Lynchburg Virginian

"The Buckeye Blacksmith."—This is the cognomen of Mr. John Baer, of Ohio, who has recently abandoned his anvil, and, like another Peter the Hermit, is preaching through the country a crusade against the Administration. After speaking in most of the towns of Ohio and Kentucky, he arrived in Washington on the 13th, and addressed the people at the City Hall. The National Intelligencer (for whose interesting description of the scene we regret we have not room) says, that Mr. Baer is one of Nature's orators. "He took a rapid & comprehensive view of the misdeeds of the Administration; commented on its destructive influence on the morals & business of the country; and bared the enormities of the Sub-Treasury scheme, especially its tendency to give the Executive monarchical power, and to reduce the laboring classes to poverty and degradation; ridiculed with withering sarcasm the claim of the dominant party to the title of democrats; denounced their proscription of public officers for opinion's sake, contrasting it with the conduct of Gen. Harrison when Governor of Indiana; exhibited a gray historic sketch of his character & services, and related some new & interesting incidents of his life." Before Mr. Baer reached the meeting, Mr. Briggs, a member of Congress from Massachusetts, and a very able man, was called out. He remarked that "a while they were waiting for the blacksmith, he would say a few words as the blacksmith's apprentice. Though he was not a blacksmith, he was the son of a blacksmith. Among his earliest recollections was that of having pulled the bellows' pole for his father, whom he well remembered as having worked at the furnace till he was summoned from it to take post at Bunker's Hill. Mr. Briggs proceeded to show the blighting effect of the present misgovernment of the country on all interests and occupations, and especially on the working men. The cause of the Opposition was their cause. He laughed to scorn, and retorted with powerful effect, the charge of "aristocracy," brought by the Administration against its opponents," &c. &c. Gen. Jones of Washington, Mr. Pope of Ky. and Mr. Bell of Tenn. also addressed the meeting.

Mr. Baer left Washington, in company with Col. Swift, the Mayor of Philadelphia, the citizens of which place he addressed on the 15th. The Enquirer says, "he threw off his coat, and rolled up his sleeves, and for the space of nearly two hours held the attention of the meeting in one of the best, most argumentative and most effective speeches that was ever listened to."