Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-09-13


remained silent, if TO; inactive, which was oc-
casjoned on his part, 10 doubt, by the fact that
he saw clear V that such 4 form of government
is was then about to be france, could never
answer as 4 boud Of Union. For it was evi-
dent, then, rs now, that if the States held the
power OF nC JutlyIng the constitutional acts OF
Congress, rupture in the Confcdcracy must
inevitably and very soon follow. But being
unable to offer better. Mr.. Jefferson chose 70
let them, who lHaniiested confidence in its >ut-
.lcency, carry out their theory; ne, therefore,
resigned lis seat in Congress and r-tliynei to
his uutiYt STATE While at home s,}d Lefurc
he left for fl4cc. he attended il Baptist A~>o-
cation, W..er@ be found, to his great deli 4ht, g
practical illustration oi ihe very tOTn Of go
| vcrnulent, tor which he had earnestly cuqured
Of tic great men Of the earth. lie saw il ei,-
tire and compIcte- admirably combining TIE
Federal with the National prjucr rc--comuleX x
in its parts, vet harmonious in the whole. He
saw solved the most difficult po.itca! prob en-
that man ever attempted to instigaieio saw
:Elat federal union OF sovereign, Republican
, States could be formed, aud communicated 10
lis friends lis hearty approval Of this form Of
Government, which was fully embraced by Mr.
| Madison and others. who Incorporated those
heayen-dccreed principles into our Federal
/ nave IitFtN .tS ttii
cient III oar political compact as they have III
the discipline Of that time honored branch of
! the Christian Church.
| The task OF forming Il federal Union Of So
vorcIgu States. presented difficulties that none
! but pure patriots could ever overcome, and
true hearted Americans appreciate; and when
We consider, what has been done by the
American people under its wise provisions,
! Il tF, 4
BE- assembled and the question propounded to
them, "NEat people have the best Govern
ment ?" response would start upon the wings
! of light and swell in It's onward sweep until
the outer confines of civilization would send
back the echo, AMERICA AMERICA. :. AMER1-
CAL. Why, my very countrymen, only think,
that when the Constitution was formed, sixty
tive Years ago, there were but thirteen colonies
spread along our frontier, forming but q mar
row border OF a mi ghtV wilderness, where the
foot pint Of civilization had never marked the
green earth; we now have ttirty-one Sovereign
States and hold indisputable title, from be-
yond the lofty mountains Of the NORTH where
snow capped SUBMITS towering above the
clouds, seem to rest themselves against the very
arch of Heaven-to the paradisiacal Isle in the
Gulf Of Mexico; from the eternal beds of granite
that turn back the waves Of the Atlantic, to
where the American Tar trims his sail on the
broad bosom of the far-of Pacific.
These Colonies were then peopled by three
and q half millions Of citiZeus; row, near twen-
tv five millions rise up to bless the spirit of :76
ana boast the lalne OF America. Then, it was
ours to implore nations t. enter into treaties Of
alliance and commerce. now it is ours to die
tate terms of relationship with the mighirst
nations of earth. Then, our commerce was
less than three hundred and fifty thousand tons;
now IL is about tcur millions, while the value Of
our Lake trade, which has grown up, alone,
amounts to the enormous sum Of one hundred !
and eighty millions Of dollars; and at what !
shall we estimate the value of our commerce !
carried on upon the waters OF our hundreds of !
Rivers and Canals? To state in figures the |
amount, would sound like ':some fairy dream |
told Of nations in by-gone days" but as sin
gle instance, will state that the value Of the
commerce borne on the bosom of the noble |
river that washes the northern boundary of |
your gallant State, amounts in value to more |
than two hundred millions of dollars. In Ag-
riculture, which is the true source of nations .
wealth, we possess resources, the superiority
of which enables US to feed the hungered mil
lions of another continent, and still our grana-
rles turn with plenty for those Of our own land.
Our cotton product, which as staple of the
country was unknown in 1916, is now worth,
annually, more than one hundred millions of
dollars; while the value Of all other pursuits
has increased in an equal or greater ratio.
Manufactures have sprang up i'll every part of
the Union, until we now consume three tifths
of the raw material produced in the United
States. Our Rivers, Canals and Railroads,
form net work through the land while the
Telegraph nerves the whole Republic. Our
Steamers move as things oflife through the inte-
rior of the country, while others more stupen-
dous in structure, plough the trackIess ocean,
bearing the American Engine to every port in
the civilized world. Our Government is sus-
tanned at a cost less than two dollars fifty
cents per CITIZEN and that too by an indirect tax;
while the Government of Europe tax their
subjects from six to twelve dollars and fifty |
cents per head. We have by our form of Go
vernment, abolished the arstocratc dogma,
'that men are born to rule" and have secured |
to the poor man equal rights with the rich, at
the ballot box or for office or honors before
the people. Vital religion has spread through
out the land, and each and every one is pro-
tected in worshipping his God according to the
dictates of his own conscience. z. =
These are few of the many blessings Sc
cured US by our glorious Union; and have
often thought, that the angels surrounding the
throne of the Eternal, were not more awed and I
overwhelmed with admiration, by the sublime
spectacle of the Sun. Moon, and Stars, " ben
starting at Gods command they sprang tortI,
in their orbits ard moved in harmonious gran |
deur, a glittering host, through all the imn'en-
sity of space, than would be the nations Of the
earth, could they realise the magnitude of the +
blessings secured by our Union. And yet my |
countrymen, (would you believe it y there are I
those who view this Government as worth
less fabric men who would dance the "Horn- |
pipe around the burning pyre of the Constitu-
ton of American Liberty, with the dust of their
revolutionary sires upon their heels. Such |