BY JAS. CLARK. SPEECII OF GOY. JOHNSON. Delivered at the Whig County Meet ing held in the city of Lancaster, Aug. 5, IS4S. We have this week the pleasure of laying be fore our readers a full sketch' of the remarks made by Gov. Johnson, at the late Whig County Meeting. We ask for them an attentive perusal. Gov. Johnson stated that he was here to-day by the invitation of his fellow citizens of the county of Lancaster, to address them upon the various matters of political difference which separate the people into parties and sects ; but when he threw a glance over this vast assemblage and recognized so many older and abler men, residents of this noble country, he felt some hesitation in assuming the position their partiality had assigned him. To meet and consult together in re lation to the welfare and happiness of the people—to devise measures for the alleviation of their grievances, and to guard against encroachments upon their privileges by either Government or dem agogues, was not merely it constitution al right, but he felt it to be a moral and political duty which man owed equally 40 his fellow-man and to the country. In such primary assemblages of the people, wherein calmly, candidly and dispassionately are reviewed the acts of the public servant, and in which the rights of the people are vindicated and maintained, Is to be found the great conservative principle of our Institu tions.—llemagogues may for a while mislead, by their various arts, the pop ular mind, but truth, presented to an in telligent and well informed public as semblage, rears such a barrier as pre vents the progress of error, and finally scatters its sophistries as effectually as the rays of this morning's sun cleared away the mists that hung over this beautiful valley. Each citizen should feel it a pleasure and a duty to contrib ute his mite when called upon to main tain the right or oppose error and drive it-from the land. These opinions, of duty being enter tained, Gbr. J. stated that he would not shrink from the responsibility of ex pressing his views upon the present stale of our affairs, although in doing so he might fail to discuss any new sub ject or throw any additional light upon the trestions in dispute with our politi cal opponents. _ . . The approaching Presidential cam paign, while it may settle for a long pe riod of time the question of a Protec tive Tnriff—the improvement of our Rivers and Harbors—the detination of the Public Domain—and the extension of Slavery over the , ast regions of the now Free Soil of New Mexico and Cal ifornia—would also probably settle and determine what, in his mind, was a more important question, to wit : the permanency of Republican institutions. And inasmuch as he viewed this latter subject as of transcendent importance --he would beg the attention of his fel low citizens, while he endeavord to give ntterance to his views in reference there to. To illustrate the matter, he would state that the danger to our institutions arose from two sources—lst. The es tablishment of a central political power at Washington, well adapted, managed, and constructed, to give support to every and any measure of an administration, however improper and dangerous in the judgment of the citizens, and to bind and coerce popular feeling in its behalf by a well managed system of party tactics; 2d. The too frequent use and abuse of the Veto power. If, said Gov. J., the present party in power succeed in securing the support of the people, and their indorsement of the doctrines now promulgated as a party creed and confession of faith, the great bulwark of the republican principle, the great land mark seperating the original par ties of Democracy and Federalism, to wit :—the rights of the Sovereign States are annihalated, and consolidation of power in the general government is in evitably fixed upon this people. The exercise of the Veto potver, the last rem nant of kingly prerogative left in the Constitution, and left there against the strongest protest of the best and purest men of he Revolution, will be sanctioned to the largest and most dangerous ex tent—and the motto that the King can .do no wrong be Interwoven as a part of the faith of the people, peculiarly at tached to republican liberty, and equal ly opposed to the exercise of the one man power, whether lodged in the hands of nn executive, called a President, or by some more monarchical designation. Let us, my friends, look at the past history of the present administration, and if we find in its conduct the evident tendency to asume power, to control popular opinion, to coerce ►pen's view by its censures and denunciations, and to arrogate to itself authority not clear 1 4. 0 "e,n. , s e • ttngbi)/4( • 'l - , ly vested by the constitution, and to in terpose its negative will to defeat the wishes of the people and the acts of their representatives, then we must yield to the truth, however startling it may be, that our republican institutions, although in name unchanged, have suffered great outrage:since the days of the fathers of the Constitution. The first fact to be considered in connection with this sub ject is the establishment of an official organ—a newspaper avowedly sustain ed by the patronage of the Government, and dependent in a large degree upon its countenance for its existence and ex tensive circulation. This paper ; the acknowledged exponent of the executive will, we find the never varying apolo gist for all Executive acts. Connecting itself with a powerful party in our coun try, and through the same official power made the organ and mouth-piece of that party, it must inevitably maintain a position of great and almost uncon trollable authority in the land. The press of the same political bias feels its elf constrained to adopt its views be cause a difference of opinion might lead to divisions and distractions the office holder bows to his behests, because in its columns he views the reflected mind of the appointing power; the office-hun ter submits to its mandates with a gen tle and quiet ease, because he feels that difference of opinion and independence of its dogmas, leaves him among the disappointed. These various classes, , highly respectable and worthy as they I are, feel the tyranny of this machine of party but cannot break its galling chains. The press, the recipient of official pat ronage and the applicant for place, hold a large and influential position in our country, and instead of acting out their views—as they would doubtless do, if this engine of party machinery were annihilated—they fall prostrate before its powerful decrees. Is this allegation false or is it true I Let us refer to one or two cases for illustration, and in do ing so let them be instances in which Pennsylvania holds a deep and abiding interest. • The Protective Tariff policy or the enactment of such laws by the General Government as would protect the indus try of this country from corning into ruinous competition, in our own markets with British goods and the products of foreign labor, had always been a ferorite policy with Pennsylvania. In no in stance, under no circumstances, had her people, her statesman, or her legislative assemblies failed to give a zealous and unanimous and unanimous support to the protective principle. She felt that abounding in the raw material, possess ing exhaustless beds of coal and iron ore, &c., with great agricultural resour ces, it were suicidal to her own inter ests to abandon a policy so well calcula ted to bring forth her Wealth and make her wilderness blossom like the rose. So strong had this feeling became among our citizens, that after the passage of the Tariff Act of 1842, and during the canvass of 1844., the great political par ties of the day, the IVhigs and their op , ponents, then equally strove to persuade the people, that they were the peculiar friends of the Tariff Act of 1842. In all its operations it had worked well, the manufacturer had large and ready sales, the laborer constant employment and good wages, the farmer fair prices and a near and ready home market. Im provements, public and private, were rapidly constructing throughout the land—the Rail Roads and canals of the Commowealth had a large and con boat and healthy trade. In a wore, universal peace, plenty and happiness covered our good old Commonwealth. In this state of things each party clairt.• ed alliance and kindred with the henifi cent legislation that had so happily re sulted in its operations. The contest or 1844 having termina ted in the success of our political oppo nents, the government passed into the hands of their President, Mr. Polk. Mr. Polk formed his cabinet, and estab lished his organ—the first message of the President was against the principle of protection, and consequently against the continuance of the act of 1842, and urgent for its repeal. The newly es tablished organ endorses these doctrines and attempts to give them a party char acter, but the classes mentioned, to wit, the Press of that Party in Pennsylvania, and many of our citizens hesitate to adopt those views, hoping that the ac tion of Congress might save the Protec tive Tariff which they had so much laud ed for its beneficial effects on society. Still there is no voice of dissent, clearly and expressly given—but highly eulo gistic enconiums are passed upon the message generally. The Secretary of the Treasury in his report, by ingenius sophistry and misrepresentation of facts and figures, makes a powerful effort to overthrow the Tariff of 1842. This ,document is held forth in the organ of HUNTINGDON, PA., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1848, the Central Power, as the very truth of political economy, and the great ground work of party faith, with sundry admo nitions that its support or repudiation would mark the true from the false be liever. It is pressed upon Congress— and after various struggles between the friends of Protection and ifs enemies— the act of 1842 is repealed, and the act of 1846 is enacted, by the casting vote of the Vice' President. During all this time, the mouth-piece of the party at Washington is loud in its denunciations of the recreant members of its party, and zealous in its support of the new I law. The President iMd his Cabinet, and organ, finally declared the Tariff of 1846 the true policy of the country, and the organ requires submission to that declaration as an evidence of party fidelity; and lo! in a few months after this determination , is shadowed forth, the Press in Pennsylvania and the class es already named, fill the length and breadth with hozannas to the great prin ciple of Free Trade, and against the policy of protection so long and faith fully main tained by this people. In this, instance my fellow citizen's, there is is great lesson taught us of the dan ger this central controlling power. But again, the subject of introducing Slavery into the territories of the United States, is another illustration of the dangerous influence exercised by the central power. The State of Pennsyl vania WO an early advocate for the ab olition of Slavery. In the preamble to the abolition act of 1/80, we find these strong and beautiful words— • [Want of room compels us to omit the extract.] Here, my friends, you have the truth as spoken by our fathers. ,No human limbs are to be bound with the heart destroying and terrible chain of slavery. No human laws shall be passed to inflict upon human beings that bondage which rends the dearest ties of life—scperates the father and the son—the mother and the helpless offspring—that tears the flesh, wounds and annihilates the spirit —breaks the heart and destroys the im , mortal soul. I love . Pennsylvania igx, that glorious act of proud and manly virtue and independence. There the voice was clear—decided--strong in fa• vor of human rights, and the act corres ponded with the declaration. They ex amined him in his naked deformity and spoke his non-existence in this land of Freemen. The same spirit animated our Statesman in the support of the or dinance of i 787, now more commonly known as the %I ilmot Proviso. The same pure spirit still continued to fill the hearts of our people at a later day; for on the question of the admission of Missouri, the following resolution was passed by the unanimous vote of the Pennsylvania Legislature. The lan guage of this preamble and resolution expressed so fully (said Gov. J.) his own views on the subject, that he would read it. (Here Gov. J. having become somewhat hoarse, requested Mr. Frank lin to read the resolution referred to.) That, my fellow citizens, is the lan guage of freeman, and in that tone should every citizen proclaim his love of human liberty and hatred of tyranny and oppression. The great and good men of that age felt indignant and shuddered at the thought of planting the foot• prints of slavery over the vast and fertile regions of the great West, a land formed by a bountiful God, with every immaginable capacity for the comfort of his creatures and the enjoy ment of life. To permit this land, flow ing as it were with "milk and honey," to be made the abode of the toil tvorn victim of human laws and human pas sions, was asking from our fathers a surrender of a righteous principle which they most indignantly refused to grant, and hence these resolutions. But again the spirit of the ordinance of 1787 was brought into our legislative halls some two years ago to prevent the introduction of Slavery into territory to be acquired from Mexico. Resolutions approving the Wilmot proviso received nearly the unanimous support of that legislature. In these various acts of our public bodies and in these sentiments of our leading statesmen, together with many others that might be added, we have an uniform, steady and determined hostility upon the part of our citizens to extend the evil of Slavery. But mark the change! Certain moves are making upon the political chess board ; the Southern branch of the so-called democ racy must have some explicit denuncia tion of the " Wilmot Proviso" and the ordinance of 1787. The central organ commences the battle of bitter and per secuting denunciatory articles .of Mr. Wilmot and his Proviso. A similar pol icy is pursued by other journals of the party in this State, and the same prin ciple of opposition to slavery extension, which had characterized the men and measures of Pennsylvania for more than half a century, is proclaimed as deliber- ate treason to the Union, and the off spring of fanatic and Evil disposed and diseased intellects. Nay, so powerfully had the denunciatory tone of the central organ and its affiliated papers operated upon the minds of the representatives of the people belonging to that party, that last winter the same resolution failed to receive an unanimous vote, the Whigs and a few honorable opponents voting for it in the Senate, while in the House of Representatives, where our opponents had a commanding majority, it was never mentioned. What then pro duced this• sudden abandonment of an ' other favorite doctrine of the Keystone State"! Why was she asked to reverse ' the reiterated opinions and decisions of her people, so often, so solemnly, so im pressively expressed 1 The central pow er at Washington had decreed it—the party machinery had been put in motion, and the fears of disunion and consequent want of success frightened the timid and swayed around the time-serving: But again the President assuto'es ripen him self the responsibility of placing our negotiations with Mexico in such posi tion that war is inevitable,. and in the ordinary course of things; when .the de sire for peace' IS not very strongly man ifested, war in its worst form is found to exist between our country and Mex ico. In the immediate preliminary stages of this unfortunate rencontre, no appeal is made to the Congress of the people, although that body is in session and prepared to give its hearty cooper ation to any measure necessary to sus tain the national honor. How widely different in this respect from the policy of all our first Presidents was the con duct of the present Executive. In re lation to the necessity of this war there Was a variety of opinions held by men of all parties and of all sects, these differ ences doubtlessly honestly and truly en tertained by their advocates. Was an effort made in this case to convince the reasons of men u to better their means of knowledge, to Conciliate conflicting views, to harmonize and unite the coun try upon the all important question of a foreign itOr, the first in which our coun try had engaged 4 No I The mild and gentle means of a persuasive character were abandoned, and the iron-souled or gan, in its hatred of free thought and free discussion, and its determination to command and be obeyed, issues forth the decree that he who doubts the pro . priety of the War, (however faithfully he may have sustained it during its pro gress,) is to be pronounced a moral' trod tor, and as lending aid and comfort to the enemy ; and if my remembrance serves me rightly, the President of the United States stoops to endorse officially this detestable dogma. Now, without intending to say a word upon the ques tion of the war, whether it was right or wrong in its inception, permit me to ask this people where would the sanc tion of this doctrine lead us 1 If the free expression of honestly entertained opinions, in a land of free speech and a free press, is to be proscribed by the agents, whose acts arc under considers tion, as treason to the country ; if the doctrine that the President's conduct is not to be reviewed under the severe pen alty of stamping with the infamy of a traitor's name the individual daring to criticise his actions, then our liberty of speech is gone. Fix in the popular mind, the idea that all censure and discussion of the acts of their servants are trea sonable practices, and while the race of flatterers to power may increase the number of its accusers and honorable opponents will be small indeed. There is no tyranny in. any land more cruel' than this doctrine would teach i the bed of the tyrant of olden time, sought the cialization of the bodies of its victims; this would attempt to curb, to chain, and immolate the immortal spirit. That in this land of proud pre-eminence for its devotion to the principles of civil and religious liberty and toleration, such detestable doctrines can find advo cates and supporters may well fill us with astonishment. But again—the doctrine is broadly maintained that the wishes and desires of the people, as expressed by their repre sentatives, shall not be carried into effect, if the policy of the measure fails to meet the approbation of the Presi dent. Even should the various means of attempting to control popular feeling by the patronage of the central power, its organ, its hangers on and expectants, its platforms and conventions ; should all these fail, then, as a last resort, the Kingly prerogative of the Veto is called into existence, and the will of the ma jority of the people, in a democratic got ernment, is prostrated and defeated by the act of one man, whose actions can not be condemned unit ss at the risk of party denunciation and proscription. Having expressed his views as fully on this part of the subject as their pa tience would permit, he felt that he had discharged a duty in wattling his fellow citizens against ale encroachments of this dangerous power. He knew that the spirit of the fathers of the constitu tion and the authors of the resolutions of 1798 would lend their influence to sustain his position, if such spirits min gle in the conflicts of this the fatherland. To the people belonged the task of over turning and destroying this overshad• owing central power, and from the signs of the times there appears to be little doubt of the verdict being rendered in behalf of the cause of right and true democracy. But there are other ques tions of great moment, the settlement of which may also depend upon the re sult of the coming election. A fair and reasonably Protective Tar iff is so essential to the welfare of the citizens of this Commonwealth that he could not refrain from the expression of a few words in his defence, particularly in relation to its effects upon the reve nues of the Commonwealth. The gen eral discussion of the question of a pro tective tariff he would leave to his friend, the Hon. James Pollock, who understood it much better than himself, having ably defended its provisions for years in the National Congress. It It a melancholy truth, that the citizens of this Common wealth are sorely pressed by taxation, to meet the interests, &c., on the public debt. With all her revenues, and her varied and annoying tax laws--the pay ment of her annual liabilities could scarcely be met by the State. In this condition of our financial affairs, he would ask if it Were good policy to adopt any system that would lessen the revenues of the State- , --yet such he was bound to declare would he the' effect of the continued existence df the present Tariff laws. The protection afforded to our domestic industry had built up large iron manufactories in different sec tions of the State. These required the raw material and merchandize to carry on their operations--this raw material and merchandize, as well as the article manufactured, were carried upon your public improvements, and made up a large proportion of these revenues. Un der the present Tariff these works can not compete with the foreign manufac ture at the rates of wages in Europe.— Consequently, their value of investment of capital being destroyed, they will be discontinued, and the result will be the withdrawal of their tonnage and tolls from the receipts on your canals and railroads. This fact alone, to say noth ing of the injurious effect produced upon the laborer, the farmer, and the mechan ic, ought to be conclusive on' the mind of every tax-payer in the Common Wealth. The deficit is to be made up by addi tional taxation on your' land, your busi ness and the necessary ,sotnforts of your families. It is alleged that one single establishment in the interior of the State pays toll on the freight of its coal to an amount exceeding $40,000 per annum—and this establishment is about to cease operations under the pro Visions of your present Tariff laws. Doubtless there are hundreds of other establish ments similarly situated, and precisely' affected with like views, that will be compelled to quit business; and in that event thou Sands of dollars may and will I be lost in the tolls coming to the State, all to be levied by a direct tax upon your farms and business pursuits. But again, the article of coal, so largely, and extensively now brought into use, contributes a large part of your Canal revenues—a business yet in its infancy, as the tables of its increase from yeat to year demonstrate. The coal fields of Pennsylvania' are abundantly capkble of sup- plying the Union with fuel for years to come; ' it is now lying almost an undevelofied mountain Of riches to our people. Instead of encouraging its development, your present Tariff laws per mit a ruinous competition with a foreign article in our own markets. This cannot be the inter est of our citizens engaged in the useful business of opening the region and bringing its produce to a profitable market. In the American Quar terly Register and Magazine of May, 1818, is the following table, well worthy the examina tion and attention of the citizens of the coal re gion. Note the difference of importation of coal under the free trade system and the act of 1812—it appears to me further argument is in 1830, 108,132 tons. 1812, 111,526 tolls 1837, 153,450 1813, 41,163 1838, 120,083 1814, 87,073 1839, 181,557 11845, 85,774 62 1810, 1,867 f 1816, 156,833 135;301 isn; If these views be correct, then, fellow-citizens, the question arises, is not the aprroaching elec tion the most important that has been held for many years. The re-establishment of old fash lotted Republican principles, the proper adjust ment of the Tariff laws, and the prevention of the extension of Slavery, all depend upon the result, and the result depends on your active and hearty zeal, cordial union and faithful labor in the good cause at the corning elections. To an intelligent citizen the knowledge of duty is alone sufficient to warrant its performance. It may now be necessary to inquire whether the proper standard-bearer has been selected in the person of General TAyr.ox to carry out these wholesome reforms and changes if he should be elected. General TArr.on, the candidate of the Whig party, as well as the choice of many other citi zens, has ,always sustained the reputation ,of a high-minded, straight-forward and plain soldier, VOL, XIII, MI A whose troth and honor have never liven impeach ed even by his political foes. Without the cun ning and, management of the Politician's arta,. his great' merits as a &Adler and scholar have' placed him (unsought on his part,) before the people as a candidate for the pfesideney. He is' without enemies to punish or intfigiling friends to reward, consequently impledged and untram melled except so fur as he in his sound judg ment has seen proper to develope his views.—• What are these views 1. He will be bound by the Constitution— and lir the Constitution, as it is expounded and explanibd by the judiciary of the United States. 2. He will be bound to take for his guide in his administration of the National Oovernment, the riles and doctrines established arid" held by our first Presidents. 3. He will enter otfi!•e without pledges—that he may be free to carry out the wishes of tho people as expressed by their representatives. 4. He will not attempt to influence the action' of Congress by foreshadowing his own peculiar notions on mooted questions of doubtful policy, further than required by the Constitution—nor will he permit his cabinet to'do so. 5. He will not embarass the airlift of the people's representatives Ar defeat their will by the exercise of the Veto Power other than id cases of extreme hasty legislation, or cleat vio- lotion of the Constitution. He will faithfully entry out the wishes of the people as expressed through their represen tatives on the subject of the Tarilf—and if the' Whigs succeed in giving to the, conntry the principles of the Tariff act (if fBl2 by the re peal of the Tariff act of 1816, he sanction their legislation. . . 7. Ile will not veto or prevent the passage of tau, passed by Congress in reference to Slavery, ot. the improvement of rivers and harbors, or any other matter that constitutionally belongs' to them to settle. S. He will prevent and overthrow all schemes and plans for the conquest of other countries or for annexing the lands of other ilritionS d these States. 9. He will pr eat war, because loving truly toiled through its desolating walks, and witness ed its sad havoc of the fireside and hearth-s_tone of his fellow-roan, he feels that it is an evil con stantly to be aN'Oided, nhless nec,ssity regfiiiekt eiistenee: 10. He will administer the governinent faith fully according to the ConstittitiOn. During his long life of arduous and trying service, ?lever failed to perfOrm all his duties well and , faithfully. 11. Ile will proscribe no man for a conscien- - tious difference of opinion; being a lover of lib erty of thought himself, he can afford to toler ate it in others. He will through his great popularity be enabled to govern our country without the aid of organs or irresponsible cabals ; but being the President of the people, to them alone re sponsible for his actions, without a cringing sub serviency to platforms, erected to misguide in stead of informing the public mind. In addition to these ticeire reasons for the sup port of Gen. ZACHARY TAYLOR, the Republic owes to him a debt of gratitude for his brilliant military services in the late war. The battles of Palo Alto, Resat, de la Palms, Monterey and Buena Vista, will fill the brightest pages in American history ; and long after the great lead er in those celebrated battles, having received his reward on this earth, shall be gathered to his fathers, will the proud retrospect be made by succeeding, generations, and just tribute paid to the memory of the illustrious hero and his companions in arms. It may be asked, what assurance is there that Gen. TAYLOR will carry out the views that aro herein expressed. It is answered—the solemnly pledged word of the old soldier—a man who never equivocates—never evades responsibility. —never asserts an untruth—never speaks harsh ly of any human being—and who never surren ders. On this day two years ago the gallant stand ard bearer of our party broke up his camp op posite Matamoros, and commenced that career of victory at Monterey and Buena Vista, which filled the world with astonishment and his coun trymen with pride and exultation. What more" -appropriate day could have been selected to commence the campaign against the present oc cupants of power at Washington city, and what place more suitable to open the tight, than the banner county of Pennsylvania. The contest here begins—the camp is broken up—the army of freemen have hackled oh their armor—and if they fail, (hey are unworthy of the gallant standard bearer whom they have chosen. The day—the cause—the candidate are worthy of an exertion. With exertion fairare is impossi ble, while success will heap many rich bless ings arid comforts upon yourselves, your neigh bors, the country and posterrity. A correct life of Lewis Cass. The Wheeling Times has commenced another life of Gen. Cass, in which sev-I eral incidents will be named which have* been strangely neglected by the whale rim. The work is to be beautifully ii- lustrated by an engraving of the identi-, cal black cockade that he wore, the full picture of the pedling wagon he sent out from Detroit to follow his payment of Indian Annuities, and the sword he broke. It will also contain his letters from France opoii the tariff—his vote om the sabjeet of Internal Improvernenta --his letters to the Chicago Convention' —a synopsis of his Wilmot Proviso and annexation letters—a copy , of his letter from the Canard bridge to Gen. Hull, asking whether he Should fight, (af ter Snelling had put the rtidians fiti flight) similie of the canoes in which' he crossed over the Northwestern lakes from Detroit, holding Indian treaties at $8 per day, while drawing a salark of $2OOO as Goiernor,—engravings of several pieces of Mahogany furniture manufactured in the "Indian Depart.. meat ; " (for the sole use of the Indians: of coarse)—rt picture of the firer dis tillery erected in Detroit, a short extract froth' a well known temperance address, I and a few extracts from a book entitled the " King and court of France," and several other things of interest. A few more such lives will surely prove the death of Lewis.—Troy Whig.