Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-09-11
JOHN 5. LACY.
speech ofJames Lyons. ESQ.

Every additional public meeting Of the De-
mocracy Of Richmond gives new evidence of the
enthusiastic and growing interest with which
the rank and file are rallying to the defeat Of
Know. .Nothingism and Presoism combined.
On Friday last, there were high boasts made
that the gew.Saw arrangements OF the Know
Nothing Grand Lodge, and the o'ato:y Of some
three or four imported speakers, would besure
to leave the Democratic headquarters = beg.
carly account Of empty benches"
The Thinkers and Stradders counted as usual
without their host They miscalculated the
strength both of the cause and the man with
whom they had to deal
The Democratic meeting having bcen nn.
nounced to take place st O'clock P. NJ, we en-
tered the hnll few moments before the time.
but found that Mr. Lyons had already coul-
,nenced his address, and stirring shouts Of en-
thusiastic applause already rang vociferouSly
throughout the well filled seats Of the floor and
gallery.
We have not space left for any detailed re.
port of Mr. Lyons mastery effort. For nearly
three hours he occupied the stand, and through
out the whole time seemed to command at will
the absorbed attention Or rapturous applause
of the entire audience. Thepecilliar case, the
commanding dignity and admirable grace Of
Mr.. Lyons oratory are at all times sufficient, Of
themselves, to charm Richmond audience. On
Friday night he was animated to the very
height of earnestness Every aspect, present
and prospective, Of the existing political crisis
was ably reviewed-the party pnr excellence Of
aboitionist aggrcsson-the two middle parties
of compromise and submiss;ol,, III all their
reckless abandonment Of principle, and hope
less grasping for selfish expediency the
one only party which has dared to resist as-
gresson without eqnivocation or sutteriuSe
for the sake OF the great principles Of the con
stitution and the perpetuation Of the Union
were severally subjected to candid examIna.
ton Altogether, the speech was one OF those
rare combinations of deep-scarching thought
eloouen,ly expressed, with feeling more deep
in its tone than passionate in expression
which, while they win the enthusiastic applause
Of the moment, also leave /. ing impression
eminenty forcibe in the po"'r Of suggestion.
At the conclusion Of bis 81 .':ch, Mr.. Lyons
read the protest signed at tEr White Sulphur
Springs by number Of eminent citizens Of the
Southern States, copy OF which he has fur
nshed US for publication.
Together with this, wc reproduce, in our
issue Of to-day, an article from the 'Natchez
Mississipian," embodying that portion Of Mr.
Douglas speech against which the protest is
| directed
After Mr. Lyons left the stand, Mr.. John A.
Belvin, President Of the meeting, introduced
to the audience Mr. Chase. Of Chesterfield,
who won many rounds Of laughter and ap'
plause, By short, pithy and humorous ad'
dress, in which both tinklers and squatters
were handled without gloves.
For the Enquirer.
AProtest.
The undersigned, citizens Of the Southern
States, accidentally assembled at the White
Sulphur Springs, have read with much Sur
prise the speech Of Judge Douglas, recently
delivered at Norfolk, and being many Of them
too remote from their homes to take part IN
any public expression Of opinion there deem
it due to themselves to make known IN th's
manner their dissent from its doctrines. :.
In this address, Mr.. Douglas declares thal II !,
the Southern States (not part but ali) snan
secede from the Unon upon the Inauguration
of Abraham Lincoln, it will be the DUTY OF .he
President of the United States, who' IN 'lIe
case supposed, will be Lincoln, oy arms 1 10
pusish or subdue them, and that lie VIII c"uh.
eel him to do so and aid him to 90 SO ny all the
W. No1 .s there is large party at the North
,row;ns the most implacable hostility to the in
s,;tntio5s of the South; whose candidate for the
p-es;dency is Nj Lincoln, this declaration OF Mr
honrIas is in etfect-that the election OF man
~ % the Presidency of the U. States, BY the votes
alone Of one section, who is pledged to use al! the
nowers Of the Government for the destruction
of the rights and property Of the other section,
would not justify the weaker in resistance, but
tha, if in such an event. the fifteen Southern
States should assume to determine on the extern
Of their danger, and to quietly withdraw from II,
he should regard their action as rsTolt' anu ="