Mr. Birney, Mr. Platt, And The Whigs: For The Signal Of Libe...

Dktroit, July 15, 1844.Messrs. Editors:- You are aware that he Liberty party of Detroit soine time ago formed a Liberty association, and meet every second and last Mondav in 0ach month for discjissiop of their principies. "LIBERTY HALL" is commodious in size and arrangements, is silnated in a central part of the city, and ís perrnanenUy engaged by the party.- With a liberality unparaÜeled bythc other purties,, the Liberty party threw their meetings open to free discussion. - Notdesiring an exclusive arena lor the indulgence of tirade,- true or false- against opponent?, who, even if present, were gngged, it pennitted every nerson of every party to exgress Ins own' sentiments ör ra te the party ; for tliöse it held. Each speaker was limited to 15 minute.-. A gentleman of the TU]g part}-, Mr. Platt, desired to avail hivnself of this uuusual privilege. Mr. Platt isa zoalous whig: He was very activeitv 1840: attended, he says, every Mass h.d Wfge meeting in lus then vicitjity, (Jaekson.) and being subsequently made Attornev General for the State become a resident of Detroit. líe and judge WÜkïns, (a member of the Liberty party,) had agreed to discuss their conflicting tenets, but the judge'sduties interposed a feniporary delay. Mr. P. was preseni at one ofthe Liberty meetings at which Charles H. Stewart,. Esq. spoke, and stated [in suhstance} that he, Mf. P., disseuted from the speaker, andhethought hecoukl present facts, if not as eloquently, at least more truly, than the gentleman had done. Fie was immedialely invited to proceed, and agreed to do so at the next meeting.At the proper time [some 4 weeks ago] the discussion began. At Mr. Platt's desire, Mr. Stewart stated the objects of' the party and their mode of aftninmeni. Mr. Platt then advanced his views: the rules were suspended, and he was allowed all Ihe time he desired - án hour and a quarter. Mr. Stewarl. and Mr. Platt (hen spoke aíternately during two evenings. - The debate was conducted in good spirit on both sidesj andfhough hard hits were given and ifnpalatable statements made, they were mutually received wiih temper, and laughter. Just previous to the 3d evening of discussion, Mr. Birney arrived in Detroit and participáted in the proceedings of a meeting held on the 8lh inst. Mr. Stewart coiumenced. Mr. PJatt followed, and Mr. Birney came next. The discussion being between the VV'hig and Liberty party, wasnecessarily limited to antagonisms between the two. It was the Whigs against the Liberty parly - and the Liberry party againsl the Whigs: this was tho unavoidable posilion of the two par'ties, the momeni Mr. Pltitt threw down the gauntlet for the wlngs. A sketch of the debate is elsewhere givèn.h is deeplv to be regrelted that the decorum and temper which had prevuuis3r characterized the debate, were on this occasion greatly lost sight of. Mr. Birney's name had fillc-d íiie hpiJ wjth a dense body of citizens. Mr. Stewart's opening remarks were rcceived with respect. Mr. PJaH's evoked héarty and repeated cheers from his party, but soou after Mr. Birney commonced his speech, a semi-distinct hiss begnn to be heard. Gndually it enlarged. mingNng with applause. bestowed as the tfïBute ofsympa:hv. This ungenijpmanlike and indecorous treatraent oí' a gentleman of Mr. JBirney's known character and standing - a visitor to onr city, .-md a gucst in our Hall, - grated miich on tlie feeüngs of all present, whóse sensIbUitiés wcre not dulled to propriety by th.e maddening ïnfluence of over party zeaJ. Jt was calculated to wound Mr. Birney's ieeüngs, and greatly cnibarrass his train of thought. At length, however, the barrier, which decency had lor some timo nterposed was swept away, nnd a loud and prölonged hissing was poured out. - With some effbrt, the President resiored order: he remarkcd tliat the Liborty(y had liberally openen their debates to ihe public - and that sentiment oP opponenís, thoügh unpleasant, had been rospectPully 'listone,-! lo. nnd he rerpiested eqiiaí attention to Mr. Birney, and "hoped ihat no man would ndopt the öharactep and tone oí' Gea;?.'' Tliis rnsrited rebukc restraiñed further nlerruptions. 1 wil] llOt comment on those whieh occured, becati.se -I Peel sure that tho authors oP thein regretted that they permilted party ze.il to e.cee3 beyound the boundsof civiüty due from one gentleman to anothnr. This I ;vill say, tliat nothing in the langungo or mannen of Mr. Birnoy cotild ever paMiatesuch á' breach of proj.riety. J 1 i.s .sontiments are clsewhere given má u-ill speak Por themsclves. They were In strict propriety wiih his subject; the% Liberty party were invokod to vote íbr Mr. Clay, as the representativo of n party, ai ledged to possess ill the Liberty principies: an examinaion ihei'i.'ibre oj Mr. Clay's puhlit acts was the issue rais-w] !,y this invocation. - üvery party ought calnily to fiear the -'public acts:' of thcir enndidates made the subject oP Pair comment, in decení langungí-: no man is perPect: every one hns hisPauIti, pulitical as welJ as personal; thát Henry C!ay at bis advanced age brought-up and' living in the South,- and Porrning so conspicuoun an actor as he does in poiilicai hisiory Por nearly halPa century, should l:ave' committcd errora and havo Pruilt, is lihavnidable to humanity. But höwcver excusable they may bc, they are nevertlfeless the subjeét oP Pair comment, by thosre solicited to vote for hiin. It is Ihcir privilege toconsider svhether these imperPections invohe principies antagonist to Üveir own. This privilege ?,lr. T5irnry nseil: his language u-as mild; lii.s mannor poossed tliat calmness ?ind modr-ration, which are ha characterisiios: he inade no charge, - used no epithets, and stftted hut .some public acts aiising out oP the public service oP Mr. Glay, which he conceived displayed pn'ncipfps not áccording with those oP a vast rnajorïty oPthe people. Thedebr.te oP the 8th was resumerfon the 9th, atul it was tlien adjourned to the next regular meeting oP, the associntion Protn a general wish to hear Mr. Birncy lecture.On the lOth and llth Mr. Birney delivered Iccturcs nt Libctty Hall. On the lOth be e.-camincd the position of fhedemocratie party on antislaveryyffod in a most impressive manner. shou-ed the ineonsisteney of thr party to their own principies The joings of the Baltimore Convention - which will be ever memori-abie in lii-iory for its remarkable exhibi-tion of the power of Sfavery - underwent sc-rutiny. The stciking inconsisteney bctween fhe vèr'y rcsoluilons of the con-venlion weve ([os-cd- and a strong-appeal was made 10 the members of the party, who dis];ked Slavcry and Annexation, and respectcd deinocracy, fo unite wiih the Liberty - the true dernocratic party 6f the conniry. On trio llihMr. B. lecttired on tilo principies of the party involving the riso - growth - power - and consequenoes of the Slave Power. During the Jay lie received ;m invilntio:i from Mr. Plat: to Jiscatss their .snf.jeclat the Citv Ilalhthis ivas prompt! y accepted; and acöör-dingly m the evening óf the 12th, parties net at the City Hall.'CiTY HALL DISt.TPSlONV Pu.suanl to Dr. Pitcher, president of the Glay Club, -prcsided in connecti.ji) vi:h Mr. flallock, President of the Liberty Association. Tliis large Hall was densely fiUed. Mr, Plntt commenced at half past 8,clock, occupyingan hour. Mr. Birney iüllowed for the same space. Mr. Pln.lt replied in 15 minutes, and Mr, Birney did the. s:un The utmost orderand decorum nreyailed. The debaters os well as the prescjiii officers did all in tlieir power to re-sfrain every expression of fee 1 ing, lut occasjpnajly bursts of apdause would be evok-ed by some heartslirring appcal. No disopprobation however was manifestcd. but the good order iridgentJpmanly deporiment, yhich eharTderize Detroit secured to eacii speaker decorous attenlion. ït is due to Mr. 'latt to state that ho.cónducted his part ín a handsome and gonilcmanly marnier. - Ie was mast conrlcous - and even oomilimentary fo the moral and intellectual' tandJDg of Mr. Dirrwy.- paid a jiist ribite of respect to the intentions of the Liberty party, from whom he differed, but in luïir mo;!e of action; and used langM.-tge but of mildness and rcason. His arguments were candid, and were urged with all the force of which they were capable: they were plausible, ingeivious, and well seleeted: that they were not stronger is not Mr, Platt's fault. They were the best of those put forth by his party, and were well sustained. They failed because of their inherent weakness, That they did fail, and that those of