The national Republican., 1861-02-01
FOCAL EW s..

large attendance at the regular meeting Of the
Republican Association at the Wigwam last
night.
The Vice President, Mr. J.. =. Coombs, pre-.
The following gentlemen were then unani
mously elected members of the Association:
Adam Hoover, Patrick Crowley, and II. Dusey. |
Mr.. A. G. Richards offered the following |
resolutions: .-- ...5 r.. ..
"Resolped, That we tender our hearty and |
sincere thanks to Col. Cassius NJ. Clay for his |
eloquent and patriotic address, delivered at Odd
Fellows Hall, on the evening of the ,26th inst.
by request of this Association" ..
"And be Il further resolved, That while we
would not presume to advise the President
elect as to whom he should call into his Cab-
net Councils, yet we would hail with delight
the selection Of Col. Cassius M. Clay for the
office of Secretary of War, and we believe said
appointment would meet with the most cordial
approval, not only of the Republicans in the
Southern States, but of intelligent men Of all
parties, whether of the North or Of the South"
The resolutions were adopted unanimously.
Mr.. Balance, of illinois, by invita-.
ton, then addressed the Association. He said
he had not come there to make speech, but
had casually dropped in, to see what to his
friends of the North would be a curiosity-a
Republican Association in q slavehoding COM
munity.
He was much gratiied to find SO large Re-
publican audience assembled in this city, under
the very eye of such an Administration as the
country had never before been cursed with.
He had two reasons why he did not desire to
address them in ertenso to night. One was,
that he had not come prepared for it; the
other was, that he was opposed to addressing
Republican meeting. He did not consider it
his duty to save the righteous, but rather to
call sinners to repentance. Laughter and ap,
plause He took il for granted that they were
all right would act right, and, if necessary,
would be ready to take firm stand in defence
of their fresides and their homes; Before
coming to this city, he had feared for its secu.
rity; but be had no fear now. He had seen
the extensive preparations for the defence of
the city, which General Scott had made, and
he had seen the determination Of the people
here. Should an emergency occur, General
Scott would have 100000 men here in few
days.
The speaker then referred to the prosperity
of the great Northwest. They had lO,0OO,OoO
people there, and could put 100000 soldiers
in the field, if necessary. They had, too, all
the elements of prosperity. While others were
without food, they had more than they wanted (;
more han they could eat, sell, or give away.
Laughter and applause.
He hoped the day might never come when
he could not address the people of this city as
his fellow citizens; that the line of Mason and
Dixon might never be dividing line between
two separate nations. If demagogues' could
be kept out of the way, all would be we'll. The
people were not the rulers they themselves
were ruled by demagogues. In the North,
they had demagogues who did the speaking |;
and in the South, they had demagogues who
would not let them speak.
With regard to the right Of secession, he
looked upon that merely as an exploded hum
bug. The only safety of the people Of Wash.
ington was in the Union. If they were to &C.
knowledge and sanction this right Of secession,
it would not be long before grass would grow
in the streets of Washington, and its houses be
occupied by bats and owls, while Yankees
might soon 60 to quarrying marble here.
The speaker then took up in succession the
complaints that tad been made against the Re
publican members of Congress, for their want
of Cancellation. He thought the fact that they
had set in their seats and listened thus calmly
to the violent misrepresentation and abuse
that had been made against them was sufficient
evidence of their concilistory spirit. The per
sonal liberty bills, which had been so much
talked about, had originated in South Caro-
lima. They had put free negroes in prison
who had arrived there in vessels from the
North, and kept them there until the vesse
was ready to depart; and then they could only
be gotten out by the captain of the vessel pay
ing the Jail fees.
There had been much talk about the decis
sion of the Supreme Court Did not either
of Massachusetts-a man of eloquence and
of gentlemanly deportment-visit the State O
South Carolina for the purpose OF preparing a
case for the Supreme Court and thereby hav
IL -. lo-o Il o,l l..
not driven from the city2
The South had talked of aggressions. HI
knew of q man in Arkansas, who had beer
condemned to be hung for having bundle o
Tribunes in his house, though they were ther
unbeknown to himself This man had been lie
off only on the plea of being good Democrat
Laughter.
The Republicans were more concilatory tha,
they had the credit of being. South Caroln
had said to Virginia that she wanted no terms
So far as he was concerned, and go far as
large portion Of the Republican party were cor
cerned, they would be willing to accept an
reasonable terms, if they would be qniet-nc
because they had themselves done anythin
wrong-but because the people of the borde
States were weak-minded enough to suppos
that they had been wronged. With regard t
South Carolina and Mississippi, he believe
the right way to serve them was to give then
a spanking. Laughter.
In referring to Mr.. Lincoln, he desired
state that he knew the man the people ha
elected as their next President; he had know
him for a quarter Of a century; he had prat
ticed with him at the bar; he had been wit
him at all places where it was proper. for
man to be; laughter he had slept in tn
same bed with him. Renewed laughter.J ID
had been supported by men from the Sout
because he was Kentuckian, and this clas
had overrdden the men from the extrem
Nnrth Ha was the haat man that could hay