The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-03-14


! power, unconnected with the conviction of
touch oflfre, when applied to the. sinewy
limbs of American freemen. They would
sPurn them as the lion sPurns the slender
net of the hunter.
The severance of this Union would be
the signal of drest calamities to our corn
mon country. The north as well as the
south-the east as well as The west-from
the Rio Grande to the St. Lawrance -
from the Atlantic to the Pacific-all would
share the fatal consequences Of so melan-
choly a catastrophe. The chlefest source
of prosperity TO the north, consists III their
political connection with the south. By
the force of our revenue laws, they enjoy
immunities that are the elements of their
present unrivalled prosperity. The rich
productions Of the south are the capital OF
most of their enterprises. The vast pro-
ductions of their manufacturing energies,
in virtue of our tariff laws, en- oy bounty
of more than thirty per centum over for
eign competition; which bounty, according
10 some very sagacious political econo-
mists amounts to the enormous aggregate of
fifty or sixty millions of dollars annua lly,
most of which the north would be depriv-
ed of by disruption of the Union
Through the mildness of her climate, and
the ineXhaustible richness of her soil, pro
ducing an abundance of the raw materials
so essential 10 the comfort and happiness
of civilized men, the south would natural
ly throw open It's ports, and invite the
commerce of all the world; and the north
would be driven into the open market, and
compelled to compete with "the pauper
labor" OF all the European nations for the
sale of her manufactures. The sources OF
her prosperity would thus be cut off, her
energies crippled and her present flourish
ing condition would sink into decay. Be-
sides, it would place the two great sections
of the present Union in direct hostility to-
wards each other, both in policy and pref
udice. While the Union remains, their
interests, rightly understood and directed
by the spirit of comfy, are mutual. But
dissolved. these rival interests and antago-
mist passions, must necessarily operate to
the destruction of both. Disruption of the
Union would be the death-knell of liberty.
A dark pail would overspread the future,
and no ray of hope would be left to guide
and cheer oppressed man, in his struggles
to regain his crushed and down-troGden
rights. The future history of our conti
nent would lie written in blood. War! hide
Gus war! with all its horrors, would stalk
over this once glorious and heaven favored
land, and the spirit OF KInu:i33<<5 an hu-
manity would be quenched in the wild
frenzy of social discord. These scenes
of all that is noble, happy and lovely, that
greet and delight the eye in this happy
land, would be deformed by slaughter and
desolation. True, the fierce struggle might
cease by the overthrow and subsection of
the weaker party. But would the con-
quered America n ever regard the conquer
o. but with burning hatred and smothered
re venge! But more fearful and porten-
tous cloud hangs over the sunny CLINE OF
tle south. The protec ion afforded them by
tEelr connection with the hardy yeomanry
of the north, being Withdrawn. they would
be exposed 10 the attack and invasion from
without, but to still more dreadful foe
from within. The negroes! aye, the ne
groes, acting from their own savage impul-
ses, or possibly goaded on by fanatics of
a different race, would rise upon their
white masters in all the fury of their natu-
raj ferocity. A servile war would ensue,
more dreadful in its charater than any other
human calamity; and the mothers, the
daughters of our southern brethren, and
feeble age and helpless infancy, would be-
come the prey of brutal and barbarous
race, while tenderest mercies, in war, are
more cruel than the grave. We have
witnessed these things in the time of a
profound peace, when no extraordinary
cause awakened them to vengeance; and
what horrors might we not anticipate, in
state of affairs which should arouse into
fearful action that fierce vengeance which,
in its ruthless fury, spares neither age, sex
or condition!
Why shorld one portion of this Union
cherish or entertain hostile feelings to-
wards another! The south and the north
are all of one great political family-one
flesh and blood-one herhood-bound
together by the ties of richest revolutionary
recollections - by the consideration OF
common sacrifices and common triumphs
and one common fame, if they be wise
and prudent. await them, but one common
disgrace, if they pursue mad counsels, and
disregard the admonitlons of the Father of
his Country.
The mission of Pennsylvan ia is lofty
one. Hers is to fulfil her obligation to
The Unlon-to respect and maintain her
own rights and the right of her sister
States She ought, by no means or sin
ister appliances, TO suffer herself to be
made the instrument, 10 promote or ad-
vance the Illicit or selfish designs of 9TH
ers less patriotic than herself. The in