Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 3, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1859 — Frank Blair in Minnesota. [ARTICLE]

Frank Blair in Minnesota.

A correspondent of the Chicago Press and Tribune, writing from St. Anthony, Minnesota, gives the following account of a speech made by Hon. F. P. Blair, Jr., of Missouri, at that place: “Blair addressed a very large audience in this city on Saturday evening, and his speech was one of the boldest and most admirable anti-Slavery effort we have ever heardHis expose of the doughfaceism and demagogueism of the Infinitesimal Giant, was complete and triumphant, and brought down the house with peals on peals of mingled laughter and applause. At thejclose, a gentleman in the audience rose and said that it “had been charged by the Hunker press that Frank Blair himself held slaves,” and if he would not consider it an imperlince, the audience would like to be enlightened. Mr. Blair replied that he was embarrassed to find that the Democracy would not permit him to “form and regulate his own domestic institutions in his own way, subject to the Constitution of the United States.” [Laughter.] But while it was painful to him to be called up on matters so entirely personal to himself, there was nothing in that record which he wished to conceal. (Cheers.) He said he inherited slaves from a kind and merciful father, that he bad purchased slaves himself, but only to prevent the separation of families, and ultimately to free them. (Great applause.) That he had emancipated more slaves than he now owned—(Cheers) — and that he now only owned such as he was forbidden to emancipate by the laws of Missouri, they being either too old or too young to take care of themselves. (Here the audiancc rose and gave him three hearty cheers) He said that for long years he had fought the Slave Power upon its own ground, carrying his life upon his sleeve for any ruffian to pluck off’; that all his powers were consecrated to the emancipation of his native South from the chains of degradation that bore her down, and that he expected to live to see Missouri Free Soil, the peaceful and prosperous abode of Free Men. His speech was a most masterly one, and was received with the utmost enthusiasm.”