55 v EO. W. BOWMA\. XEW SERIES. Select Poetrrj. jj from the Lancaster Intelligencer. ! . BV Bus. | v \ the man of the age and his glory and station, "u.'owM not to battle or thunder of cannon : 11 • years o! bead-toil in the cause of Ins nation, , ■" i'ii Line have encircled the name of Buchanan. , „ 3 uatioajof freemen the time has gone by, ' \\ -r, prudence in frenzied excitement forgets, : t },e heroes of battle hut rarely supply lie pian of success which a statesman beget-. j , • warriors be honored with titles when due, V, ■ , plaudits and love in a perfect ovation, .Tale-man, the able, the tried, and the true ; ted the best lor executive station. • crea? of Old England lie stood unaba-hed, -i-r ned and faithful, pacific and bland, . • me glory and might of his intellect Bashed -pieodor of fame on his own native laud. i i pgniet of Wheatland rests like a sage, I he ablest compatriot of Web-Ter and Clay, is'ice to them, darkens history's page, • .rue to the great who are living to-Jav. • > .-Vet of Wheatland he rests like a sage, r.i.e neath ttie shadow of oak and of etrn, V, • , s vigor of youth and hi- wisdom of nee, in, country hath need of his hand at toe heiai. j •y faults may he shown by the demagogue's art. TviVre better that men, without sin fixed the blame. ■. erril, 'twas a fault of the head not the heart, j : ; ->r he's true to his country, and true to his fame, j ! 's the man of the age. and hi< glorv and station. lla owes not to battle, or thunder of cannon, E 'h rears of head-toil in the of the nation, , IV.in fame have encircled the name of Buchanan. C-LIVE OATMAN, TIIC AIWniK CAPTIVE. S,i much interest has been manifested in the | : v of She captivity of Olive Oatman, that we J v,- ted'*hv a few davs since, when she gave us .'.ile account of her adventures, which • -re tint rdied. This account we obtained on . v eking questions, as her timidity and want i : Silence prevented her from giving the ; nils unassisted. Her faculties have been • r;.a! impaired bv her way of lite, but her s assured us that in the short time she ten among them she has made very per-, .-p. Ie improvement. ( ve has found good friends at tlie Monte, j 1 families of Mr. Ira Thompson and Mr. Jivi i Lev. is, and is regarded and treated as a er ftheir families. TV Oattnans started from lowa in company i .. tr.i family of Air. Thompson, with whom 1 ' -v travelled together as far as Tucson, in So : ra, where Mr. T. resolved to lay by to re- ; ■ it his cattle and wait fur other trains to up, so as to insure th.e safety of the road : y : ,-s. Cut the Oat mans pushed on, im |ati-r.t toget through, and met their fate on | ' - Gila a >ut two hundred miles Iroin the Co- ■ ■ .ii>. While at Toeson the Thompsons had j r.ar.vopportunities of noticing the leiror which Apaches excited in the people. One even- , a Spanish unman arrived in the village, wyi.g she had just escaped from the Tonto j Apaches, where she had been a prisoner. She 1 r-'ated that a dav or two before, the hand re- j i 'rncd to camp from killing and plundering a j 1 arty of Americans, and also bringing in priso- ! si She was left alone with the threat that ; I ■' -fie attempted to escape she would be killed. ; Id night while they were dancing the war '"C ', she escaped and returned to Tueson.— '•>" v •Tipjring dates t'nev were satisfied this w as - band that attacked the Oat mans. Inqui- j • -were made at the time, but nothing could e Earned concerning the captives. ■ Olive is rather a pretty girl, with a skin as 1 ■! "a- i persons who ha\ e crossed the plains. ■■' r fare is disfigured Sv tatooed lines on tlie • running obliquely and perpendicularly I-1 mouth. Her amis were also u.aiked •■ i similar manner bv one straight line on ' ; The operation consisted in puncturing j Am and rubbing a dye or pulverized char into the wounds. ■ was about sunset w hen the attack was ->>, which resulted in the capture of herself j : her little -ister, Mary Ann. Olive was i ; " i: 'een, and Marv Ann seven years of age.— j _ -e li/l ans stripped her of her shoes and near ly 3,i i,t | K . r clottiing—her sister had no shoes at t!> time—and they started off with the '■" ed ot horses in a northerly direction into a ■itianous region. They travelled all night II ..nut resting. At noon next day they stopped a feiv minutes to breathe, and then hurried on -fin until night-tali, when thev canie into ,a:r '. She thinks thev travelled a hundred n.n-N. was barefoot, and the sharp stones •' e-ated her feet, and her bio >d sprinkled the " distance. Whenever she lagged, they T: come behind and beat her, to urge h-r Her sister gave out, but being small, the • ons carried her in their arms. The reason • Tieir hurrying on so rapidly, was fear iest wight he pursued. Tie clothes left to her were worn out, and ii train her back in two weeks, and then she n c ' e d together the bark of trees and tied it and her person like the Indians. It was a -At covering, but it did nut leave her entire ly ex p, Wed. Among these Apaches Olive supposes they jimair.fd one year. At any rat-', the same St * a? 0" returned as that when she arriv- Time among the Indians is not noted. Tf '• H y not.- j 2! aM, it is onlv by moons. The coun try was mountainous, and barren of grass or I timber. The Indians live in the small valleys. The girls were treated cruelly bv these Indians. They were overtasked, and when they could not understand what was said to them, they were beaten. There was no timber nor run ning stream. The only fuel to be had was scat tered sage bushes, and when it rained the wa ter would collect in the holes of the rocks, and these two little girls were compelled to pack all the wood and water from a long distance upon their backs. They felt themselves to be slaves. The Indians told them they should nev er see their friends again and concealed them as much as possible. There was no snow, but they suffered from cold in the winter. The Mohaves and Apaches were friends and sometimes visited "each other. It was during one of these visits that the Mohaves learned of the captives and~Offered to purchase them. The Apaches consented and received in exchange a few pounds of beads, two horses, and two blan kets. They were ten days travelling,''like hor ses" as she describes it, to the Mohave villages, barefoot and over a rough mountainous country, each day stopping a short time at noun to rest. She thinks tffey travelled 3f)o miles in a north west direction. On this journey they eat noth ing until the fourth day, when they received a piece of meat about as large as her hand, and this kept them alive. There were no roots nor berries, and they dared not ask the Indians for food. The Indians would kill such game as came in their way, but they did not offer it to their captives. She describes them as being too lazy to exert themselves to procure food, and only killing such game as chance brought to them. Her davs thus far had been dark, and she was almost ready to despair. Not an act of kindness, nor a word of sympathy or hope had been addressed to her by her captors, who trea ted her and her sister as slaves. Arrived among the Mohaves, thp chief, whom she calts Espenesay, took them into his own family, and thev were treated in every respect as his own children. Two blankets were given to them for covering: food was divided with thern : thev were not obliged to labor, but did pr'ttv much as they pleased. Lands were al lotted to them, and they were furnished with seeds, and raised their own corn, melons and beans as the Indians did. There is little or no rain at the Colorado, and the Mohaves depend upon the overflow of the river tor the irrigation necessary to germinate and ripen their harvests. Sometimes there is no overflow of the river, and much suffering tblrows. The Indians are too indolent to plant more than will suffice for their actual necessi ties. Three years ago there was no overflow, and a famine was the consequence, in which many perished. It was in this famine that Ol ive suffered her greatest grief. Her little sis ter, Marv Ann, had endured all her captivity with her. They supposed that they were alone ol their family; they had suffered together the cruelties of the savage?; hut thev had not been separated. Thev could sympathise and cheer each other in their dreariness, and sometimes they would whisper together a faint hope ol fu ture redemption. But now came the trial.— The child wasted away by degrees—she knew that she was to die, and talked calml v of death toOlivp. She hail no disease, but there was no food and she waster] miserably in tlie famine that desolated the tribe. Olive herself was near perishing, but the strength ol her consti tution saved her life. She speaks ol the Cbi- l s wife in terms of warmest gratitude. A mother could not have expressed more kind hearted sympathy than did this good woman, whose gentle treatment saved her lite. ! his woman had laid up seed corn to plant, and which v-n tlie dying - groans of her own people could not make her bring out. When she saw Olive's dis tress, she ground this corn between stones, made a gruel and fed it to her, not reserving any even to herself. The .Mohave; always told her she could go I to t!le white settlements when she pleased, hut thev dared not go with her, fearing they might I be punished for having kept a white woman so long among them, nor did tin y dare to let it he ! known that she was among them. She could , not go alone, for she did not know the way, i and she despaired of" ever again seeing her friends. Hope almost died within her. lor three long vears she mourned her captivity though w ell treated she was restrained, for she knew not how to extricate herself. What were her sensations, during all this time, must he imagined ; for she is not, as yet, able to ex ! press her thoughts in language, j Before the arrival of the Indian messenger charged to release her, she heard of his depar ture from the Fort, by an Indian runner. Her joy was very* great, but she forced herself to ap pear indifferent, lest the Indians should st ill re strain her. She had little confidence in their | sincerity, when they gave her permission to leave them, because they refused to go with her, and thev knew she could not go alone. At length, Francisco, the Vun3, arrived with the requisition from (Ml. Burke for her deliv ery. The packet was examined by the Indi ans, hut no one understood it. It was put into I her hands to explain. It was written in a bold, j round hand, the letters being a third of an inch I long. It was the first word of English she had I seen for five long, weary years, and she could i not restrain tier emotion. The cold chill ol In dian reserve seemed to molt away, and she saw ! before her mind the old home scenes ; and hap jpv voices seemed to welcome her return. She ! readily deciphered the meaning of that rescript, ' and communicated it to the assembled Indians. Accompanying it were six pounds of white beads, four blankets, and some other trinkets, to I be given in exchange. These w ere accepted, and the Chief told h> r she was at liberty to de part for her friends. Many of the Indians, however, objected to her going, tearing they would be punished as her captors. Ihe Chief's wife, the kind woman who saved her life in the r famine, cried a day and a night as if she were losing her own child, and then gave up.— FRIDAY MORNING, BEDFORD, PA. JUNE 27, 1856. With the guide she started for the Fort with a | light heart, on foot, as usual. She was ten days on the road, travelling with greater speed than ever before. This time the days were short to her, and so great was her mental excitement, that she knew neither weariness nor hunger.— Thetrail was tortuous and rough leading through mountains and gorges, and several times she was compelled to swim the Colorado. This time, too, her feet were protected from the sharp stones by sandals, such as are worn by the Indians. During all her captivity she does not remem ber to have seen a wild flower, or shrub. If there were any, her mind was so absorbed with her own misery, that she did not observe them. Among the Mohaves there is no food except what is raised—tiiat is, corn, wheat, melons and beans. A few fish are caught from tile river ; a small bulb, resembling a brodeia, is taken from the ground, which is boiled or roasted.— This bulb is almost tasteless, and is found in such small quantities that a whole day is required to gather enough lor a meal. There are no berries nor fruit trees of any kind. 'J'lie Yumas and Mohaves are friends. Their manners, customs and dress are the same, and their lodges are built upon the same plan.— Their language, also, is similar—they easily understand each other. The two tribes iu-t year made war upon the Coctipas, and took sev eral prisoners. When they arrived at their vil lages the prisoners were killed, and the dead bodies suspended on a crucifix, whiie the whole tribe danced round the pole, singing and throw ing arrows into the bod is. She converses with propriety, but as one ac ting under strong constraint : and she has not forgotten the instructions of her childhood.— She reads well, writes a fair hand, and sews ad mirably : though in her captivity she saw no implement nor instrument of civilization. She is very ambitious to learn and spends most of her time in study.— Los Jlngclos Paper. JEtii'dcr Iss £Bol!iday*l>ui*£N The Hollidaysburg papeis give s an account of another atrocious murder committed in that place on Monday last. We copy the follow ing from the Hollidaysburg "Standard," and ho] •• that ere this the murderer has been ar rested : ATIIOCIOCS MCROBE ! One of tlie most cru el and cold-blooded murders on record was per petrated at the Canal Basin, in this place, on Monday evening. At the time we go to press no inquest lias been held, and many runaors are in circulation in regard to the affair. As tar as we could gather particulars Hint could be re lied upon we give them. On the evening in question, a dance was held at the house of Jas. B. Johnston, on the south side ot the Canal Basin, at which there was some eight or ten young persons—among oth ers the daughter of Jane-s Davis. Davis is a boatman in the employ of Patrick Walls, and the boat on which he is employed was lying op posite Johnston's. Davis fiad been drinking some through the evening, and seeing his daugh ter there, swore early in tlie evening that be would shoot some person which 15ir< at he made good before 10 o'clock. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston came down stairs and whilst Johnston stood under his door Davis dis- charged a pistol loaded with BB shot at him. Johnston staggered hack a few steps, said, "Mo ther, 1 am shot," and fell down and expiied in a lew seconds. Nineol the shot had entered various pails of his body, two of which went through hi? heart and ffilUd him as soon as in ternal hemorrhage could pioduce death. .Mrs. Johnston saw the flash of the pistol, and dis tinctly saw and recognized Davis as- he ran a way. A number of persons were standing up on the canal bridge at the time, but as firing pistols about the Casio is a common occurrence, no attention was paid to it. At the very time Johnston was shot, Rebecca, his eldest daughter, had told Davis' daughter of the threats her fa ther had made, and was advising her to leave. : Immediately after committing the murder Davis made his escape. A posse started after liiro, hut, up to the time we go to press, fie has j not been arrested; and, knowing the character! of the man as we do, uv far fie will make! g.Kid his escape and justice he cheated. Johnston was about Hi years of age, and leaves a wife and three children. Although somewhat given to the use of intoxicating li-j quors when he could procure them, he was a mild, inoffensive man, and never, that we lu-ard I of, quarreled with any person. Davis has a family residing about two miles west of this place, at the Dutch Bottom, near j the old Dunkard Meeting House. It may as well here he staled that some per-; sons allege that Davis shot Johnston from the boat with a musket. This is hardly probable. He was seen with a pistol early in file even- j ing, and Mrs. Johnston is positive that he stood | upon the tow path when he fired. After the deed was committed, hundreds of | our citizens repaired to the scene of the murder j and the excitement ran very high. Well it , might. A more deliberate, malicious, and co d hloodrd murder of an inoffensive n.an never took place in our usually peaceable village.— May we never be called upon to chronic!' a similar outrage. It is to be hoped that no x --ertkins will he spared to bi ing the guilty wretch to condign punishment. If he is suffered to es cape, through any lack of vigilance on the part of the officers of the law, lite will become inse cure, for there are others like him, who are j ever ready to play the assassin, if there is aa o pening to evade justice. ACCEPTANCE OF MR. FILLMORE. — The cim-, miltee apppointed by the last Philadelphia i Know-Nothing Convention to apprize Mr. fill more of [us nomination lor the presidency have at last received a formal response lrom that gen tleman. He unhesitatingly accepts the nomi nation, platform and all. The letter ol accep tance was written at Paris. and bears date o! May 21. Freedom of Thought and Opiaiou. According to promise, we give below the eloquent speech delivered by Governor Wright at the demo cratic mass meeting, held in Indianapolis on the tith ir.st., to ratify the nominations of Buchanan and Breckinridge : They have given us the distinguished son of Pennsylvania, James Buchanan. He comes from the right quarter—the old Keystone State, the most precious, stone in our proud edifice— the land of Franklin, Morris, Muhlenburg, arid Buchanan—my own, my native Slate—the fiist State in our T'uion that adopted anu ratified our glorious constitution, and the only State of the North that in the great contest of 1796 which cast her vote Tor Thomas Jefferson against the elder Adams, and, in my humble judgment, this day has less fanaticism and sectionalism among her masses than any of the original thirteen colonies—the first State in the Union that nom inated (Lateral Jackson for the presidency.— Pennsylvania has never had a President ;. yet the has constantly supported the men of right faith and principles, having voted uniformly lor Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, aid Jackson, casting her united vote for the e- Ifction and re-election of these patriots and ft u rulers of the republic. Jam. s Buchanan is the man fir the times. The people desired his nomination, not the pol iticians, and most nobly has the National Con vention responded to the voice of the people. No man now living has rendered more impor tant service to the country—no man living has tilled so many responsible positions in our gov ernment with such ability and usefulness to the country. From the year ISI-1, the commence ment of his p' blic life, until this day, he has hern the faithful and indefatigable public ser vant. fames Buchanan was an acknowledged la votite of James Madison at the close ol las ad roiiistralion. In 1527 James Monroe tender ed him the mission to Mexico. As minister to IliSii'i, under the appointment of General Jucksen, he negotiated the first commercial treaty between our government and Russia, winch secured to our commerce the ports ol the Baltic and Black seas. Jar&es Buchanan was the bosom friend and com; ;4iion of (L m-rnl Jackson his ardent ad mirer. lie has had the confidence not only of Juc ksn, Polk, and Pi.-rie, but of all the states men u' the land who have formed his acquain tance. The best evidence of his devotion to tiie w J fire of the country is found in tlie fact for masses always act right—lie never, TIF'TVT,XI'VEU von fusiotiists remember this— h.is b.un defeated by the people or legislature, hum lis fust trial in lSlf until the present mo ment. The word defeat is not in Buchanan's lUP'M eja; y or that ol his li ieuds; and as sure as be ives until the 4th of March, 1857 } James Buchman, ot Pennsylvania, will be tlie Presi dent it this nation. UN now say to our political enemies, corr.e on wth '.our charges, your slandeis, \uur .n --sinuqtions! Tin* nation has presented to them the sonsh-tent, firm, faithful statesman, tlie man of ivjn will, undaunted patriotism, unidenushed chancier, and whose record wili bear the strict est scrutiny. We have before us tiie man whose whole character is a solemn pUdge and guarantee that our institutions and national chitracter will be safe in his hands. The farm er, mechanic, merchant, and the entire mass of oil! p ople, prl secure that in his hands the no ble slop of State will be taken to the port ot pesct, happiness, and prosperity, and that un det lib even guidance and enlarged statesman ship every portion of our happy ' nion will he pro!(ft d ill the full enjoyment of their consti tulsot.ii rights. lit- is a State-rights man in the full meaning of that term. 1 remember twenty years ago, what the subject of the admission of Michigan was before the nation, how, in eloquent terms, lie mforced tlie doctrine of the tights of the Statixs and Territories. It was then remarked, in sihstanre, "the older I grow the more I be cone a State-rights man." Consequently, he wasthe enemy ol the United States Bank, op pos<d to the distribution of the proceeds ot the sale f public lands, opposed to the assumption of tie State debts, the warm advocate of the in dependen! treasury, the ardent and devoted Irieid of the principles of the Kansas ami Ne braka bills, the absolute and unconditional right of he people to adopt their own form of mu nicpal government, not inconsistent with the conjtttution of the United States. h when speaking upon the sulqect of relirious liberty, be planted himself upon the coriititntiun in the follow ing glowing language : "Fit>ni inv sou! I abhor tlie practice of ming ling up religion with politics. The doctrine of all otr constitutions, both federal and State, is, thateverv man has an indefeasible right to wor shi) his God according to the dictates of his owi conscience. He is both a bigot and a tv rar? who would interfere with that sacred right, j Wjen a candidate is before the people f>r office j theinquiry ought never to be made, what form of religious faith he possesses, but only, i:i the latguage of Mr. Jefferson, 'is he honest, is he caabb- ?' " n the same address, wln n speaking upon the furtive-slave law and the democratic party, he mist eloquently and truthfully remarks : 'The fugitive starve law* is all that the South baiohtained in this Compromise of IBf>o. It is a law founded both upon the letter and tlie spit of the constitution, and a similar law has eated in our statute-books ever since the ad- < miristration of George Washington. History tea (ties us that but for the provision in favor of thelugitiv- slaws the constitution would never hav existed. 'Think ye that the South will ever tamely snrenderthe fugitive-slave law to northern fa nalcs and abolitionists! And now, tellow-cit zeit, what a glorious party the democratic par ty as ever been! .Man is but tlie being of a sunmer day, while principles are eternal. The gecration of mortals, one after the other, rise antsink, and are forgotten, but the principles Speech of Gov, Wright of Indiana. of democracy which we have inherited from our revolutionary fathers will endure to bless mankind throughout all generations. Is there any democrat within the sound of mv voice is there any democrat throughout the broad lim its of good old democratic Pennsylvania—who will abandon these sacred principles for the sake of following in the train of a military con queror, and shouting lor the hero of Lundy"s Lane, Cerro Gordo, and Chapultepec Like the Romans in their times of trouble and excitement, our people are looking to the old and true men. We have in the person of James Buchanan, of Pennsylvania, he who was contemporary with Madison, Monroe, Adams, Clayi.Calhoun, Webster, McDuffie, Hayne, and others. He is the link on the chain that con nects ihe present with the past—that age, when the love of the Union, the love of order and the supremacy of the laws was the paramount principle. Buchanan is the man that the good and true men can rally around of all parties de voted to the constitution and the Union, with the full assurance that he perfectly understands and lully appreciates not only cur domestic pol icy hut our foreign relations. In the midst of sectional excitement, local strifes, violations of law, secret organization , and when appeals are making to tlie worst pas sions of men, to everything except tlie majesty ot tne laws and constitution, it is a source of gratification to the true patriot to have one pre sented for the first oiiice ol tile Union whose whole life is one of devotion to law and order. But few administrations will show brighter on the page of historv than that of James K. lYilk the acquisition ar.d settlement of diliiculties connected with Texas, the acquirement of Cal ifornia with its untold wealth, the war with Mexico—yet in all these James Buchanan was our Prime Minister, (Secretary of State,) exhib iting, in all these trying times, the same devo tion to principles, firmness of purpose, and yet so conducting our foreign relations that while an empire was added to our republic the peace of the nation was not ciistuibed. lie is now before us for the highest position among the nations of the earth, presented not by a section, siot the candidate ol the South, the North, the East, or the West, but the candidate of every portion, interest, or section of our wide-spread republic. His public life, ids public acts, exhibit to us the p:ot und statesman, the accomplished schol ar, tlie man of sjrotless purity of character, w ho has never taken a position with southern or northern destiny, but one who loves every por tion of this country, who plants himself on the basis of the constitution, and takes his stand un der the prouder and holier name ot ' ~lmtrican destiny. The character of the sons of all Pennsylva nia is so well known throughout the cftiffltHT, whenever it is ascertained that a man is from the old Keystone State, right straight forward he goes into office, from governor, the smallest, up to town supervisor, the highest. Talk about a son of Pennsylvania being run close in Indi ana, or the race doubtful! Why, the man that would thus talk is surely crazv. A'our first governor was a Pennsylvania!!, and the last one a Penrisylvanian, with two or three oth.er Sj am! Heaven knows how many judges and other m! J D officers. (!rand Ratification Meeting in Legington, Ktn'tcfnj — Breckinridge at Home—His e!o --(jucnt Response to the. enthusiastic greetings of his . \ 'cighbors. Ort .Momtay evening last a grand ratification meet ing was held in Lexington, Kentucky—'.lie home of thp democratic candidate tor the vice-presidency—at which the nominees and platiorrn ot the Democratic National Convention was most emphatically and en thusiastically endorsed. In noticing this great out pouring ot' the people, the Kentucky Statesman say-: ••Notwithstanding the short and limited notice oi the meeting, and though no notice whatever was giv- en to tlie county ot' the tart, an immense concourse oi' citizens, numbered by thousands, assembled at tlie appointed time aiound the platform, and evinced the warmest enthusiasm in the object of the meet ing. At the ringing of the court-house bell the yard presented a -olid ma-s oi living beings, and great impatience was evinced by the assembled masses to give vent to their leelings of approbation for the principles ar.d nominees of their party." After several speeches had been made, and a se ries of excellent resolutions were adopted, "the ah" was again rent," says tlie State-man, "by loud and prolonged shouts tor Major Breckinridge ; ami w hen, in response to the calls of the people, his tall and graceful form appeared upon the platform to receive tlie congratulations of his lellow-ctizens, the enthu siasm of the multitude knew no bounds. Repeated and loud shouts of applause for -ome time prevented his addressing the assembly, but when his clear and eloquent voice was heard every tongue was hushed, and the vast multitude drank, in the mott profound attention, every word which fell from his lips." We give below the substance of Mr. Breckin ridge's remarks, as reported in the Statesman: J?Si\ Breckinridge's Speech. Fellow-citizens of the county of Fayette, 1 have been invited by your committee to accept the congratulations of my neighbors and friends upon my nomination by the democratic party for the vice presidency of the United States. I could not decline this nomination coming from a people who have, on ali occasions, received tne with uniform kindness ; and for the cordi ality with which you now welcome me I can only return the warm thanks of a grateful heart. Gentlemen, the proceedings of the Demo cratic National Convention are before the country. Of the three statesmen who were made most prominent before that body by their own merits and the attention of the people, tlie choice fur the presidency fill upon Mr. Bu chanan, as a becoming tribute to his long public services and his pre-eminent abilities. The an nunciation ol his name begets confidence in ev ery part of the L'mon. For forty years he has TERAJtt, S3 PER YEAR. VOL XXIV, NO. 4;J. lived in the public eye. He has the largest ex perience in political affairs, and from his long services in the executive and legislative depart ments ot the government, be possesses perfect familiarity witti every branch of the adminis tration. fn the discharge of his public duties, his great talents have been universally recogni zed, and the purity of his character commands the respect of his countrymen without distinc tion of party. In other countries be is the most distinguished living representative of the intellect and character of the United States; and none ol us, 1 am sure, have forgotten the signal ability with which, on a lecent occasion, he vindicated the just claims of his country against the most eminent diplomatists oi Europe. Mr. Buchanan belongs to a class of states men nearly all of whom have passed from the stage of action. He was long associated in the public councils with Jackson, Clay, Calhoun, Webster, Wright, Fcr>vth„and others, whose names are cherished as a portion ot the treas ures of theconntrv—and lie was not the least star in that galaxy. His great compeers are gone, yet he remains, in the vigorous posses sion of all his faculties, standing in the midst of the descendants of thus" with whom lie com menced his career respected and honored by • ail classes of his countrymen. Like all public men he has been the victim of detraction; but he has outlived its influence, nor can the ca iumnies thrown qpt in the party contests long pa>i be more successfully revived against him ikin against the memories of his honored asso ciates. Of myself, gentlemen, it does not become nte to speak, especially here, in the midst of a peo ple among whom I was born and reared. My principles and course of iife are known to vou all. Centlernen, the platform of principles adop ted by the convention will attract the attention of the country, and exert the most important influence upon public affairs. Without enter ing into a discussion of that platform, I may remark that it reasserts the old and well-recog nised creed of the democratic party, and then applies the principles of thnt party to the greJt question of the times. Upon the two issues which do now most agitate the Union, the position of the democra cy cannot hereafter be misunderstood or mis represented. They have defined in explicit terms their con struction of the guarantees of civil and reli gious liberty which are contained in" the consti tution of the United States. Upon the distracting question of domestic slavery their position is equally clear. The whole power of the democratic organization is pledged to the following propositions: That Congress shall not interfere upon this subject* in the States, in the Territories, or in the Distiict of Columbia. That the people of each Territory shall de termine the question for themselves, and be ad mitted into the Onion upon a footing of per fect equality with the original States, without discrimination on account of the allowance or prohibition of slavery. That the law of Congress for the return of fugitives from labor, passed in pursuance of the requirement of the constitution, shall be faith fully executed. Upon all these vital questions the convention was unanimous, every delegate from every State giving them his cordial approval. Gentlemen, it these principles can be main tained, every obstacle will be removed to the peace arid prosperity of our country. More than this you ought not to ask—less than this you will not consent to take. ] know you well enough to be assured that there is not a man within the sound of my voice who does not fee! that this settlement is just, and that in no other mode can the lights oi the respective members of the confederacy be preserved, and the peace of the Union secured. To the maintenance of these principles are pb riged the united efforts of the strongest polit ical organization in the United States. Youare not called upon now to decide subordinate ques tions- of policy. You are brought lace fo face with issues that rock vour country to its centre, and involve the principles upon which your in stitutions are founded. Hence a high personal responsibility is imposed on every citizen, which cannot be discharged by blindly herding bem-ath party tanners, or littering fierce rally ing-ciies. or surrendering the judgment to the domini >n of the prejudices and the passions. He who shall examine carefully and temper ately the platform of the national democracy, compare it with the platforms of other parties, investigate the issues betbre the cotintrv, learn the strength and purposes of other organizations, and then prefer the decisions of his judgment to the temptations of his passions, will have per formed his duty in a manner answerable to the high claims of bis country upon the patriotism of her sons. My only purpose in appearing before you, upon the invitation of your committee, was to render my sincere acknowledgements for the kindness which prompted you to desire ray presence. Ii T have been betrayed into re marks more extended than the occasion seemed to demand, you must share the blame with trie, and place the error, in part at least, to the ac count of your warm welcome and friendly at tention. In one sentiment I am sure we can ail con cur : That the great issues involved in this con test rnav be so decided as to preserve the con stitution, advance the general prosperity, and give a new guarantee of the equal and perpet ual union of the States. Terrible Freshet in Tennessee. —The Ten nessee papers report destructive freshets in that State. In Giles county, hogs, cattle and sheep were drowned, bridges carried away, and much other damage done. One farmer lost two hun dred head of sheep. At Lebanon, the town was overflowed, and manv families driven from their bouses, to seek shelter elsewhere.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers