The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-09-27

lakes on the East and the base or the
Rocky Mountains on the vest and you
are heirs 10 It. When the next census
shall reveal your power you will be found
to be the masters of the United States of
America, and through them the domi.
neering political power of the world
Applause. A voice" Amen" Our
mission, if may say that | belong to
that Eastern and falling empire, instead
of the rising Western che. The mission
of The thirteen States has been practically
accomplished. And what is it? just
like the mission of every other power on
earth. To reproduce, to produce new
and greater and better power than we
have been ourselves. [applause], to intro
duce on the stage of human affairs twenty
new States, and to prepare the way for
twenty more, before whose rising great
ness and splendor all cur own achieve
meuts pale and fade away We have
done this with as much forethought per-
haps as any people ever exercised, by
saving the broad domain which you and
these other forty Safes are to occupy,
saving it for your possession and, SO far
as we had virtue enough by surrounding
it with barriers against the intrusion of
ignolance, superstition and Slavery
I [Applause.
Because you are to rise to the ascendant
and exercise dominating influence, you
are not. therefore. to cast off the ancient
and honored thirteen that orened the
way for you, aha har5halcd you into this
noble possession, nor are you to cast off
the new States of the West. But you
are to lap still broader foundations; aud
to erect still more noble columns to sus-
tain the En- pire which our fathers estab-
lshed, aud which it is tie manifest will
Of our Heavenly Father shall reach from
the shores Of the lakes to the Calf of
Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific Ocean. 1t was free government
which they established, and it was selt
government-a government such as, Oh
70 lalge a scale, or indeed on any scale,
lad never before existed | know that
when you consider what a magnificent
destiny you have before YOU, to lay your
baud ON the Atlantic Coast and to ex-
tend your power to the Pacific Ocean and
grasp the great commerce Of the East,
you will fully appreciate the responslb'il-
ty. 1t is only to be done by maintaining
the Democratic system Of government
There is no other name given under
Heaven by which, ii this generation, ma
tions can be saved from desolation and
ruin, than Democracy. This, to many
conservative cars, would seem a strange
proposition, and yet it is SO simple that |
lack tie power almost Of elucidating 1t.
Look at England. She is ambitious, as
she NAY well be, and ought to be, to retain
that dominion. reaching into every part
Of the habitabic globe, which she now
exercises. She is like to do it, too, and
may do it, by reducing, every successive
year, the power of her aristoerae7, and
introducing more and more the popular
element of Democracy INTO the adminis-
trati0n OF our government.
In many respects the Government OF
England, though more ar'stoeratlc, is still
hess monarehitai than our oHn. The
British Empire exists today only by re-
ccsnizing and gradually adopting the
great truth that If the British Empire is
to stand, it is the British people who are
to maintain that Empire and enjoy and
exercise it. France, the other great
European power which seems to stand
frmer now than ever, and to be renewing
her career Of prosperity and glory
France, under the form of a despotism,
has adopted the principle of universal
suffrage, and the Empire Of France to-
day is Democracy. The Austrian Em-
pire is falling. And why? Because
Democracy is rising IN Germany to de-
mand the liberation of the people Of Its
various nations, and the exercise of uui
vcrsa suffrage. And Italy to-day, all
along the coast of the Mediterranean. is
rising up to the dignity of renewed ma
tioual IF. by adopting the principle Of
uaiperSal suffrage and the limitation OF
power b. the action Of the whole people.
Now if the Ola World, where Govern
mcnt and Empire are entrenched and cs
tablished so strong in hereditary arlstoc-
racy, no Empire can stand EXCEPT as 1t
yields to the Democratic printiPle; look
around over the United States of AmeEi-
ca, a, say how long you can hold these
States IN a Federal onion or maintain
one common authority or Empire here
except on the principles of Democracy!
Therefore, it IS that, | say, that you of
the Northwest are, above all things, first,
last, and ali the time, to recognize as the
great element of the Republic, the sys-
TEN ara principles of Democracy.
But, fellow citizens, it is easy to talk
about Democracy. I have heard men
prate of it by the hour, and admire it, and
: h.nt e. ~ md nvnrcs. thn:i. .na.nrnn. 60