The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-08
ANOTHER BID FROM PENNSYLVANIA.

The Presidential aspirants from Pennsylva-
MIA are indeiatigable, about these days, in
showing their devotion to the Union. Hon.
RICHARD RUSH, former Minister to England
is the last one on the carpet. The Democrats
of East Smithfeld, Bradford county, held a
mass meeting on the 9Th of October, to which
meeting Mr.. Rush was invited He embraced
the occasion to define his position. His letter
is dated Odd Of September, and was probably
intended to swell Mr.. Bigcr's majority in that
region but, as the views expressed do not CO.
incide with those of the sturdy Democracy of
Bradford, its publication was prudently with
held until after the election. 1t was not pub
lished until the first of the present month We
select few gems from this production of the
retired statesman of "Sydcnham, near Phila-
delphia" He says:
She Pennsylvania ought to rally around
the Fugitive Slave Law in the spirit evinced at
the vast Union meeting in Philadelphia, in No
yember last when whole thousands OF our
Wing friends, though political opponents, en-
Enthusiastically chcered, with the devotion OF
patriots and wisdom above all party, the
resolution for its full and hearty execution
not in its words only but in its great import
and transcendent national objects"
That law is more vital to the preservation
of the Federal Constitution than any of the
laws of Congress- or all of them put together,
the opposition to which produced the insurrec-
tons have mentioned. This is my sincere be-
lief n n
II can discern no mode that would give such
SC |, &C.
son within our borders, as to choose Col. Bigler
Governor in October He, if elected, would
not only do his best to execute the Fugitive
Slave Law as it is, but to reconcile our people
to it as ii u.s. The latter is what we want IL
is the great want 1t would reach the root of
the evil. Nothing else will To talk of amend
ing or altering this law, under our present cir
cumstances, seems to me in the highest degree
improper. 1t ought not to be dreamed Of To
attempt it would be to agtate anew the Slavery
question and this would be near akin TO
breaking up the Union. The law should stand,
and stand as it is, if we wish the Union to
standD
Mr.. Rush is evidently not the man for the
hour. He is timid, fearful, trembling He does
not counsel support of the Fugitive Slave Law
because it is proper, just and right but, the
eyes of the South" are upon Pennsylvania, and
he fears the consequences unless she approves
1t. Like the wicked mentioned in Scripture,
he exhibits disposition to flee when no man
pursueth" When shall the statesman rise in
Pennsylvania who shall occupy the position
taken by President Jackson, to ask nothing
that is not clearly right, and will submit to
nothing that is wrong!" When Pennsylvania
presents such candidate, she may entertain
some hope of furnishing President, but not
before
1t is a well-knOwn fact that the Democracy
OF Bradford supported Col Bigler on the
ground taken by Mr.. Wilmot previous to the
election which was this: that the gubcrnato-
rial election being State election, National
issues should be held in abeyancc--they would
support Col. Bigler, but did not wish to he con-
sldered as approving of the Compromise meas
ures OF the last Congress. # is not to be
assumed that the Democracy of Bradford APP
prove the Fugitive Slave Law. They do not.