Robert Wickliffe
Published: 2015-07-10
Total Pages: 28
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Excerpt from Speech of R. Wickliffe, Jr. (Of Kentucky, ): Delivered in the National Convention of the Whig Young Men of the United States, Assembled at Baltimore, May 4th 5th, 1840 Mr. Wickliffe, having been selected by the Delegation from Kentucky, to address the Convention on behalf of that Commonwealth, spoke substantially as follows: Mr. President: - An epoch has arrisen in the history of the Whig party. For the first time within the last eight years, we present an undivided front. Hitherto, our strength has been wasted, and our numbers divided between rival candidates, from various quarters of the Union. In a party that was bound together by principle, and not by the strong tie of public plunder, it was natural to expect that men would entertain and indulge personal preferences, and be incapable of that rigid discipline and implicit obedience by which the adherents of power have ever been distinguished. The day of disunion and of defeat is past. Our party is now not only rallied around the same standard, but led on by the same commander. If the bravery of the troops be equal to the skill and gallantry of our veteran leader; if the warworn soldier, covered with laurels in many a hard-fought battle, and decked with bays from many a civic field, be an object worthy of the gratitude and admiration of a generous people; if the genius of American liberty and the spirit of republican institutions be most fully embodied in him who is equally prepared to wield the sword or the plough; if this republic be not yet sunk in corruption and lost to all sense of truth and justice - victory, sure and lasting, awaits us and the great principles which we have so long struggled to uphold. For the brilliant prospect that lies before us; for the new life and zeal that cheer us and our constituents, we are indebted to the deliberations of the Harrisburg Convention. Called into existence by the unanimous voice of the whig party, and composed of some of the most gifted and venerable men of whom the republic could boast, its decree went forth and was received with applauding shouts by Whig America. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
