The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-03-21
VOL. 6.-NO. "a.
Great Letter from Senator Iickiasou.

y. DlcklnS on, Senator from New \ ork,
sent IN reply TO an invitation 10 attend the
Democratic mass meeting at Tamany Hall
is a production of uncommon yigor and
eloquence. The writer fearlessly expires
ses the true constitutional doctrine and ex-
plains the duty of the DemcTatic party in
the present crisis. Let those Democrats
who are invited to unite in ,he Free Soil
movement, carefully read this oyerwhelm-
ing letter, so full of manly and patriotic
truth. 1t 10 worry of the high character
of the distinguished writer: as
WASHINGTON, Feb. IA, 1850.
G9ltlemen:-I am honored with yours
of the llth inst, inviting me to attend and
address meeting of the Democratic Re
publican electors of the city of New y ork
to be held at Tamany Hall, on Saturday
evening next, for the purpose of taking
counsel upon the present crisis. and aGop
ting such measure as may tend 10 preserve
to them and their posterity the blessings of
our great and glorious Union. will not
withhold from you the graticatioa have
experienced since learning that the sterling
democracy of that great city were about TO
take measures SO eminently worthy of the
proudest State in the confederacy, and so
imperatively demanded by the temper OF
the times, and should most gladly unite
with them in this their high ..and holy ef-
fort, TO restore fraternal relations between
an estranged brotherhood; but imperative
public duties will deny me that pleasure.
| have long contemplated with gloomy
solicitude, the ferocious demon of section
alIsm, which like the unclean spirit of old
has been walking up and down our land.
But l aver, in the fear of God, that have
never known a moment when the patient
forbearance of the wise, the charity of the
christian and the firmness of the patriot.
were more urgently demanded than now,
by every consideration that should elevate
and influence civilized men.
The States of this Union were declared
by the instrument which signalized their
emancipation from the British crown, 10
abating or merging their complete soyer-
eighty, they agreed by a solemnly execu-
ted and well-6ned compact, to unite to-
gether, for certain great and common pur-
poses, upon terms of perfect equality. All
had inherited from common ancestry the
institution of slavery; a portion has since
abolished Ii of their own volinon, IN their
own time and manner, without officious
external promptings, and others retain 1t
sill, and, even were they so disposed.
conld not suddenly cast it off, withoutyio-
lating the best instincts of humanity, and
doing irreparable injustice both 10 them
selves and us. While, III legard to the
subject of domestic slavery, we may with
propriety indulge as sentiment the feel
ing common TO all free States, we should
remember that the southern States contin-
ue an institution which they did aot create
AN institution which we knew they held
and proposed to continue, when we joined
hands Under common compact-anr IN
stitution that we, comparatively speaking,
have but recently abolished, and that, too,
more by the operation of our soil, climate,
and productions, than by reason of our su-
perior morality or benevolence.
1t is now theirs, and not ours. If It's
influences are pernicious and demorali-
zing, it degrades them, not US, in the scale
Of social and political being. If ii is sinful,
we may console ourselves with the reflec-
ton that it will be laid at their land not
ourl door in the Lasts great day of accounts.
In the my sterious dispensations of Di-
vine Providence, we ali see and know,
Notwithstanding the metaphysical subtle
ties of the specializing ethnologist, that the
negro race was constituted so dIssimIlar 10
our own, in its moral and physical organi
cation, that both the senses would revolt
at an attempt to associate them together
upon terms of social equality. They can
not, in our midst, be elevated TO our con
dilion: and any attempt to achieve this
triumph over the laws of Heaven, must
terminate in DEGRADING us below theirs
We have heard much and often, of the
dignity of free labor, and doubtless most
from those who care least about the sub
iect But be it remembered, that II is not
mere slave labor that is degrading 10 the
sense of the white man, but negFo laoor'
whether in freedom o. In bondage; Tor no
white laborer will consent TO toll side by
side with the blacks, either north or south,
unon terms of equality. Let him, there
fore. who does not intend TO invite amongst
us. the emancipated and fugitive negroes
of the south, so that the vicious may fill
our prisons, and the decrepid overrua our
alms-houses, and the residue compete with
and degrade our worthy white laborerS
and their families, permit the slave States
10 conduct their domestic afiairs IN their
own way, and upon their own RESPONSE
bility.
Though | by no means hold the actig
of upon the sectional CONT