Year: 1859

The following extract is clipped from re-
cent speech Of Tom Corwin, at IrontOn, Ohio


We here have partiesl / am not one Of those
that believe that political parties are necessary.
I am not one of those that believe that, as men
of sense and discretion, we have need to differ
about this thing at all. / admit that parties
are made necessary by the present imperfec-
tions Of mankind. But while would say that,
would beg Of you, in Gods name, to put away
the little, mean, and trifiing ambitions and as
perities of parties, and, my life on it, II you
would do that, there would not be 40 much par
ty In the country as there is. If you could get
President who would devote the whole facul-
ties of his head and the better emotions Of bis
heart and concentrate them upon the idea that
he was the representative OF the only free Gov
ernment on the face Of the earth, and the one
supposed to be the model Of all to come after us
in all nations of the world that want TO be free


If we could but get a man that would elevate
himself even 80 high as TO think that, and set
upon it, do you believe that the postmaster
whose Office is on some prairie in Illinois q am
speaking Of a fact that have seen related In
the newspapers,) the proceeds Of whose Office
amounted to three dollars and seventeen cents
per annum. gross [laughter,l who had the inn
pudence to poke his head out of the little log
cabin in which bis Office was held, and say that
he thought Stephen A. Douglas was resoecta-
BILE man. and was overheard by some poor man
not poor in property, but poor in soul, that
had little starved and miserable soul in him,
who wrote on to this mighty representative Of
the only free country on the face Of Gods
earth, taking care Of the liberty of the people
of the country-thirty millions of them-that
he did not like Mr.. Douglas while the other man
did; that he, the President, would send forth
mandate to that poor little fellow on the prai-
res, who was collecting his three dollars aud
seventeen cents year-not tenth part of the
expense OF fuel that he burned in one winter
to 20 out Of Office [aughter1 and let some man
come in who did not like Douglas?


This is q fact. 10 they say. Don't let me now
be holding up Mr.. Buchanan as an exception.
Such has been too much the case with every
President since this party has been so much in
vogue. Wing and Democrat, etc., have been
guilty OF the same sin. | know when you are
electing man to make laws for you, you must
elect one whose notions agree with yours; but
donot know that when you have q clerk at
Washington and the Whig party believes that
the pen. knife he uses ought to pay thirty per
cent. ad UdIorem duty, and that poor clerk has
not been able to see that distinctly, although he
is capital bookkeeper and faithful man, but
in bis soul and conscience, he thinks it would
not be right to pay so much duty as that, that
you should turn him out of Office, and say that
he Is not fit for o bookkeeper. II is not res
pectable. | know that, because have tried it.
No man can feel like a gentleman, If God has
made him one, and do that thing If that man
holds his tongue, we will not question him as to
that; but II be is to 60 to Congress and make
laws for u.s. to establish that duty on the PEN
knife, then we will ask him about it.