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Speech at Peoria, Illinois1Jump to section
The people of this city were addressed at the court house on Friday evening last, by Hon. A. LINCOLN, of Springfield. He showed up the inconsistency of the sham democracy on the question of internal improvements in such a manner that it is not to be wondered at that the friends of Pierce and King were dissatisfied. On the subject of the tariff he advocated the American side of the question, asking why, instead of sending a distance of 4,000 miles for our railroad iron, the immense iron beds of Missouri were not worked, affording a better article than that of English manufacture, and giving employment to American labor. On this point, he agreed with that distinguished democrat, Benton,2Jump to section who does not believe with the President of the Peoria Pierce Club, that a protective tariff is a tax on the poor for the benefit of the rich. After alluding to the evasiveness exhibited in the celebrated platform adopted by the Democratic National Convention, the speaker contrasted the claims of the respective candidates to the support of the American people. Gen. Pierce had been a member of the U.S. Senate for five years and of the Lower House four years, and if he is the possessor of the great civil qualifications claimed for him by his friends, where is the evidence? Instead of possessing eminent civil abilities, said Mr. LINCOLN, did not an examination of the record prove that he is not worthy of the extravagant praises now bestowed upon him by his partizan friends. His votes show that he was the steady, consistent enemy of western improvements, and judging of the future by the past, should Mr. Pierce be elected he would surely veto such internal improvement bills as the one recently passed by Congress. The speaker also contended that as Mr. Pierce was a member of Congress a number of years without being appointed on any important committee, it was evidence of the estimation in which he was held in Washington, and was democratic testimony against his claims to great civil attainments. As a legislator he was noted for his bitter opposition to western interests, showing his hatred of the west, by voting with a minority of three or four congenial spirits against western measures. The speaker next alluded to the evidences of the civil qualifications of WINFIELD SCOTT as exhibited in his settlement of the troubles growing out of the Canadian Patriot war, the North-Eastern Boundary question, the Nullification excitement, and the removal of the Cherokee Indians. In this connexion, Mr. L. read extracts from several ``democratic'' papers applying opprobrious epithets to Gen. Scott, and among others a paragraph from an organ of the party calling Gen. SCOTT a fool. ``Can it be possible,'' said he,