The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1849-03-24

ana tlGNalng influence OI our lItc lnSlllu-
tions was relaxing his bondage, betlerng
his condition, lifting up Iis character, tur-
ming upon him the public anXicDies and the
public counscls, as fl and deserving OBJ
cct Of president and public provision
was changing, at all points, the aspects Of
his fate, when the spirit Of AboIDionism,
political and fanatic, came from abroad to
scourge him with demon visitation, TO
wrench him from The arms Of his on y true
and only capable beneiaclors, 10 throw him
back again upon the earth, thousand-fod
more suspected, separate, and lorlorn than
ever; ri,etng upon him every ietter it
would loosen, poisoning every blessing it
would bestow and so filing his whole
case with elements of hopeIcsSncss, expIo-
sion, and evil, that the heart shudders
whilst it weeps to look upon it, What are
they who cherish and direct this spirit =
Friends Of the slave? They are robbing
him OF every vesdge of liberty he has lett.
Friends Of humanity? They are stalking
it, rulhlessly stalking it, upon the issues of
massacre and CONFUSION. Friends of the
country? They are rapidly becoming iron
homicides, cIeaying down its Constitution
with murderous arm, and tearing it limb
from limb.
Should it ever happen, as the result of
any . interference and aClion here, that
some insurgcnt ebulIilion of the slave will
break out amongst us, that the blood of our
people will be made TO srecm in our
dwellings, and ooze up from the bosom of
the soil that feeds, it will cry aloud, like
that ofAbeI, for vengeance against the broth
er's hand that shed it; and vengeance
would be had, though every drop that was
left should be poured out in one angushed
and dying effort to obtain. Nothing but
Heaven could stop people so lashed up 10
phrensy by rage and suffering and wrong,
from sending back upon The fresides and
the fields Ofthe guilty that visitation of cal
amity and death which had first been sent
TO desolate their own. Spare, oh spare
us the curse Of broken brCthelhood- ola
ruined, ruined, ruined country. Rcmcm-
ber that there are no groans like the groans
Of expiring hbery-ho ConNulsiOns like
those which her dying agones exlort. 1t
took Rome some three hundred years 10 ,
die. With far deeper vitality than hers,
our end, when it comes, will come with q
far kcerer, crueler, end birrerer pang.
Give up our common and united coun-.
try-giye it up at the call Of scme section--
al interest-sacrifce it to the phrensy of
lanatcsm or of passion--l let 1t 90 dOwny,
down, under some mOnstrOus and horrible
struggle Of brother with brother,--doo
this, and you will get it back again as YOU
have ii now--the home of happiness, the
city upon hill towering up Tor the light
and for The healing of naions--you wilRget
it thus again when the shadows shaiIigo
back upon the dial of Ahaz " hen He
who sent ont the lummary Of day upon'his
march shall again put forth his handand
stop HIM in his pathway OF light.
1t is said, sir, that at some dark hour of
our revolutionary contest, when almyafer
army had been lost, when dispiItcd, beaten,
wretchcd. thc heart Of the boIdcst and faill.-
fullest died within Them, and all, for am IL
stant, seemed conquered except the uacor-.
querabe soul of our ialhcr.chicf--it is said
that at that moment, rising above all the
auguries around him, and buoyed up by the
inspiration of his immortal work forall the
trials it could bring. he reused anaw tie
sunken spirits of his associates by this
confident and daring declaration; Strip
me said he Of the detected and suffering
rcmnant Of my army--take from me all
that have lelIt--lCaye me but d banner,
give me but The means 10 plant it upon the
mountains Of West Augusta, snd will vet
draw around me the men who will lift up
their bleeding country from the dust, and
set her free" Give to ne, who am
son and representative here of that same
West Augusta, give 10 me as banner the
measure have endeavored to
support, help me to plant iiupon this noun
tam top OF our national power, and the land
OF Washington, undivided and uHbroken,
will be our land, and the land of our chill
dren's children forever. SO help me TO
do this at this hour, and generations hence,
some future son Of the South, standing
where stand, in this same hoaored Hall,
and IN the midst of our legitimate success
ors, will bless and praise and thank God
that he, too, can say of thea, as of you,
and ofaIl around me, These these are ny
brethren, amt this, this, oh this, Too, is
my cO'mtyy!