The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-07-12
speech OF Richard O,Gorman.

The assmeblage in Tammany Hall on the
4th wae addressed by Hon. Richard O'Gor.
man, the eloquent Irish lawyer eityiattorney
of New York; in an effective and admirable
speech. We give the following extract from
it:
CrTIzENs-I warn you that the republic Is
still in danger. The worst of the storm has
blown over The ship still rides q proud
and gallant sight. She has escaped, more by
Gods providence than by good steering, the
Scylia of secession; she il drifting, drifting
slowly, but surely, into the Chary bdis of esn-
tralization. Can her course be changed? Is
there time still to put her head about, and
escape the danger, God knows 1t depends
upon Him and the people. Have you ever
thought what Capitalization really means, and
what are its inevitable tendencies? Cast
your memory back to the state of political
affairs ten or twelve years ago. Then we IN
New York scarcely felt the finger Of the fed
eral government. 1t carried our letters, and
collected certain important duties to al
amount necessary to meet the current expen-
SEES of that government and they were trifing.
But for all other purposes of government,the
law of the state of New York was sufficient,
permanent and supreme. Now all this is
changed. The finger Of the federal govern
meut now is stronger than the arm OF the
state. We are getting what is called a strong
government. We have now let loose on us
cloud of assessors, collectors of taxes, federal
officials of all sorts, prying into every mans
transactions, questioning, saying, informing,
gathering up 4 large proportion of our la bors,
and pouring it into the central reservoir from
which it flows and percolates in corrupting
streams from end to end of the land, and
countless officials, great and small, with faces
ever reverently turned toward Washington
as Moslems turn toward Mecca, lap up the
Intoxicating tide and cry for more. Our ar
tisans work hard and earn good wages but
somehow they can't live as well as of old
Wages are high, but the necsssaries of life
are niger, What's the cause of this !? It is
because, in der TO satisfy few worthy mil
lionaires, to protect them, to increase their
profits, the cheap supply OF all sorts of com
modltles which foreign nations are eager TO
sell u.s. Is, as far as possible, shut out by ex.
cessive import duties, Thus the manufactur-
or is protected; the manufacturer becomes
rioh, the customer becomes poor. Thus labor
is sacrificed to wealth: the many are sacrl-
feed to the few; the people that pay taxes
are sacrificed to those that receive taxes
This Is bad, but bad as it is, worse remains
behind; for this very money, wrung from the
sweat of labor, is used to fortlfy and psrpet-
uase the very system which Expresses it for
this money, when paid, flows also to Wash
lngton,to be wasted or turned TO mischief and
corruption as before. Federal patronage over
flows the land. Who can wonder now that
at every political assembly some one some
how. fatsened on federal diet, with sublime
loyalty which men commonly exhibit toward
the party whose pay they receive,in that Wv
Id style of oratory which all over the world
the pensioned patriot most affects, denounees
all dissent, all remonstrance, all opposition to
the powers that be as reasonable, sedtious
and dIsloyal. With such command of mon
ey, and with such hungry horde of loyal
adherents to receive it, and fight ON the their
side, can you wonder that the five or six en-
ergetic and INSCRIPTIONS men who rule the
committee at Washington which now carica-
lures the congress of the United States, grow
more daring and more reckless, more secret
and sudden in their action, more secure OF
the continuance of their power? See how
gradually, silently, surely, the influence of
thispolitioal aristocracy like the serpent gath
ering fold upon fold, encompasses the repub.
lie about and ohokes it In its tightening EN-.
brace To think, speak ACT as this oliearcbv
ordain, is to be loyal. To be loyal is to share
in the patronage they can bestow. Who
would not be loyal, when to be loyal is to be
rich Thus you can see how power-the
power of the purse we'll as of the sword
power that appeals to all mems hopes, and
all mems fears concentrates in Washington
and gathers to a head.
Thus the fatal conspiracy of the few
against the many grows and Strengthens
apace, corrupting debauching the minds Of
our people. Under it's baleful influence the
rich grow richer, and the poor grow poorer,
and the fatal quarrel between capital and Ia.
Dor, which in other countries from time to
time shake all society, here begins to muttsr
and to threaten. Why should the farmer Of