Daily national Democrat., 1861-08-21
The McConnen Meeting.

The crowd at the commencement of the
meeting last night was small and spiritlcss -
Ex Land Register Hastings called the ussen-
blage to order, aud DR.. Z. r. wilkins was
called upon to preside The Doctor stated
that at the request of Mr. Mcconnell, Col.
Hatch would speak first. That gentleman
accordingly mounted the platforms, and made
one of his characteristic speeches, by which
we mean that he apparently kept in mind
and acted upon Talleyrand's wise teaching,
that language isintended to conceal thoughts.
The Col. was listened to attentively, and
drew tolerably large crowd together to be
addressed by Mr. Mcconnell.
When the latter gentleman made his ap-
pearance. there was come applause from his
immediate partzahs and admirers, many OF
whom could be distinguished among the
crowd, which was, however, chiefly composed
of Union Democrats and Republicans Mr.
Mcconnell informed his hearers that he was
strong Union man that the Union was
dissolved--eleven States having gone out
of the Confederacy. He declared himself
opposed to Secession and coercion. He talked
an hour or so on the negro question.
The last half hour of the speech was de-
voted to what the distinguished gentleman
was pleased to term an explanation" con-
cerning a charge made agOinst him, to the
effect that he had stated here, in conversa-
ton, that he would go as Kentucky did on
the Union question, and that be believed she
would secede The explanation was as fol-
lows: lie said he recolected having APP
preached group Of gentlemen in the street
in this city, some weeks ago, and being asked
how he stood upon the war question: he said
he gave a curt reply, but could not remember
whdt ii aodS
He then went on TO say that he was in the
habit of coDversing loosely, and Of forget
ting in fifteen minutes what he had said Ht
could not therefore say what he had said OF
the occasion referred to. He did not deny
the truth of the assertion made in this paper
viz: that he did say GAS goes Kentucky sc
| will go, and as sure as we stand here, Ken
lucky will be out of the Union in two
weeks" lie could not deny it. He said he
could not remember what he did say at the
time referred to- This he repeated a num-
Der of times. He said that he never could
have said anything capable of being constru-
ed into declaration that he owed allegiance
to Kentucky instead of California. lie avow.
ed himself Californian
The so-called "explanation" was q mortify-
ing failure. The speaker tried to get little
sympathy by saying that whatever he did
say at the time mentioned, was said in n pri-
vate conversation. This is simply ridiculous
used 10y him on a street corner upon an alb
sorbing public topic, in the presence of
promiscuous group, in which he had, as he
says, but two acquaintanees, was not entitled
to be treated as private conversation.
Those who talk politics in the street, in
groups of men of all parties do not generally
try to evade the consequences of their expires
sons by pleading private conversations
Well, Mr. Mcconnell does not, and admits
that he cannot deny having said the words
we have quoted. He saye, however he Gid
not mean it, if he said it. Let it 90 at that.
Give the Dixie partys nominee for Governor
the small hole to crwl through, that he did
talk to strangers on the public streets upon
the great issue of the day, but that he has
forgotten whether or not he said the words
they say he did, and that if he did, he meant
| quite the other way
The speech of Mr.. Mcconnell lasted about
two heurs. When he had done, his friends
near the stand gave him three small cheers
and then the majority of the crowd gave
three laundering cheers for Gen. Scott, and
the meeting adjourned