The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1862-03-08

fnoeeeh 81 aaom. Joseph a. wrtgha
Dslireyed in Me Hall Of The House Of Rep
reseatafiyes. IrdiannpoiH. on 1nesda,
Eveaing. February 25M, 1862.
NV Fellow CITIZENS:
ad appear before you this evening as nj
party man. having no party ends to accom-
p,ish. no personal object to sec ure; but sim
ply 10 says few words 10 my feiiow-ciuzen
in behalf Of our dear. distracted country
AMI shall take the liberty ofexpressing L
you my own views upon these great ques
sons in my own style. 5a aF
-ai lam only astonished. my fellow -citizens
that any man who knows me and who hal
heard nv oft -repeated de lssations upon sh,
zsubiec, since left Europe. could hav.
thought that would ever go into any party
convention in such an hour OF peril to ny
country as the present. Away with party
ereeds. and party platforms aud party preju
dices in such Al hour! The time for thest
things is gone BY. The people have had
enough Of them I for one ,riU stand upo,
no pnyty platform. wW go info no parts
eonpention unfii we haze count1y. Wher
i said my fellow citizens some time ago sha,
I would have no more to do with party until
IL was settled whether we are 10 have q
country or not, mean ", mean ~
stand in this crisis only for my country. i
have. I confess, bat little respect for tn Q
parties Of the present day. and would say
20 my Republic ~ friends and my Democrat
is friends who hear me 10 night-you have
neither OF you much to brag about
daughter
I think = remark once made bv the Ia
mented 8 .nator Dous sla. TO Mr. Buchanan
might be applied with great force and truth
fulness TO the political parties Of this cOun
try. In 1860. when the Presidential Con-
vention vas progressing. Mr.. Douglas found
In newspaper that he was a LeeOmP'oR'fe
that he had written letter 10 Mr.. Cal
houn, and that he was identified with the
Lscomptou scheme, DO, &c. Then. for the
first time he gave the public his own views
Of that affair He told this anecdots --said
be: "Whsn went to Washington. Mr.. Bu-
chanan sent for me- Said the President:
sMr Douglas. understand that you are op-
posed to me upon this question "Yes.
sir."' vas the reply. IL am opposed to you"
Said Mr Buchanan, "Mr. Donglas, won't
you wait until the people of X .nsas have
expressed their will upon ,he question:
"Yss. sir, will wait till then. unless you
send in that Lscomptoa message" Thus
the conversation went on until the President
got into passion. .'Mr. Douglas" said he, /
g Remember Reeves. remember TAllmsdge,
and host of others. The Democrat who
stands in the way OF Democratic Admins
asaaaen ns.t 90 down. A. quick - light
~, ths Senator replied, "Mr. Buchsuan.
General Jackson Is deadl 1Hsis 6sads' So
lthink in regard to these political. parties.
Thew are dead! dead! cesd! Their plat.
forms are not worth the paper they are
wsissen upon. All party cre~ds and party
platforms are gone. They must always
20 in contest Involving. like this. the very
There ars platforms and principles that will
stand forever But If there were no other
reason that could be given why old party
lines should be abandoned in the present
crisis, this is enough. In the present con.
di.ion Of this country, we want Il united
Norsh. Party creeds divide the North.
ssd thus weaken and paralyzc the arm Of
the government. With divided North,
torn and rent by party prejudiees and party
strife. We may look for n country desoated
by wars and bathed in the blood Of her Cit
izens. but We may also expect dissensions
in our OWE ranks. and war aud bloodshed
in our own midst. Is it necessary that
should attempt to prove this? Every man
who will only look at the thing for mo.
mont will see how inevitably sach conse-
quences will follow division Of the people
Of the North on this question. Why, who
has not observed how bitter we frequently
become. even in the ordinary times OF peace.
when we are di.ided upon questions which
are utterly Insignificant when compared to
lhose involved in this contest. But 10 such
} contest "a this. array this North. State
lysinst S,ate-let the people of Indiana be
lrrayed. man against man. in contest
where the most momentous interests are at
take, aud what man is there who cannot
oresee the resil,s that will inevitably follow?
When the arm Of this government shall be
,Aralyx~d by dissensions and strife IN the
North, the worst consequences may be
ooked for. and if there was no other argu-
men, that could be urged in order to induce
men TO abandon parties. and think aud act
,olely for their distracted country. this is I
Iuough. 1t was in view Of these facts that q
SENATOR Douglas said TO his countrymen i
"Forsf yoHr party crseds un- e
u yos hare a eountry."
As said before. there are creeds and q
platforms which shall live forever. They
no immortal and imperishable. Here is my
model Of q PLATFORM:
."Resolred. That the Constitution of the
United States is the supreme law Of the ,
and. and rebellion is = monstrous CRIME
ssintsia the one aud suppress the other
NY fellow ci. xens. where do you think
hat platform was framed? 1t was framed
andsr the caves of the National Hall at
where the declaration Of our
iherties Was made to the world in l776.-I
w Who presided at thst convention? George <,
Y. Dallas. And that platform ~as adopted
wIh a unanimity OF thirty thousand votes-
Ny fsllow-citisens, 10 . crisis like this. IN
il % have Government. there can be but
wo parties friends Of the nation and
- eremiss.
Here is another platform which every
citizen of this nation ought readily and
heartily agree TO. 1t wss adopted BY the
Congress Of the United States. On the
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