Rothrock.] ^O" [Nov. 19, 



Mr. Price's reply was written on the following day (February 

 17th, 1854). It was clear that he had "the courage of his con- 

 victions." He adhered absolutely to all that he had said and all 

 that he had believed prior to his election, and closed with the 

 " sincere hope that so much good feeling and zeal as I believe to 

 actuate you may be made available in a tempered and practical 

 result for the repression of intemperance." The letter should have 

 been convincing as to his sincerity. Especially strong was one 

 sentence in it : " When you nominated me, it is true you knew the 

 'antecedents' of m} 1 life, and when your committee entered my 

 office, the first thing I told them was, that the only pledge I 

 would give them was that which my life would afford." 



On February 21st, "the intemperate resolutions of the ex- 

 treme temperance men were adopted." The fact, however, that 

 of fifteen Vice-Presidents named at the meeting, "it is believed 

 not more than one or two were present, and six have no known 

 residence among the constituency of Mr. Price," and that three 

 wrote notes and one published a card that their names had been 

 used without their knowledge or consent, should at once show 

 how ill-judged and intemperate some of the proceedings had 

 been. Mr. George H. Stuart's published card was a severe cen- 

 sure, which left these radical gentlemen in rather a sad plight 

 before the public. The Philadelphia Begister,of February 20th, 

 summed up the whole thing in the statement that "Mr. Price 

 has not changed, but a few of the temperance men have." 



The friends of Mr. Price called a mass meeting on the evening 

 of March 3d. The result was a triumphant vindication of his 

 course by the most influential citizens of Philadelphia. The 

 remarks of Mr. Frederic Fraley (may he long survive) were a 

 heart-felt tribute to the courage and character of Mr. Price. 

 The frequent applause which they elicited showed what entire 

 confidence the community had in the Senator. In nothing did 

 his character appear more admirable than in this unpleasant 

 contest. He stood like a wall between extreme partisans and 



