PUBLIC MEETING.

At a meeting holden in the city of Springfield, on the evening of the 12th June; on motion of E. D. Baker, Esq[Esquire], David J. Baker, Esq. of Kaskaskia, was unanimously chosen to side[preside] over this meeting; and on motion of Dr. Henry, Benj F. James, Esq of Tremont, was chosen Secretary.

The object of tbe[the] meeting being stated by Abraham Lincoln, [E]sq. of Springfield,—to be a desire, that the subject of the recent Philadelphia riots, as connected with, and promoted by the whig party, should be fairly discussed, and understood by the citizens of this State and country. On his motion, the following Preamble and Resolutions were submitted for the action of the meeting—supporting them by able and forcible arguments:

Whereas, There seems to be a determined effort making, by the so called democratic party, to charge the blame of the late riots in Philadelphia, upon the Whigs; and to ascribe that blame to a supposed hostility of the Whig party in general to foreigners and Catholics; and, Whereas, truth, and justice to ourselves, demand that we should repel the charge; therefore,

Resolved, That in admitting the foreigner to the rights of citizensnip, he should be put to some reasonable test of his fidelity to our country and its institutions; and that he should first dwell among us a reasonable time to become generally acquainted with the nature of those institutions; and that, consistent with these requisites, naturalization laws, should be so framed, as to render admission to citizenship under them, as convenient, cheap, and expeditious as possible.

Resolved, That we will now, and at all times, oppose as best we may, all attempts to either destroy the naturalization laws or to so alter them, as to render admission under them, less convenient, less cheap, or less expeditious than it now is.

Resolved, That the guarantee of the rights of conscience, as found in our Constitution, is most sacred and inviolable, and one that belongs no less to the Catholic, than to the Protestant; and that all attempts to abridge or interfere with these rights, either of Catholic or Protestant, directly or indirectly, have our decided disapprobation, and shall ever have our most effective opposition.

Resolved, That we reprobate and condemn each and every thing in the Philadelphia riots, and the causes which led to them, from whatever quarter they may have come, which are in conflict with the principles above expressed.

E. D. Baker, Esq. being called on, occupied the attention of the audience, in support of the resolutions, in that eloquent, convincing, and candid manner, for which he is so justly celebrated.

On motion of H. K. Fell, Esq. the Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted.2

On motion of John Henry, Esq. of Morgan, the proceedings with the resolutions of the meeting, were requested to be published in all the newspapers of this State.

On motion, adjourned sine die.