The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-07-24

bleeding, dying, and then let him re feet that it
is for their country's veal, their country's
honor, that they thus bled and died.
If such a view in retrospect does not enkindle
a latent patriotic spirit in his breast, he is un-
worthy the name of an American Like Arnold,
he treads the path of Judas--he is abortion
to his country, and should be driven from it,
that its hallowed soil might not be polluted with
his contaminating presence.
But turn we to the day we are celebrating
the glorious 4th of July, 1851, counterpart of
the 4th of July, 1776, and compare that day
with the present What contrast! Then our
country was a scene of confusion. Tumult and
disorder prevailed in every quarter, whilst
nought was heard save the murmurs and curses
of a king-ridden and abused people. Long and
loud were the anathemas and inveCtives poured
out against the oppressor. The spirit of enter
prise was crushed, ardor was dampened, and
business pursuits of all kinds were suspended.
The people were discouraged and disheartened
and no energy remained to them but the energy
Of despair, and this was the emergency in
which they vowed themselves to be free, or to
die in the attempt of achieving their freedom.
With the result, you are all acquainted. Long
and bloody wars followed, and our then infant
colonies lost many valuable lives in the acqui-
sition of independence. But that just God,
who presdes over the destinies of nations, was
on the side of our gallant little army, and at
last crowned their struggles with success. The
little band were triumphantly victorious, and
the oppressors were driven from their soil.
Oh! methinks 1 see the bird of Jove-the
eagle with his broad and sweeping wing-the
emblem Of liberty-on that auspicious day
when the Americau victory was proclaimed,
soaring aloft through the regions of space, and
with screams of rejoicing, conveying the happy
intelligence to the inhabitants of the aRPer deep
And, methinks, l see the angels smile, as they
must have smiled, when they beheld and heard
the announcement that america is freel
America is free.''
But let US again turn 10 this day. How
great the change We are the most happy
and prosperous nation earth. There is
scarce anything to hinder the advance of i'm
proyement. The dark head of tyranny, resting
upon the shoulder of regal power, no longer
shows its hideous visage in our midst, and
progress is as it has beee, since the fetters
which bound us were cast off, still upward and
onward.
Oh, favored-happy landl How many years
have rolled away and buried themselves in the
lap of non-entity since thy noble sons gained
for thee the higest place amonst the nations of
the earth! Ever since, thou hast been blest
with peace, happiness, and prosperity, save a
few broils thou hast had with insolent invaders
of thy rights.
Such, fellow-citizens, has been the past his
tory of our beloved country. But, we are now
threatened with a calamity which, should it
quences dark cloud has recently arisen in
the horizon of our political sky, which threatens
to mar the harmony of our peaceable relations
with each other. l allude to disunion-that
dark and damning scheme gotten up by South
ern demagogues for the purpose of severing the
| Union of the States.
OH would not the angels of "hgh Heaven
weep at such an event. What. tear asunder
our glorious Union ?-That blood-bought Union !?
| 1t cannot be. By all that is sacred-by the
| revered names of our forefathers it cannot be.
| Shall our beloved country-shall we of the
same brotherhood, linked together by the near
est and dearest ties of sympathy, be separated?
| Shall the maneuverings and intriguings of de-
| signing factionists succeed? Shall tie concord
which has ever existed amongst us now be dis
| turbed by the dark forms of discord and dis
| ruption? Shall our hitherto quiet and peaceful
| country now be made to resound with the thun-
ders of civil warfare-shaIl freemen shed free
mems blood-shall brethren take up arms
| against brethern-shall animosity and hate
rankle in the hearts of one portion of the
Union against the other to such extent as to
| lead them to deadly warfare? No it cannot be
Our free institutions will be perpetuated. OuI
| friendly intercoure will be preserved. The
| Threatened disunion is mock. The North and
South, like two contentious brothers, will again
| be reconciled to each other. As the annual re-
| turn of this day takes place, so many grateful
recollections, so many bright "reminiscences OF
the past will recur to the minds of both, that
all rancor and hostility will be forgotten. Jang-
ling and quarrelling will eventually cease, and
a lasting and abiding peace and good feeling
ensue.
One by one, the several States which at first,
partially, advocated disunion, have fallen into
the grand circle, and now cry out in tones of
| thunder for the Union. teThe Union and nothing
| but the Union'-''United we stand, divided we
fall" In South Carolina, where the first idea
originated-where this monster, disunion, was
| bred and borR''-we hear its name mentioned