Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1955-09-29
1)olilical.
James ID. Clay on the Stump.

has, it seems, taken the stump against
Know-Nothingism, andh;d> fair TO prove
himself worthy of the b!ood tkat courses
in his veins. AS there is, doubtless,
great curiosity to lcarN tie views, on
the all-absorbing topic. ct him whose
I'principlcs and scntime:.,5 must, more
nearly than those of any one cI'c, be
modelled after those OF this gcMtlcnan's
rcvercd father, We copy from a Fr;pk-
fort (Ky) paper the following rcpor0of
his remarks, and those of another gen
tlcman, who, for many years past, haa
been at the head of the Wing party in
Kentucky; with whom his influence, re-
sulting from his high character, cnlght-
cnmcnt nerve, and attainmcnts, has been
unbounded. We may add that he (}Tr.
Bcck) is now being enthusiastically srs-
tanned for Congress by the Democratic
party Of his district, who nobly waive
all minor considerations to aid in the
election of 4 patriotic geatlcman oppos-
ed to the most dangerous ,ah&l that ever
cssaycd to undermine Gl,c institutions.
[From the Kentucky Sta'c,nan, July lo.]
Yesterday was a sr,,t,A y in this city.
1t being court day, Il greed many people
from the country were inthe ely. 1t
had previously been anuu4 yed tha. Mr..
Jamcs b. Beck, one of tad most di>tin-
guishcd and able lawynrI in our city,
and Mr.. James b. Clay, sin Of the sage
Of Ashland, and owner of, the old fami-
| ~ scat, would address thc icorle on the
political topics Of the day, There was
great anxiety to hear lotA gentlemen,
and at the appointed holt tie court
house was filled to oycrGowi,g.
Mr. Beck spoke first IIehas always
been a Wing, though Of Independent
thought and action lie spol3a for two
hours, AMI made one of the most able
and efficient arguments against Know
Notll!hgisn that we have listcncG to du-
ring the present contest
His speech Throughout, was powerful.
! argumcntativc. convin my, conclusive,
i'ai;1; III; VIII 'ticii.5lr;oIS; effect upon his
audience
The next gentleman %lo took the stand
was Mr.. James i. Clay, who, as we
have already remarked, is the son of the
great Statesman, and he's succeeded to
the patcrnal estates of Ashland
Mr. Clay said that this Was his first
effort at IL public speech, 'and nothing
less than the profound interest which he
felt in the great questions at issue, could
induce him to appear on THIS occasion.
Never before had such extraordinary,
such alarming, such novel questions been
presented for the political consideration
of the American people. His apprchcn-
sions were aroused in view of them, and
he sometimes trcmbled for the fate of his
country. The idea that this govern
mcnt was to be taken into the keep
ing of secret, political, oath-bound on
ganization, which set up unconstitutional
test oaths, and the members Of which
were bound to each other by the most
terrible Obligations, which was to him
most alarming, and should in his iulg-
mcnt, arouse the approximations of every
patriotic man in the whole country.
PR. Clay denied that~he platform put
forth by the late Know Nothing conycn-
vcntim at PHILADELPHIA. was the resi-
platform Of the party.kriy did he cali
them, said he; no, thcytrc not a party
in any proper aeccptition Of the term.
Parties have heretofore been open, pub
lie and above board but this is secret,
oath-bound, political organization, which
is seeking after the political power Of
the country, BY ways and means I'M
known to the law, and in palpablc
disregard of the long-cStahi>hed usagcs
of the people and the history of the
government. J; sought political p,wcr,
not by open and fair means, but by SO.
crct plottings, by cabalisiic passwords,
by signs and grips, unknown to the pco-
pie at large, and in palpablc violation of
the whole spirit and genius of the gov
crnment.
No, he said, the true platform Of this
extraordinary organization i, to be found
in their oaths and ritual. There were
to be found the things which they were
sworn TO do and to carry out; and look
ing into these oaths and ritual, be found
that their objects were to strike at tic
immigrants from other countries, to a.
franchise, to degrade aul disgrace them,
by dcpriving them not only OF the right
t. Amoricanizc themselves, but by cut
ting them of from the rights Of hospi-
tality and humanity. They also sought
to disfranchisc and degrade another class
Of our citizens, whether native or foreign.
on account Of their religious opinions,
in plain violation Of the constitution Of
the country, and regardless Of the plain
est dictates Of justice and humanity.
Mr.. Clay said that rather than submit
any extended remarks Of his own on
these subjects, he had chosen TO collatc
the expressed aud authentic opinions Of
the old fathers Of the republic; and he
read extensively from the writings Of
Washington, Of Jefferson, Of Madison.
Of Jackson, NJ Quincy and others.