The Rhode Island Republican

A public dinner was lately given at New Orleans, to the Honorable Charles Gayarre, member elect of the Senate of the United States from Louisiana.

Mr. Gayarre addressed the company on that occasion in an eloquent speech, which has not left much room, we should think, for the doubts of the Bank cavillers as to the political sentiments of that gentleman. He declared himself, very explicitly a thorough democrat, and a firm friend of the policy of Andrew Jackson. Of the nature of the two antagonist political principles which have ever divided the parties in this country and of the aid which the present chief magistrate has rendered to the cause of Democratic doctrines, Mr. Gayarre expresses himself as follows :

"Since the formation of our institutions, the American people have been divided into two parties, the democrats and the federalists. The federalists have always exerted themselves to transform this government into a strong one, through a broad interpretation of the Constitution, and have attempted to assume for that government every kind of power by implication. If they had succeeded the beautiful fabric of our Constitution would have been defaced, the State sovereignties annihilated, and the general government would have extended an imperial sway over all the States degraded into vassalage and provincial insignificance. But they were successfully opposed by the democracy of the Union, the true republicans, who contended for a strict interpretation of the Constitution, and who maintained that all the powers not expressly delegated remained with the States. Elected by the democracy of the Union, General Jackson has remained faithful to that democracy, like the light which, to use the language of the scripture, walked in the shape of a column of fire before the people after the heart of God, through Egyptian darkness, the genius of democracy has guided the steps of the man after the people's heart, through all the clouds and the tempest raised by headlong opposition, and has been steadily leading him on to glory and immortality. If Napoleon said with prophetic sagacity that the French revolution would never retrace its steps, with a greater approximation to truth may it be said that American democracy will never go back. With one foot on Maine and the other on Louisiana, she will raise her godlike form to heaven, and she will move onward, the companion of future ages, crushing in her course the hidden heads of aristocracy, in whatever place and under whatever form they may appear."

With regard to the war waged upon the government, and against the equal rights of the people by the Bank of the U. States, Mr. Gayarre expresses his views in the annexed eloquent terms :

"I come at last to that immense monied conspiracy which extended from the frontiers of Maine to the mouth of the Mississippi, and which threatened to taint and corrupt forever the purity of our institutions. When the Bank of the United States was created, a celebrated statesman, John Randolph, of Roanoke, looking into futurity with the keen sightedness of an eagle, and anticipating the evils that would result to the Union from the prolific womb of that powerful corporation—said that it would be as impossible to put down when once in operation, as to take possession of Gibraltar with a pocket pistol. That distinguished son of Virginia ought to have remembered that we lived in an age when nothing was impossible. The bank, the formidable bank, the Gibraltar of the U. States, that towered so stately in her pride of place and gloried in her columns of marble and classical architecture. or rather that bastile of America, that projected her gloomy shadow over the liberties of the country, has been battered down by the Artillery of democracy, and stormed by the energies of an indignant nation, rising in support of her leader and encouraging him in the accomplishment of his great undertaking. Well, the struggle is over, the blow has been struck, the bank is now in the convulsions of death. Where is the distress which prevailed six months ago?— gone with the author of it, the bank : it has vanished into the air like a bubble on the surface of a troubled ocean.—Our country never was in a more prosperous state; commerce, agriculture, manufacturers, flourishing. and prosperity smiles over the land from one end of the Union to the other. And yet the bank is as we say dying. Let us hope that she will gasp her last in peace; let us hope that out of her tomb a ghastly spectre will not arise to assume again the flesh and substance of life : let us hope that a recurrence of the evils from which we have been lately freed will be prevented by the perseverance and firmness of enlightened patriotism."

With regard to the present difficulties of our country with France, the sentiments of Mr. Gayarre, a descendant of Frenchmen and looking back with manly pride to the glorious deeds of the nation from which he derives his origin, do him exceeding honor.

We conclude our extracts with that eloquent passage of his speech :

"Unfortunately, gentlemen, at the very moment when we had removed all obstacles that threatened to impede the course of our national prosperity, our relations with France, our ancient ally, have assumed an unfriendly aspect. For old injuries inflicted twenty-five years ago she still continues to refuse reparations ; when her high sense of honor ought, it seems, to have made it imperative upon her to repair the wrongs she had done her best friend. If measures of coercion should be adopted by our government, and if a war should ensue, consequent upon the infatuation of France, we, Americans of French origin. will imitate the noble example of the Americans of British origin, when they resisted British oppression, and when undaunted and undismayed, 'they met and conquered British valor. We will show the French that we are truly their descendants; that if we have inherited their language and manners, we have also inherited their valor and chivalric pride of which they boast so much, and which does not brook the least show of offence. We will show them that we are no bastards, no mongrel cast—but that our veins are warmed with the old Gallic and Norman blood, ready to flow in the defence of our country and for the glory of our star spangled banner."