The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-12-02
Cen. James Shields.

and acts as man whose heart is oyerhowlng
with love of country, and whose patriotic breast
is filed with affection and gratitude to this, his
adopted home. His noble exertions in the re-
cent contest are to be remembered ever-his
course was free of contumely-was dignifed and
proper. The annexed speech will be read with
interest by every democrat in Cambria, and es-
pecially by those sons Of the ''Green Isle" who
have made those rugged hills their asylum
where tyranny cannot trample upon their rights
nor disturb them under their Gown vine and fg
tree"
Address of Gen. Shields to n Delegation
of Irishmen in Providence.
On the 18th inst, it being ascertalned that
Gen. Shields was prepared to receive those who
felt inclined to call upon him at the house Of
Senator James, in Providence, r. l., deputa-
ton of Irish citizens paid their respects to him,
in very complimentary address, to which the
General replied as follows =
Gentlemen-I am sincerely delighted to see
you, and to thank you and my cOantrymen Of
Providence, for your manifestation of kindness,
and that generous and fattering interest you
are pleased to take in me. [ wish it were In
=
the acquaintance of more of my fellow-citizens
here, both native and adopted, and to express,
personally, to you all, my grateful acknowledge
ments for the many fattering marks of regard
and respect which l have received at your hands,
since my arrival amongst you. Tell my native
couutrymen, one and all, that their favorable
opinion is dearto me- love them too much to tell
LII, hat
never attemptt to fiatteror deceive them, and my
first and last advice to every Irishman is love the
country Of his birth and be true to the country
Of his adOption-yes, we ought to be true to
this glorious country. Here we have fair play
here we enjoy the ennobling rights of freemen
here we enjoy social and political equality, and
I it is our duty, and [ VIII add, that it ought to
be our political religion to think, and speak, and
act in all places, and upon all occasions, i'll
public life and private life, in such a way to
prove to America and to the world, that Irish
men are worthy of all these advantages and
privileges, that the country that trusts can rely
upon their unwavering fidelity in peace and
war, and that all they ask and all they want
! from government or people on this broad earth,
is fair play. This, they have in America, and
| for this America has the allegiance and fealty
! of the Irish heart-what the British government
has never been able to purchase and viii Ger
tainly never obtain-the allegiance of the Irish
heart is given voluntarily and freely, in all its
fullness, to the government Of this great repub-
/ lie. Yes, my friends and countrymen, we owe
a double allegiance to this government-politi-
cal allegiance and the allegiance of gratitude ;
and the Irishman who could cast his influence
with any faction or party whose aim or tenden-
/ cy is to create sectional dissensons, and thus
endanger our constitution, is traitor-a trail
tor to the government. You all know, l sup
pose, that [ am democrat. As such L heart
lily rejoice of course, in our late glorious polit
ical victory. do not rejoice over the defeat of
General Scott.
This would be unworthy of me, and wholly
unbecoming our past relations; but l rejoice
! from my soul in the defeat Of that low prnci-
pied faction who contrived to obtain Temporal
ry and undeserved ascendency in the old Whg
party, by undermining and destroying the rep
utation of the old Wing leaders-who made
candidate of Gen. Scott, not because they loved
him, but because they hated others and who
substituted their own platform off political hy-
pOcrisies in lieu of the old platform of the whg
party. The Interior object of this faction was
| to destroy the constitution, and they have only
succeeded in destroying the Wing party con-
gratulatc the Democrats Of Rhode Island upon
the national victory and upon the glorious vic
tory achieved in their own State This victory
L hope, will be followed by the most benefcia1
results in both eases. In the general govern
ment, by wise, safe, economical domestic pol
! icy at home, and firm, just, liberal, and en-
hghtened policy abroad, and in your noble little
State, recognition by the government Of the
great and sacred principles of political equality,
irrespective Of the accidents of birth OF wealth
or station While true to our party and true to
our country, we must never forget poor Ireland;
and we must never forget those poor victims
who now pining in Van Diemau's land be-
cause they loved Ireland, and wanted to see her
a nation. l think [ may promise and pledge
myself, that the next administration will make
every honorable and reasonable effort for their
liberation What the British government will
do cannot say. That government has never
been remarkable for magnanimity. 1 have no.
thing to say against the English people-thank
to harbor unworthy preju,lices against any race
of people-but | have no op inion of the magnan-
unity and generosity Of the English government
1t never exercises anything like clemency to-
wards the incuIte hp wool, oDd