BY JAS. CLARK.
[From the Boston Atlas.]
Great Whig Meeting in Marshfield.
DANIEL WEBSTER FOR OEN. TAYLOR.
Agreeably to notice given, a Whig
meeting was held yesterday afternoon,
at Marshfield, on a piece of land be
longing to Mr. Webster, near the old
Gov. Winslow house. At the place
where the speaking was to be, a stage
was erected, suitable to accommodate
forty or fifty persons.
Early in the afternoon carriages were
seen, filled with men and women, bend
ing their way from all quarters to the
place assigned for the meeting. At 3
o'clock, (the time appointed for the or
ator to speck,) there were from one
thousand to fifteen hundred people pres
ent. At the appointed time, •Mr. WEB
STER, accompanied by Hon. HIRAM
lin.renum, of N. Y., Hon. GEORGE ASH- I
BUM, of Springfield, Hon. ARTEMAS
HALE, of Bridgewater, and several oth
ers, whom we did not know, appeared
upon the stand, and were most heartily
welcomed by the people.
Mr. Webster soon after commenced
making his speech, a verbatim report
of which we shall publish on Monday.
He spoke about an hour and a half in a
manner truly Websterian. We never
heard him when he was more interest
ing, or when lie appeared to feel more
fully the importance of the questions
now at issue before the people of the
Union. His speech was devoted exclu
sively to the consideration of the Pres
idential question. He avowed himself
fully and unequivocally in favor of elect
ing General Taylor.
. .
lie said he believed him to be an hon
est man—ane whose conduct had ever
'been marked by high principles. He
said he was a man of little pretension
—a modest, unassuming man. He had
been made a candidate for the Presiden
cy, a year before the Philadelphia Con
vention met. He was fairly nominated
at that Convention. He believed him
to be a true Whig. Our opponents said
Gen Taylor was a Whig, and they tried
to disgrace him and the other Whig
General, Scott, for it, by putting a Dem
ocratic civilian in command over them.
He did not believe that the slavery
question had anything to do with his
nomination. The convention believed
him to be a Whig ; they thought him to
be the man who would, under existing
circumstances, be the easiest to elect,
and therefore they nominated him. Mr.
Webster spoke in this strain for some
time, vindicating the Whigs of the con
vention, and speaking highly of the
character of General Taylor. He denied
the correctness of that purt of the Buff
alo "platform," which said that the
nomination of General Taylor was in
duced by a desire on the part of the
Whigs to extend Slave Territory. Nor
were the Whigs of the South to be held
accuuntable for the nomination, whether
it be good or bad. The free States had
some sixty majority in that convention,
and could have norttietted whomsoever
they pleased. St .
Mr. Webster went on to say, that in
his judgment the question of who shall
be our next President lay between Get).
Cass and Gen. Taylor. One of them
will be elected. Who, then, should
higs vote for 1 We all could not have
cur personal preferences gratified. The
skies were not about to fall, so that we
could catch larks. It was idle to talk
abort third candidates. We had enough
cf that in '44. Every vote given for
E3irney, in that election, was half a vote
for Pr;lk and the annexation of Texas.-
- And every vote given this year by Whigs,
for Van Buren, or any other third can
didate, was practically half a vote for
Cass. He had warned the people against
this third party folly in '44, and he
would again warn them of its conse
quences.
He spoke of the Buffalo platform. He
said what there was good in it, was
what the Whigs had always advocated,
and Van Buren and his friends always
had gone against, and what there was
new in it was unsound. He had no con
fidence in Van Buren. If he was to ex
press confidence in Mr. Van Buren's
"Free Soil principles," it would appear
ludicrous; for he had opposed every
thing that looked like free soil all his
life; and he had no doubt, from the
knowledge he had of the man, that were
they together, Van Buren would laugh
in his face when the "free soil" ques
tion was named ; and were we alone,
said Mr. Webster, we should probably
both laugh at the folly that had made
Mr. Van Buren an anti-slavery candi
date for President.
Mr. Webster then went on, at some
length, to show up Mr. Van Buren's con
duct. He had always been the supple
tool of the south, and the aider and
abettor of slavery. He did more, said
Mr. Webster, to defeat John Quincy
Adams, and elect General Jackson, than
any ten men in the country. He was
,~
4 4,
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11/701/40
the soul and centre of the opposition to
Mr. Adams. He spoke of his conduct
while Secretary of State; his opposition
to slave abolition in Cuba. He was the
only President who ever, in advance,
threatened to veto a bill, if Congress
should pass such an one, to abolish sla
very in the District of Columbia. He
referred to his casting vote to rifle the
mails of anti-slavery papers. He said
that no one ever exercised a mo - e con
trolling influence over his friends than
Van Buren; and his friends all went
with him.
He was, and so was his friends, in
frvor of annexing Texas. Southern
Whigs, in both houses of Congress, vo
ted against admitting Texas into the
Uniot. The Van Buren men, those who
now, for purposes of private pique or
revenge, cry out for "Free Soil, ' were
the very men who were the most vocif
erous for Texas. Mr. Webster had no
confidence in any of them. Talk aboot
" dough-faces," why, said Mr. Webster,
the Van Buren men in Congress had not
only dough-faces,
" but they had dough
hearts and dough souls. They were ali
dough." He said that there were gen
tlemen, Whigs, at the Batlalo Conven
tion, whom he respected highly ; but he
thought it would have been proper, be
fore they had taken up Van Buren, to
have required of him "fruits meet for
repentance."
He then proceeded to speak of Cnss.
He held hint to be the most dangerous
man that could have been put in nomi
nation. He was opposed to the treaty
of Washington. He was for the whole
of Oregon ; and the matter would never
have been settled by peaceful negotia
tion, if he could have had his way. He
was for continuing the Mexican war,
and he could have stopped it at any mo
ment he chose to. He is all war.
Now, said Mr. %% ebster, we are to
choose between a man like Cass and one
like Gen. Taylor. One or the other is
to be elected, and no one else. It is
Taylor or Case. Gen. Taylor has been
fairly nominated by a Whig Convention.
He is a Whig. "If I believed him,
(said Mr. W.,) to be in favor of war, or
of extending slavery, I sho,:ld have op
posed his election. I BELIEVE HIM TO BE
IN FAVOR OF NEITHER. That is my opin
ion."
Mr. Webster proceeded to speak on
various topics connected with the Pres
idency, but which we have neither time
nor room to refer to-day. He concluded
in an eloquent peroration.
WHIG STATE CONVENTION.
We commend to the attention of our readers,
the following excellent resolutions, adopted by
the late Whig State Convention. These were
reported by Joseph R. Chandler, Esq., Chair
man of the Committece appointed for that pur
pose :
The members of this State Conven
tion, assembled to nominate a candidate
for the office of Governor of the Com
monwealth of Pennsylvania, hav'ng dis
'charged the first duty devolving spoil
them with a unanimity that denotes the
popularity of the distinguished citizen
selected, and is an augury of his suc
cess, deem it incumbent upon them to
present the result of their deliberations
to the people of the Commonwealth,
with such a reference to general princi
ples as will show that the choice was
influenced by no feelings of mere per
sonal preference, but was dictated by a
sense of the requirements of the great
interests of the Commonwealth, and the
entire adaptation of the talents and expe
rience, and previous pursuits of the cit
izen who has received the unanimous
vote of this Commonwealth : Therefore,
Resolved, That the protection of Home
Industry and Home Production is neces
sary to the permanent good of our grow
ing country, and that the eras of our
own National and State prosperity have
been at times when a Protective Tariff
has preserved for the people the profits
of their own industry, and made our
country independent of the European
work-shops and looms ; and so preva
lent has this opinion been in Pennsyl
vania, that in the Presidential canvass
of 1844, the partizans of the success
ful candidates inscribed upon their ban
ners, yet used the first moment of pow
er thus obtained, to falsify their promi
ises, and defeat the hopes and jeopard
the interests of a confiding and betray
ed people.
Resolved, That while we bow with
deference to the authority of the Con
stitution of the country, that permits
Slavery in the original states of this
compact, and forbear to interfere with a
measure'thus sanctioned by compromise,
we can discover no admissible motive
for extending the limits of Slavery into
newly acquired territory, (however ob
tained,) and we profess our abhorrence
of a policy that would degrade the na
' tion and bring reproach upon republican
principles, by making territory acquired
HUNTINGDON, PA., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1848.
the home of extended and perpetual
bondage.
Resolved, That the time has arrived
to arrest the alarming progress of Ex
ecutive usurpation, by which a whole
some provision of the Constitution of
the Nation and State is distorted into an
authority to arrest the legislation of the
peoples representatives, and make the
executive the supreme authority of the ,
land. Against this abuse, the candi
date of the Whig party for the Presi
dency is solemnly and voluntarily pledg
ed ; while our opponents rely upon the
equally solemn promise of their candi
date to veto r ny bill which shall include
a provision to prevent the extension of
Slavery into newly acquired territory.
Our principles and our candidates, (Na
tional and State,) stand opposed to the
abuse of the Veto power.
Resolved, That this Convention hear
tily approve of the nomination of
ZACHARY TAYLOR
and
MILLARD FILLMORE
as candidates for the office of President
and Vice President of the United States,
and in the same spirit which lead to the
nomination of these citizens distinguish
ed for their services to the country, and
their attachment to republican princi
ples, above all party allegiance,
WILLIAM F. JOHNSTON,
of Armstrong county is presented to the
people of Pennsylvania as a candidate
for their votes to fill the office of Gov
ernor of this Commonwealth. It is not
the object of these resolutions to eulo
gize Mr. Johnston, who is known to the
people, and the remarkable unanimity
that distinguished his nomination is
proof of the attachment of the people
to his principles, their confidence in his
ability to sustain those principles in any
office, and their desire that he should
be made to share in thet reform contem
plated in the nomination of Taylor and
Fillmore.
Resolved, That the evils under which
our country labors are radical, and nat
urally consequent upon the policy of
those in power, and a:e only thus early
developed by the extraordinary weak
ness of the present National adminis
tration ; and as these evils are general
ly felt and acknowledged by men of all
parts of the Union '
and in this State
especially, an appeal is made to all good
citizens, of whatever name or associa
tion, to come up to the work of refor
mation, by supporting the nomination
of TAYLOR and FILLMORE for the
good of the country at large, and of
WILLIAM F. JOHNSTON, for the res
toration of the prosperity and credit of
the immediate interests of Pennsylva
nia.
Resolved, That this Convention np
prove of the nomination o:
NEU MIDDLESIVARTH,
of Union county, as a candidate for the
office of Canal Commissioner. He is a
citizen of approved principles, of tried
honesty and sterlica integrity, by whom
the interests of our State, and the pros
perity of her public works, will be eau
nently promoted.
A Newspaper.
A man eats up a pound of sugar, and
the pleasure he has enjoyed is ended;
but the information be gets from a news
paper is treasured up in the mind, to be
enjoyed anew, and to be used whenever
occasion or inclination calls for it. A
newspaper is not the wisdom of one
man, or two men ; it is the wisdom of
the age and of past ages too.
A family without a newspaper is al
ways half an age behind the time in gen
eral information ; besides they never
think much, or find much to talk about.
And then there are little ones growing
up in ignorance, without any taste for
reading.
Besides all these evils, there's the
wife, who, when the work is done, has
to sit down with her hands in her lap,
and nothing to amuse her, or divert her
mind from the toils and cares of the
domestic circle. Who, then, would be
without a newspaperl--Benjamin Frank
lin.
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU CONDEMN.—
Judge not from circumstances. Speak
not against a man's character without a
thorough investigation. An intimation
that a neighbor has deceived you or has
cheated another, may half ruin him.—
After you have traduced his character,
and then ascertained your mistake, it is
impossible to undo the injury produced.
An ill-report spreads like wild-fire. Be
exceedingly careful, then, how you con
demn the course of another, without pos
itive evidence of his knavery or chshon
esty.—Portland Umpire.
Di- Men are frequently like tea—the
real strength and goodness are not pro
perly drawn out until they have been a
short time in hot water.
[Ftom the Miner's Journal.]
THADDEUS STEVENS.
This dist:nguished lawyer of Penn
sylvania, we are happy to announce, has
just received the Congressional nomina
tion of the Whigs of Lancaster county.
His election by thousands of a majority
is therefore rendered certain.
The past history of Mr. Stevens, as
connected with sonic of the leading
events in the politics of this State, is
well known, and for a time, somewhat
injured his standing before the people.
But as his true character continued to
be developed, the impressions of the
peopleconce:ning him, have vaded away
and he is now, without doubt, one of the
most admired and justly popular men in
1 1 the State.
As comparatively little is known of
Mr. Stevens, previors to his entry into
the political a7ena, we propose offering
a few remarks from information at our
hand.—Perhaps no man is more uncom
municative concerning his own affairs.
There is no person nt Lancaster, except
it be himself, who knows his age, or
anything of importance respecting his
early history. He is a Bachelor and
looks as if he might be fifty. He was
born in Caledonia County, Vermont.
His father, who died while he was quite
young, was celebrated as being the best
wrestler in the neighborhood. His moth
er is still living, and though quite an
old lady, continues to farm the place
where he was born. The family being
large, and not very well off, Thaddeus,
in some way or other, learned to make
shoes—shough he never followed it as
a regular business. That he was some
time at Burlington College, is known .
but whether he ever graduated is doubt
ful. He is, however, a pretty fair clan
ical scholar.
When he first came to Pennsylvania,
he taught school for some time in York
county, and at the same time read law
under the direction of a Mr. Kelly.
After reading something over a year,
lie applied for admission to the bar at
Gettysburg, and was rejected—not for
iacoroptateacy, but beranae, in our State
Students cue required to study two full
years. Determined to get to the bar in
some way, he went to Bell Air, in Ma
ryland, and made application. At the
Court there, it happened that there
were several lawyers from Baltimore of
high attainments—among them the late
Gen. ti hider. Thaddeus made his ap
plication, and a committee was appoint
ed to examine him. They met after
supper at the Village I , in. The Judge
was present, the distinguished lawyers
aforesaid were of the committee, and
there sat Thaddeus, expecting a most
thorough and complete sitting as to his
knowledge of the law His prospects
in all future life depended on the decis
sion—it was a trying moment!
Vie judge rpoke. "Young men!"
said he, elevating his spectacle, end
casting a deliberate glance at the appli
cant—" its a rule here, that every Stu
dent, before he's examined, orders in at
least two bottles of wine." The wine
was accordingly forthcoming, and the
decanters were placed upon the table.
Before emptying them, the examination
proceeded. "Mr. Stevens," said Gen.
Winder, " what books have you read 1"
He replied by stating that he had read
Coke, Blackstone, a work on pleading,
and one on Evidence. "He'll do—thats
enough !" said the Jedge—" let's take a
drink." The certificate was made out
and signed, and this was the whole of
the examination! All the County Squires
attending Court, then came into the
room, and the new lawyer spent a con
siderable portion of the night with them
playing •' loo" for 12i cents a game. "I
had just fifty-five dollars when I begun,"
said Mr. S. to a friend sometime after—
"and when I paid my bill in the morn
ing, Iliad but two dollars left!" Mr.
Stevens, it is understood, used to be
fond of an occasional game; but of late
years, he has abandoned it altogether.
The only pastime he has indulged in
lately, is that of ten-pins, which is sought
for exercise and recreation from his
groat professional duties.
After his admission, he returned to
Gettysburg, where, after some little op
position, he was admitted to practice.—
At one time, it is said, he was very
much discouraged by haviug nothing to
do, and was about leaving the place to
seek his fortune elsewhere. At this
juncture he took up a case of "breach
of promise to marry," with a contingent
fee of one-half. He obtained a verdict
for $4000; and this set him up in the
world, and practice become abundant.
In 1831, he was elected to the Legis
lature from Adams county, and with the
exception of one session, continued to
represent that County till 1841, when
he removed to Lancaster. From his np-
pearance in public life, his acts have be
come a part of the history of the State,
and most persons are already familiar
with them.
Qloonrttar,
(.7„.
As a citizen, it is our fortune to know
Mr. Stevens. He is the most charitable
man we ever saw. His large profession
al income, perhaps from twelve to eigh
teen thousand dollars per annum, is
principally expended in private acts of
charity—mostly in small amounts, but
sometimes a single contribution amounts
to thousands. Of the latter, there are
several instances which might be men
tioned. A much admired poetess in this
State, who had been reduced on account
of circumstances over which she had no
command, was presented with a beauti
ful farm, which cost Mr. S. over five
thousand dollars. The homestead of an
aged widow lady, at Lancaster, upon
her husband dying bankrupt, was pur
chased by Mr. S. for three thousand
dollars, and presented• to her, But the
instances of smaller sums, contributed
to poor persons seeking aid, are without
number.
As an orator, Mr. Stevens will favor--,
ably compare with any other in the
United States. His style is Somewhat
peculiar, bet it has great force and elo
quence. In Congress, the long neglec
ted interests of Pennsylvania will find
in him an able expounder and defender.
The Keystone, from henceforth, is bound
to be heard, and his witty repartee, his
scorching sarcasm, his lofty eloquence,
his great profundity, sad his ponderous
mind, will keep at bay the assailants of
her character, and the ungrateful oppo
sers of her true interests. He is well
acquainted with the iron interests of
Pennsylvania, being himself largely in
terested in their prosperity ; and this,
with the other paramount interests of
our State, will receive the consideration
which they deserve. Under such cir
cumstances, we hail the name of Thad
deus Stevens with unmixed pleasure,
and we anticipate the joy of referring
to him hereafter at such tunes when our
State shall need able and patriotic men
on the floor of Congress,—as the star
that always maintains its brilliancy and'
the honor of its circle.
THE TEST OF BENEVOLENCE.
A SHOW AND TRUE STORY.
" The hand that wiped away the fear Of Want,
The heart that melted at another's woe,
Were his—and blessings followed him."
DAVID WENTWORTH had the kindest
of hearts. There was neither mete nor
boand to his benevolence, except inabil.
ty. And happy was any man that had
a tithe of the prayers that were daily
offered up for the welfare of my friend,
by the wretched and unfortunate whom
his hand had relieved.
I speck of prayers, for it was the on
ly reward he sought, end of course the
only reward he received; I mean here
—but I forget.
David wcs paying attention to an ex
cellent young lady of his native city.
She was wealthy, beautiful and ac
complished, and consequently had many
suitors. Among them were richer and
nobler, (in extraction, I mean) and hand
somer men than David ; n'importe, there
was a kind of straight-forwardness about
my friend, that could not fail to carry
him somewhere near the heart of his
discerning mistress, even if an emper
or had been his rival.
The young lady hit upon a project to
put the character of her lovers to the
test. She had come across a poor wid
ow in distress, in one of her excursion's,
and the idea struck her that it would be
a good opportunity to ascertain the stuff
that her lovers' hearts were made of.
Letters were forthwith indited, setting
forth the good woman's state„ and for
warded to the different gentlemen, in
the name of the widow, and requesting
assistance.
The first was a lecture on idleness,.
beginning and concluding with the in
formation, that the writer was not ac
customed to give to those he did not
know. This was from slo,ooo'a year.
The second advised her to apply to some
of the benevolent societies, whose busi
ness it was to relieve those who were
truly in want. This was from one who
had a great reputation for benevolence,
who bad taken a leading part in several
charitable associations, and whose phar
isaical liberality had been blazoned in
the Gazette. The lady thought that in.
terested as he was in those institutions,
he displayed a commendable reluctance
about taking the business out of their
hands. A third, from a good hearted
and generous kind of a fellow, enclosed
her a five dollar bill with his compli
ments. Several took no notice of the
good widows petition.
But there was nnother answer which
the lady read with far different feelings.
It was from David— from $BOO a year
—and I need not say, like himself, kind
and consoling—spoke of the writers
narrow means, and also of the principle
he hnd adopted, of never giving unless
persuaded of the worthiness of the ob
ject,. and concluded by requesting an
VOL, XIII, NO, 87,
interview. " If," said he, "I find my
self otherwise unable to afford the as
sistance required, I may be of service
in interesting others in your behalf."
Nor was this mere profession ; fot it
was but a week before the widow found
herself comfortably located, and enga
ged in a thriving little business, com
menced by the recommendation, and
carried on by the aid of my friend. And
all this was done in genuine Scripture
style. There was no sounding of trum
pets; arid the right hand knew not of
the doing of the left. But his lady-love
was a silent observer of his conduct,
and lie received many a kind glance in
this quarter, of which he little suspeet•
ed the cause. She began to think that
the homage of a spirit like his, was a
thing not to be despised • and she felt
something very much like the palpita•
Lion of the heart, as she questioned her•
self respecting his intentions.
Such was the thin of thought which,
one evening, as IS oftmt the ease, was
interrupted by a call from the very per
son who had been its cause. Hour after
hour passed by that night, and still Da
vid lingered. He could not tear himself
away. She is a most fascinating crea
ture, thought he, and as good as she is
beautiful. Can she ever be mine I And
a cloud came over his fine features, and
lie sat for a moment in silence. "This
suspense must be ended,' said he to
himself as the clock told eleven.
"You will certainly think me insuffer
ably tedious," said he, with a faint
smile. "But I have been so pleasantly
engaged, as to take no note of time.—
And the sin of this trespass upon the
rules of good breeding must lie at your
door. Besides, I have lengthened the
visit," lie continued, after a pause, "un
der the apprehension that, as it has been
the happiest, it might be also the last it
shall be my good fortune to enjoy with
Miss H."
The lady looked at him With some
sarprjse...
"Nay," said he, "the matter rests'
with yourself. Wil you forgive my pre
ouoipoon l t know 'hat others more
worthy of you, at least nobler and
wealthier, and higher in the world's es
teem, are striving for the honor of your
hand. And yet I cannot restrain my
self from making an avowal which,•
though it may be futile, is yet but a de.;
servtd tribute to your worth." And he
popped the question.
The lady did not swoon of turn pale.
But a flash of gratification passed' over
her face, and lightened her eye for a .
moment.
She frankly gave him her hand, and
looked up archly in his face. " The
friend of the fatherless and the widow,"
said she, (David blushed,) " cannot fail:
to make a constant lover and a worthy
husband."
Keep your Promisc s..
We have often been shocked at the'
reektess disregard which many persons•
manifest for the fulfillment of their
promises. They are ever ready to
make engagements for the future ; but
when the time arrives for their fulfill
ment, they seem to have forgotten them ,
entirely, or at least to treat them as•
though they involved no obligation
whatever. Such conduct is sinful in•
'the highest degree, and when indulged
in by professing Christians, furnishes
glaring evidence of essential defect in
their Christian character. it is also
highly injurious in its influence upon
society itself, inasmuch as it necessa
rily tends to destroy that confidence of
man in man, which is so essential to the
happiness of the community. It is es ,
pecially detrimental to the interest of
the individual himself who is guilty of
it, as he thereby forfeits the confidence
and respect of his fellows. His word
accordingly, is not relied upon, and he
is obliged to suffer all the unhappy con
sequences. This sinful habit is one of
the most inexcusable of which any one
can be guilty. In ninety-nine cases out
of a hundred there is no absolute ne
cessity whatever for one to break his
word.—No one should ever make a prom
ise, unless he looks well into the circum
stances beforehand, and has every rea
son to believe, that it will be in his
power to fulfill his promise. And
whenever n promise has once been made
it should be his fixed determination to
keep it, and with a particular reference
to this, his subsequent conduct should
be shaped. %Vero this course to be
faithfully pursued, not only would the
serious evils resulting from a disregard
to one's word be avoided, but also the
confidence of those around speedily
gained and enjoyed, and a character
thereby eventually established, that
will be of more value than " ermine,
gold or princely diadem."
" .darn," said a gouty gentlemen to
a tricky son, " I would be on the eve to ,
cane you were I at;le.'"