The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1869-08-20
SPEECH OF
HON. CHARLES R. BUCKALEW.
Delivered at the Court House, Sunbury, Monday
Evening, August 9, 1869.
[REPORTLD BY j. j. MURPHY.

REPORTLD BY j. j. MURPHY.
MIR. PRESIDENT AND FELLOW. CITI:
ZENs OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY =
i have Il plain tale for plain men. The
Convention assembled at Harrisburg on
the lith of July having presented the
names of Packer and Pershing for the
offices of Governor and Justice of the
comes my business, and is a pleasure, to
recommend them to you and to your
fellow citizens everywhere in our Com
monwealth for election. For, assuredly,
they are good men and true. They are
such in private life unquestiOnably, for
that is a concession which is made and
must be made even by their political
opponents. That they are fitted to be
such in public life will become equally
clear and manifest by an examination
of their past public lives, and of the pO-
sitiOn which they now occupy before
you AZ candidates.
Judge Packer has illustrated various
characters in his past life. He has been
II carpenter, farmer, Il boatInan, con-
tractor for the transportation of coal,
and constructor OF railroad improve
ments. He has also been u merchant, Il
stakeholder in great enterprises, and fl
nally, the head and chief of one of the
principal improvements of our Com
mon wealth, whose connections and ex-
tensions are most important to the pros
perity of our people, to the development
Of our Internal wealth and to uniting
us by lines of commercial intercourse
(which mean wealth and blessings) to
the citizens of our sister States. This,
described by its leading features, has
been his business life; these have been
the different business capacities In which
lie has appeared among and before his
fellOw-men
But no has also been tried on theatre
of action to which but few men of the
total mass Of the community can be in
| vited. lie has been tried i'm political
life as woll rs in judicial station. Upon
one occasion for u series of years he Oc'
cupied the place of II judge in the courts
OF his county, where Justice was to be
| dispensed to the citizens and its scales
held with an cvenly-pOiscd and I'M
trembling hand lie did his duty then
among his neighbOrs, as is well known
and appreciated by them.
He was also called upon by the voice
of his fellow citizens to perform legisla'
| tive service, and he performed II with
lulJnIulneSS, W tilc SaVioiooeioA "a '"c'.>
who employed him, and greatly to his
own honor.
Again, at later time, when his intel
lectual powers had ripened and his
knowledge of public affairs had become
more extensive, he was sent by the peo
ple of his Congressional district as theil
representative to Washington-a point
which, may be permitted to say aftel
some knowledge and observation, tries
| the metal of men both for integrity and
| for capacity in the management OF pub
| lie business. He came from two terms
ofseryice there with his character broad
ened. deepened and strengthened as 9
social and political power among his
fellow citizens. Not a stain tarnishet
that congressional recordany more thar
a stain had tarnished his Legislative
record before.
lines of action in business life, and ht
has been tried in various positions II
political life. His record 10 made up
and it is luminous with honor. 1t de
fles examination. 1t demands of al
who NAV object to him earnest eXamina
ton, and then concession for such th'
truth will wiring from them) that 1t i
faultless.
Judge Packer is man OF modest de
meanor and of modest thought. He ha
not proclaimed his own merits to tn
public, nor has he ever taken pains L
have them proclaimed by Others. Hi
own acts, conduct and character speal
for him. His reputation has not beer
built up by the arts Of puiiery. Its no
the result of purchased tlattery, nor o
any form of baseness or dishOnor Il
which men of keen ambition sometime
resort.
His colleague in nomination, Mr.
Pershing of Cambria county, Is, In m.
opinion, equally well fitted for the pos
for which he has been named. lilo RI
ceived Il thorough collegiate education
and is well read not only in current ,bn
in past literature. lie became, by ap
plicatiOn ard tho force of Innate ability
"A leading lawyer OF his section man.
wears since, and Is recognized as sucl
10. day, and as such he has been present
cd before the people Of PennsylVani
!, for their support for a high judicia
Office.
But he has another qualification Whic
; ought to come homo To the cOnsideratiO
of Pennsylvanians mt this timO perhaI
above ali Othertimes In our public hi
tory, Mr. Pcrshing WAS for four or fiv
years "a member of the Pennsylvani
legislature, aud he went out OF 1t wit
character of which any man might i
proud. Ile went out of it with chara'
: ter such as is not carried out OF it b
. many of the little adhcrents and SUI
| p0rters OF Getry who have been runnin
= the legislative machine for tho last thrt
! years.
!. Mr.. Pcrshing Is man Of deep an
: solid integrity, the first OF all qualiiic'
: tions for II judge, whether ho adminlst'
y Justice to you from this bench, or froI
: u court Of error to which eases froi
;. this bench may be carried for revie
and examination. .f..
o Now, gentlemen, can II be double
that reform Is needed in our State a
fairs; that II is needed in tho Executi,
branch of our State government, and
the legislative branch also? Is N
that "A general opinion which has boo
:. growing up in the minds OF thinkir
d men amongst us, and is it not justin.
l. by the most notorious and indisputab
h facts Gentlemen, it Is with great r
luctance that stand forward, here I
!. elsewhere, to impeach the integrity