Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-08-02
4ailp S}irginian.
SPEECH OF GEoRGET CURTIS, ESQ.
At THE GREAT UNION MEETING IN RoxBuRY,

deliver nm address in this place tho political
condition of the country. fclt no hesitation in
accepting it, at once although II found me 10 the
midst of engagements of n private nature. impor.
taGt to others aud To myself nm one OF those,
Mr.. Chairman, who recognize the rights Uf men
| who nre engaged in carrying on such u cause ns
that IN which we have embarked. and who bear
the labor and the hen, OF tho day, to call upon
| ih, who, IN any capacity and in any degree,
mny be ahie to do anything towards iis success.
For this reason. sir, | nm hero. You will not. nf
coursc expect OF mo. as | should not think OF ofc
ring IN you, spcecl ot political defamation. II
! is my hnbit to look ut these questions NJ matters
OF individual duty. aud so, presume, you will
| wish me to consider them.
| Each Of Us will teel. or should feel himself OH
! lisel to determine very soon, II tho determination
] has not already been mnde. whether We will sup
/ porn the Republican, the Democratic nr the Union
candidate, 80 vigorous are our political instliu-
tions, nnd great is our political activity undor
/ them, TINT we nrc very much accustomed to hear
! every successive Presidential election spoken Of
ns If it we're u crisis in tho national fate Now
although there is often good deal Of cxaggern-
uon IN onr quadrennnl political cxcitoments, 1t
ia not difficult for rational men to perceive, on
this OCCASION. whit kind or degree OF domosto
| poili is involved in our present position. We
! hu,e reached n point In our national history Ut
which W. have never stoad before. We hntc
come, IN the cuurso .ot administering our govern
mrnt. To the Development Of tho very form of pn-
hiral action which It's founders most fnrod, and
against which that ono of its 1 undel-, whose
! c"unscs ought to be most revercncod. earnestly
aud even imploringly warned us mean tho de-
+ Nc'opmcnt md action of sectional parties.
1t may he. it will be. that any ulluson to Tint
| warming winch has come down Ia with much
sulcnnity from tho day OF tho origin of our gov
+ crumeni wli;h formed the great motive mud
s'oed lotth ns the prominent aud pcryadng
Thought of Washington last legacy to hs coun
trymcn,-will he received with suears by the
! thoughtess aud excited pnrtizans of tho present
day. he it 80. Yet, lot us hope that the masses
i our eonntrymen have not Learned that their in
tcrrst or their snicy is to he found. IN forgetting
what he assured us would bo tho chiel peril which
rimc could bring upon ny. Tint wo have come
face 10 lace with dat peril, il seems to mo cannot
| hc doubted.
It. Is not to lie dmbcd, TIM, there is n political
organization. aiming II obtain the control Of tho
| Ervrtnmrnt. winch cannot possibly succeed in ae-
pnifing power excepting through II sectional vote
nt the non slavcholdipg States, This attitude Of
the Republican party would he far less II cause
Tor anxiety ii it hnd no been primarily produced
hy th" action oi their Democratic opponents; for
the danger 81 thi, crisls not only ses from the
la't TINT there Is rarty seeking Ia obtain possess
Sion "i IA" government by vote whiGh must oi
Necessity he n sectional Notc md must of equnl
necessity bc ,llowed by sectional adnns,ra
tIun, II not 10y something warse-hui TINT danger
o,nto party, winch until recently possessed truly
Entonnl organization, extending throughout nll
| the State, hns los' its capacity to resist the
tunal tenIcncirs, aud tn neutral ~ ine sectional
Ios:iun of tho Eepublicpns lhr lcrll of tho
tunes ~ h'lil further aggravated. t"ow citizens.
| by that course ot coudgri On the part Of tho lend
cr- ol the Democratic party, 4hch has givet u
sectional and extreme character tp the opposition
party, that has sprung mp aud attained such O viz.
! prpus growth within the last six Yeas lind tho
| Demncratic leaders reirnined from nnnecessary
tnmrcring with subjects calculated W intlame the
sectional passions OF tho people of this, country.
! the Rcpui liran party would probably never have
existed, md certainly would not have had the
character aud tendencies which now belong 10 il.
From the mannsR in which you have greeted me-
/ ou TIN. occasion. feel some confidence in assuui-
ing that you will not think the time i'll spent, If
ask Won to ponder tho present situation If the
country, to estimate tho cnuses which have pro-
! durcl it, and to enquire what il the true course
| oi MI patriotic citizens. The present situation Of
| the country IL worthy oi Your serious consdera-
upn. Within tbs last month II most extraordinary
event has occurred. The Democratic party, an
| organization almost cocyHl with the Constitution
of the country, has been rent into two hostile fuc.
uons. As American citizens, while we stand
amazed at the folly which has prnluced ,hfs
suit, We cannot fail 10 be deeply cuurcrned by it.
| The Democratic party, ~ long ns u RENAMED
firmly united. stood great hulwark against
| the combined hosts OF fannicism and sectional
| passion and ambition, which have been for seve.
! rnl years gathering in the North, With nil its
faults with all s sins Of omission and comn,1 1-ipn
/ and nobody feels them more keenly than do,
or Is ready to reprehend them moro seycrr VI am
free to say that cannot look upon the disruption
| oi that party with nualloyed satisfaction. II it
shall be the means. AS it may be, OF placing in tho
| government the candidates whom you ana sup
{ poit. shall, indeed, feel grateful To Providence
ior the result But if. on the otner hand. the tri
umlh Of the Republican party is to be the conse.
qucncr Of the rash conduct and Ill advised doiugs
Of the Democratic leaders, it will le poor eonso.
! lalon TO me, ns n citizen Of this Union, that the
! Democracy were shipwrecked through their own
fully, or through the want ot patriotic statesman-
| ship among their public men.
AT the commencement oi the administration OF
| President Pierce, in 1858, the Democratic party
was probably the stronges, political organization
that has existed in this country. It's oppor-
| tunities for n successful administrator Of the
! government, and for Ii hong continuance in power
| we're Immense. Most of its leading me :, in the
| South as well as in the North aud it's masses
erywhcre devoted to the Union. The Pres
ilent himself Gen. Pierce n strong party man.,
undoubtedly, was n patriotic. national statesman,
who aimed to administer the government in us
tiSs to all. lie aided by a cabinet of no ordi-
nary ability. His party had defeated its ancient
national opponents, the Why's. and there Was
thing to be apprehonded, either for the country
for the Democracy, from The socalled Freeooil or
AntSavcry party. Indeed, Ami Slavery agn-
tion as n political element. dead, and the agi-
tators were buried, in all human calculation, be-
yond the possibility Of revival. This universal
calm, the subject Of slavery, and the mode in
which it wns broken, have been dwelt upon again
and again. But matter how frequently the re-
petition, the facts should never be forgotten; Ior
they teach lesson to the people Of this country.
| more important to them than the fate Of parties
the individual success ruin of any Politician
il the land.
You all know how that universal peace was