North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1850-11-30
Letter from Hon. James Buchanan.

of party resident in the city and county OF fnaoe-
phia, attend public meeting, to De nero on .ne
81 st Instant at the Chinese Museum. regret that
engagements, which need not specify, VIII deprive
me of the pleasure and the privilege OF uniting with
the great patriotic and enlightened community oil your
city and county in man!iesting Ins'r LOT
the constitution and the Union, IN the present alarm
ing crisis in our public affairs.
On recent OCCASION at the celebration Of the ope-
ming of the eastern portion of great central rail-
road from Philadelphia to flttshurg SAID tna' Ine
a platform on which all Pennsylvania, of every po-
itical denominations could stand together IN haTno-
nv The sentiment ELECTED an enthusiastic response
from all present, whether democrats or wings.
now say that the platform Of our blessed Union Is
strong enough and broad enough to sustain all true
hearted Americans. 1t is elevated, glorious
platform, on which the down-trodden nations of the
earth gaze with hope and desire, with admiration and
astonshment. Our Union is star in the West,
whose genial and steadily increasing influence will,
at last should remain united people, dspel the
gloom of despotism from the ancient nations OF the
world. Its moral power will prove to be more po-
tent than millions of armed mercenaries. And shall
this glorious in darkness before It has accom-
plished half its missionl Heaven forbid Let MS
all exclaim with the heroic Jackson, "fhe Union
must and shall be preserved" :
And what Union this has been The history OF
the human race presents no parallel to 1t. Inc OIL.
Of striped bunting, which to be swiftly sweep
from the by the British navy, according TO the
prediction of British statesman previous 10 the war
of 1872 is now displayed in every sea and In every
port of the habitabe globe. Our glorious stars ana
strpes-the flag of our country.-now protect Ameri-
cans in every cline. 81 am Roman citizen :! was
once the proud exclamation which everywhere shield
ed the ancient Roman from insult and injustice.
am an American citizen ~ is now an exclamation OF
almost equal potency throughout the civilized world
This is tribute due to the power and the resources
Of these trty-one united States. In just cause we
may defy the world in arms We have lately pre-
scented spectacle which has astonished even the
greatest captain of the aye At the call OF their coun-
try an irresistible host of armed men, and men, too
skilled in the of arms, sprung like the soldiers
of Cadmus from the mountains and valleys of our
great confederacy. The struggle among them was
not who should remain at home, but who should en-
Joy the privilege of Drawing the dangers and the PrVa
lions of foreign war in defence OF their countrys
rights Heaven forbid that the question of slavery
should ever prove be the stone thrown into their
midst by Cadmus to make them their against
each other and perish in mutual conflict!
Whilst our power as united people secures US
against the injustice and assaults OF foreign enemies
what has been condition at home Here every
citizen stands in the proud proportions bestowed
upon him by his Maker and feels himself equal to
his fellow-men. He is protected by government
of just laws in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and
property he sits down under his own vine and his
own fig Tree, and there is none to make him afraid.
vast confederacy composed of thirty-one sovereign
and independent States is open before him. In which
he feels himself to be everywhere at home, and may
anywhere throughout its extended limits seek his
own prosperity and happiness in his own way. The
most perfect freedom of intercourse prevails among
all the States.
Here the blessings of free trade have been realized
under the constitution of the United States and by
the of all, greater extent than the world
has ever witnessed. Our domestic tonnage and cap
tal employed in this trade exceed, beyond all COM
parison, that employed in our trade with all the rest
of the world The mariner of Maine, after Drawing
the dangers of the passage around Cape Horn, finds
himself at home in his country, when entering
the distant port of San Francisco, the other side
of the world.
Heaven seems to have bound these States together
by adamantine bonds of powerful interest. They
mutually dependent on each SUBSTANTIALLY neces-
sary to each others welfare. The numerous and
powerful Commonwealths which spread over the
valley of the Mississippi must seek the markets of
the world for their productions, through the mouth
of that father of rivers strong naval power is
cessary to keep this channel always free in time of
war, and an immense commercial marine is required
to carry their productions the markets of the world
and bring back their returns. The same remark APP
plies with almost equal force to the cotton-growing
and planting States the Gulf of Mexico and on
the Atlantic. Who is to supply this naval power
and this commercial marine The hardy and enter
prsing sons Of the North, whose home has always
been on the mountain wave. Neither the pursuits
the habits of the people of the western and the
southern States fit them for such employment.
They naturally the prod ucers whilst the northern
people are the carriers. This establishes mutual
and profitable dependence upon each other, which is
one of the strongest bonds of our Union.
past, the prosperity of the present, and the brilliant
hopes Of the future, impress every patriotic heart
with deep love and devotion for the Union. Who
that is citizen of this republic, extending
from the ST. Lawrence to the Rio Grande, and from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, does not shudder at the
idea of being transformed into citizen of one of its
broken, jealous, and hostile fragments What pat
riot would not rather shed the last drop of his blood
than the thrtyone brilliant stars which float
proudly upon countrys flag, amid the battle and
the breeze rudely from the national banner, and
scattered in confusion the face of the earth
Rest assured that all the patriotic emotions of
ry tue-hearted Pennsyvanan, In favor of the Union
and the constitution, shared by the southern peo-
pie. What battlefield has not been illustrated by
their gallant deeds? And when, in history, have
they shrunk from sacrifices and suerngs in the
of their country! What, then, means the NUT
tering thunder which we hear from the South The
signs Of the times truly portentous. Whilst many
in the South openly advocate the of secession
and disunioR, large majority, as | firmly believe,
still fondly cling the Union, awaiting with deep
anxiety the action of the North on the Compromise
lately effected in Congress. Should this be disre-
garded and nufed by the citizens of the North, the
southern people may become united; and then fare
well, long farewell, to blessed Union. am
no alarmist; but brave and wise man looks danger
steadily in the face This is the best of avoid
ing it. am deeply impressed with the conviction
that the North neither sufficiently understands
appreciates the danger For my part, have
been steadily watching its approach for the last IF
teen years. During that period have often sounded
the alarm; but my feeble warnings have been dsre-
garded. now solemnly declare, the deliberate
conviction of my Judgment, that two things are ne
cessary TO preserve this Union from the immi-
nent danger:
l. Agitation in the North on the subject of south
ern slavery must be Tebuked and put down strong
energetic, and enlightened public opinion.
2. The fugitive-slave law must be executed in its
letter and in its spirit,