Year: 1860

DeZivered in Philadelphia July 25, 1860.


Mr.. Hickman said


Mr. PRESIDENTIAL GENTLEMEN. The
intelligent voter will so shape his ac-
tion as to make it conduce to the sue
cess Of a principle, rather than the elo.
vation of a man. He will feel this to
be the more incumbent upon him at
such a time as the present, when the
tendencies of parties are more distinct.
ly marked than in any previous cam
paign. 1t will be my object, this even
ing, to endeavor to exhibit, in a distinct
light, the dividing line between the po-
litical parties of the day, and to asccr-
tain if possible, what, in all probabil-
ity, would be the effect upon he coun-
try of the election Of the respective
candidates for the Presidency.


If this were a strife merely between
individual men, it would possess but
triAiDg importance, and I should not
trouble you with either remark or sug-
gestion. But as I regard the contest,
the determination will soon he made
not alone as our value in the confed-
eracy, but as to destiny of the nation
itself.


The policy of our government is, in
many respects, underlined. The more
serious questions affecting us have but
recently became topics of careful con-.
sideration. Our fathers were unable
to fOreseo, during the formation of the
Constitution, the greater embarrass-
ments to which the future Of the coun-
try was to be subjected, and conse-
quently no provision was made against
them, Subjects which distracted and
divided them, in their deliberations,
have lost much of their former conse-
quence, and we seem to be more auX-
ious to ascertain what they should have
said further, than what they actually
did say, Even the controversies in
which we ourselves have been engaged
within the last decade have been set
tied or lost sight Of, and we are now
about to enter into that conflict which is
to define many Of the most important
powers Of the government, and to fix the
character Of the dominant institutions
of the country. The propriety of re-
to Office, the exact relations
between federal and local authority, the
oonsttutiOnality of banks and internal
improvements, the regulation of the cur
rency, and the distribution Of the pro-
ceeds Of the public lands, are no longer
agitated and discussions upon them are
only to be found in our past history,
and in the fossil remains of extinct par
ties. 1t may in truth be said that old
things have passed away and all things
have become new.


There was a time, not very far back
in the past, when Slavery was universal
ly admitted to be a wrong IN Sc, unwise
in practice, detrimental to both individ-
uals and communities, and against the
spirit and genius of our free system
Now, however, it is declared to be di-
Vine in its origin, the highest type of
human civilization, and indispensable TO
the maintenance Of a democratic repub-
lie. Formerly it was regarded as a con-
ditiOn to be constantly reduced, and f.
nally to be sxtinguished. Now, on the
contrary, the demand is urged that it
shall be extended, and made controlling.
Hero / find the cause or source Of the
great political issue Of the present.
Shall Slavery become a national institu-
ton and a governing power in the coun-
try, or shall it remain as tho Constitu-
ton left it? This is not an inquiry pro-
pounded by us Of the North, but forced
upon us by our brethren Of the South
They inquire an answer at our hands
and we cannot avoid response if we
would. Silence upon our part, under
the circumstances, could not be constru.
ed otherwise than as affirmative Of their
claims. make the distinct avowal that
Slavery seeks the acquisition Of all our
new States for two objects; drst, to &c.


cure tho value of slaves, and second, t.
direct the powers Of the Federal Gov
ernment


"Tho irrepressible conflict" SO he