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opposed　the　war　is　true　or　false；　according　as　one　may　understand

the　term　〃oppose　the　war。〃　If　to　say　〃the　war　was　unnecessarily

and　unconstitutionally　commenced　by　the　President〃　be　opposing

the　war；　then　the　Whigs　have　very　generally　opposed　it。　　Whenever

they　have　spoken　at　all；　they　have　said　this；　and　they　have　said

it　on　what　has　appeared　good　reason　to　them。　　The　marching　an

army　into　the　midst　of　a　peaceful　Mexican　settlement；　frightening

the　inhabitants　away；　leaving　their　growing　crops　and　other

property　to　destruction；　to　you　may　appear　a　perfectly　amiable；

peaceful；　unprovoking　procedure；　but　it　does　not　appear　so　to　us。

So　to　call　such　an　act；　to　us　appears　no　other　than　a　naked；

impudent　absurdity；　and　we　speak　of　it　accordingly。　　But　if；　when

the　war　had　begun；　and　had　become　the　cause　of　the　country；　the

giving　of　our　money　and　our　blood；　in　common　with　yours；　was

support　of　the　war；　then　it　is　not　true　that　we　have　always

opposed　the　war。　　With　few　individual　exceptions；　you　have

constantly　had　our　votes　here　for　all　the　necessary　supplies。

And；　more　than　this；　you　have　had　the　services；　the　blood；　and

the　lives　of　our　political　brethren　in　every　trial　and　on　every

field。　　The　beardless　boy　and　the　mature　man；　the　humble　and　the

distinguishedyou　have　had　them。　　Through　suffering　and　death；

by　disease　and　in　battle　they　have　endured　and　fought　and　fell

with　you。　　Clay　and　Webster　each　gave　a　son；　never　to　be

returned。　　From　the　State　of　my　own　residence；　besides　other

worthy　but　less　known　Whig　names；　we　sent　Marshall；　Morrison；

Baker；　and　Hardin；　they　all　fought；　and　one　fell；　and　in　the　fall

of　that　one　we　lost　our　best　Whig　man。　　Nor　were　the　Whigs　few　in

number；　or　laggard　in　the　day　of　danger。　　In　that　fearful；

bloody；　breathless　struggle　at　Buena　Vista；　where　each　man's　hard

task　was　to　beat　back　five　foes　or　die　himself；　of　the　five　high

officers　who　perished；　four　were　Whigs。



In　speaking　of　this；　I　mean　no　odious　comparison　between　the

lion…hearted　Whigs　and　the　Democrats　who　fought　there。　　On　other

occasions；　and　among　the　lower　officers　and　privates　on　that

occasion；　I　doubt　not　the　proportion　was　different。　　I　wish　to　do

justice　to　all。　　I　think　of　all　those　brave　men　as　Americans；　in

whose　proud　fame；　as　an　American；　I　too　have　a　share。　　Many　of

them；　Whigs　and　Democrats　are　my　constituents　and　personal

friends；　and　I　thank　them；more　than　thank　them；one　and　all；

for　the　high　imperishable　honor　they　have　conferred　on　our　common

State。



But　the　distinction　between　the　cause　of　the　President　in

beginning　the　war；　and　the　cause　of　the　country　after　it　was

begun；　is　a　distinction　which　you　cannot　perceive。　　To　you　the

President　and　the　country　seem　to　be　all　one。　　You　are　interested

to　see　no　distinction　between　them；　and　I　venture　to　suggest　that

probably　your　interest　blinds　you　a　little。　　We　see　the

distinction；　as　we　think；　clearly　enough；　and　our　friends　who

have　fought　in　the　war　have　no　difficulty　in　seeing　it　also。

What　those　who　have　fallen　would　say；　were　they　alive　and　here；

of　course　we　can　never　know；　but　with　those　who　have　returned

there　is　no　difficulty。　　Colonel　Haskell　and　Major　Gaines；

members　here；　both　fought　in　the　war；　and　both　of　them　underwent

extraordinary　perils　and　hardships；　still　they；　like　all　other

Whigs　here；　vote；　on　the　record；　that　the　war　was　unnecessarily

and　unconstitutionally　commenced　by　the　President。　　And　even

General　Taylor　himself；　the　noblest　Roman　of　them　all；　has

declared　that　as　a　citizen；　and　particularly　as　a　soldier；　it　is

sufficient　for　him　to　know　that　his　country　is　at　war　with　a

foreign　nation；　to　do　all　in　his　power　to　bring　it　to　a　speedy

and　honorable　termination　by　the　most　vigorous　and　energetic

operations；　without　inquiry　about　its　justice；　or　anything　else

connected　with　it。



Mr。　Speaker；　let　our　Democratic　friends　be　comforted　with　the

assurance　that　we　are　content　with　our　position；　content　with　our

company；　and　content　with　our　candidate；　and　that　although　they；

in　their　generous　sympathy；　think　we　ought　to　be　miserable；　we

really　are　not；　and　that　they　may　dismiss　the　great　anxiety　they

have　on　our　account。



Mr。　Speaker；　I　see　I　have　but　three　minutes　left；　and　this　forces

me　to　throw　out　one　whole　branch　of　my　subject。　　A　single　word　on

still　another。　　The　Democrats　are　keen　enough　to　frequently

remind　us　that　we　have　some　dissensions　in　our　ranks。　　Our　good

friend　from　Baltimore　immediately　before　me　＇Mr。　McLane＇

expressed　some　doubt　the　other　day　as　to　which　branch　of　our

party　General　Taylor　would　ultimately　fall　into　the　hands　of。

That　was　a　new　idea　to　me。　　I　knew　we　had　dissenters；　but　I　did

not　know　they　were　trying　to　get　our　candidate　away　from　us。　　I

would　like　to　say　a　word　to　our　dissenters；　but　I　have　not　the

time。　　Some　such　we　certainly　have；　have　you　none；　gentlemen

Democrats？　　Is　it　all　union　and　harmony　in　your　ranks？　　no

bickerings？　　no　divisions？　　If　there　be　doubt　as　to　which　of　our

divisions　will　get　our　candidate；　is　there　no　doubt　as　to　which

of　your　candidates　will　get　your　party？　　I　have　heard　some　things

from　New　York；　and　if　they　are　true；　one　might　well　say　of　your

party　there；　as　a　drunken　fellow　once　said　when　he　heard　the

reading　of　an　indictment　for　hog…stealing。　　The　clerk　read　on

till　he　got　to　and　through　the　words；　〃did　steal；　take；　and　carry

away　ten　boars；　ten　sows；　ten　shoats；　and　ten　pigs；〃　at　which　he

exclaimed；　〃Well；　by　golly；　that　is　the　most　equally　divided　gang

of　hogs　I　ever　did　hear　of！〃　　If　there　is　any　other　gang　of　hogs

more　equally　divided　than　the　Democrats　of　New　York　are　about

this　time；　I　have　not　heard　of　it。









SPEECH　DELIVERED　AT　WORCESTER；　MASS。；　ON

SEPT。　12；　1848。



（From　the　Boston　Advertiser。）



Mr。　Kellogg　then　introduced　to　the　meeting　the　Hon。　　Abram

Lincoln；　Whig　member　of　Congress　from　Illinois；　a　representative

of　free　soil。



Mr。　Lincoln　has　a　very　tall　and　thin　figure；　with　an　intellectual

face；　showing　a　searching　mind；　and　a　cool　judgment。　　He　spoke　in

a　clear　and　cool　and　very　eloquent　manner；　for　an　hour　and　a

half；　carrying　the　audience　with　him　in　his　able　arguments　and

brilliant　illustrationsonly　interrupted　by　warm　and　frequent

applause。　　He　began　by　expressing　a　real　feeling　of　modesty　in

addressing　an　audience　〃this　side　of　the　mountains；〃　a　part　of

the　country　where；　in　the　opinion　of　the　people　of　his　section；

everybody　was　supposed　to　be　instructed　and　wise。　　But　he　had

devoted　his　attention　to　the　question　of　the　coming　Presidential

election；　and　was　not　unwilling　to　exchange　with　all　whom　he

might　the　ideas　to　which　he　had　arrived。　　He　then　began　to　show

the　fallacy　of　some　of　the　arguments　against　Gen。　Taylor；　making

his　chief　theme　the　fashionable　statement　of　all　those　who　oppose

him　（〃the　old　Locofocos　as　well　as　the　new〃）　that　he　has　no

principles；　and　that　the　Whig　party　have　abandoned　their

principles　by　adopting　him　as　their　candidate。　　He　maintained

that　Gen。　　Taylor　occupied　a　high　and　unexceptionable　Whig

ground；　and　took　for　his　first　instance　and　proof　of　this　the

statement　in　the　Allison　letterwith　regard　to　the　bank；　tariff；

rivers　and　harbors；　etc。that　the　will　of　the　people　should

produce　its　own　results；　without　executive　influence。　　The

principle　that　the　people　should　do　whatunder　the　Constitution…

…as　they　please；　is　a　Whig　principle。　　All　that　Gen。　　Taylor　is　not

only　to　consent　to；　but　appeal　to　the　people　to　judge　and　act　for

themselves。　　And　this　was　no　new　doctrine　for　Whigs。　　It　was　the

〃platform〃　on　which　they　had　fought　all　their　battles；　the

resistance　of　executive　influence；　and　the　principle　of　enabling

the　people　to　frame　the　government　according　to　their　will。　　Gen。

Taylor　consents　to　be　the　candidate；　and　to　assist　the　people　to

do　what　they　think　to　be　their　duty；　and　think　to　be　best　in

their　national　affairs；　but　because　he　don't　want　to　tell　what　we

ought　to　do；　he　is　accused　of　having　no　principles。　　The　Whigs

here　maintained　for　years　that　neither　the　influence；　the　duress；

or　the　prohibition　of　the　executive　should　control　the

legitimately　expressed　will　of　the　people；　and　now　that；　on　that

very　ground；　Gen。　Taylor　says　that　he　should　use　the　power　given

him　by　the　people　to　do；　to　the　best　of　his　judgment；　the　will　of

the　people；　he　is　accused　of　want　of　principle；　and　of

inconsistency　in　position。



Mr。　Lincoln　proceeded　to　examine　the　absurdity　of　an　attempt　to

make　a　platform　or　creed　for　a　national　party；　to　all　parts　of

which　all　must　consent　and　agree；　when　it　was　clearly　the

intention　and　the　true　philosophy　of　our　government；　that　in

Congress　all　opinions　and　principles　should　be　represented；　and

that　when　the　wisdom　of　all　had　been　compared　and　united；　the

will　of　the　majority　should　be　carried　out。　　On　this　ground　he

conceived　（and　the　audience　s