travagance. You know that the Secretaries
of Mr.. Buchanan have hardly escaped i'm
peachment Mr.. Floyd sells the military
reserves pr:vately for less than one-fourth
their value, and buys Willeit's Point from
his friends at much higher price than IT
had already been offered the Governments;
while Touccy lavishes the funds of the peo-
pie on Political and personal faVorites by
coal and lve-oak contracts.
The Democratic party originally framed
the land policy of our Government, and for
the benefit of the people; but the last Dem
ocratic Congress would do nothing about it.
Your two Senators defeated the Homestead
bill! This party has abandoned all Demo-
cratic measures and gone over to the Le
compton Constitution, which the people of
Kansas opposed, as since shown. even in
the face of a Democratic Administration
attempting to bribe them; this has been
the sole measure of the present Democracy.
You, from your position, know the truth of
my statement. In the late election in
Kansas. the Democratic party have been
forced to ignore the Administration, and
declare themselves the genuine Free-State
party. This Democratic Administration
has not only apostotized, but striven to-
break down the West; it has opposed the
pre.emption and homestead policy, which
made the West Democratic heretofore, be-
cause the Democracy were loyal to the
rights of the settlers, and for which they
were paid bv the confidence cf the people,
and sustained 5y their votes. The South
demanded the opposition to the Homestead
bill, fearing lest the throwing open of the
publ lands to the poor white men OF the
North should exclude Slavery and erect a.
tier of Free States across the cGniinent.-l
Slavery demands this, and that Western
Democrats should vote against the improve
ments of rivers and lakes in the West. III
is unconstitutional, they say, 10 free this
grea. river at your door from distractions,
while thousands are expended to improve
Cape Fear River. interrupted by voice
-"Didn't Congress refuse 10 give anything
to Savannah Riverl"l The City of Savan-
nah received large sums, much of which
as useless expenditure [Voice-"Tell
the trurh''] speak the truth, but Others
ma. not. [Applause.]
Down on a little river, near the water,
where there is nothing but niggers and
musquitoes. money may be expended. but
not dollar Tor the West. [Applause.l
Douglas is one of the Dem9cra,ic stars.
[Voice-rThat's so."l He is so much of
Democrat they dare not repudiste him
Applause Douglas says the people should
be taxed to improve the tide-water, but
nothing for the West.
The Pacific Railroad is in the same fix as
the rivers and lakes. The West will never
have it till the Democratic party goes out
Of power. Applause. The Democracy
refused to survey the Ceatral route, but i'm
ported calnels to survey the southern teser,
a nd dis-unon route, which proved Fl, only
for camels. carrying water in their bellies
for three or four days. [Applause] They
refused aid to the Central route lest there
shou Id be chain of Free States on this
parallel. The southern route was surveyed
wthou: an appropriation, for what care they
for the laws of Congress!
Missouri asked for an overland mail, and
a bill was passed, Congress allowing the
Postmaster G eneral to let the coniract--ihe
contra ctor to select his own route. on
opening the bids, none was found TOR the
Southern desert route. but the Postmaster
General told one oi-ihc bidders if he would
nm, in biz for the Southern route he should
have the contract The bid was msde and
m. coptract et-,hc distance thereby being
;,c,e,s,d 900 miles between St Louis and