The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-07-22

1t, and probably if he Lad not been trammeled
Dy past errors we might probably never have
had the suggestion. This new mode OF making
citizens is liable to many and grave objections
! There IS great question lying under it, and
l wish had time to consider it in all its bear
ings before this Hopse and before the American
people The poll y Of this government, from its
beginning, has been, that the fag OF this repub-
! lie shall be upheld and defended by American
cltizens-those who are citizens either by birth
or naturalization-and none others; and hope
never to see the day when it will become neces-
sary for this mighty nation to have that flag de-
Tended by any body else. When you need mer-
cenaries, owing you no allegiance to fight your
battles, you will be ready for master and YOU
VIII soon find one. When you are not willing
to defend yourselves, either from internal com
motions or foreign aggressions-when YOU trust
that flag to other hands than those of citizens.
either native-born or fully adopted-you betray
the cause Of liberty and your country. 1 want
the flag of my country to be defended only by
those who are entitled to demand and receive
her protection. They are able to do it. they
are willing to do it; and l trust they ever viii
be both able and willing. Let those who come
among us assume the obligations Of citizenship
voluntarily, according to the constitution and
laws; then they have an interest in that flag.
and have the right to Join in It's defence 1t Is
bad plan, if it agreed with the constitution Of
your country, which is matter of more than
doubt
! have but few moments more, and shall
not be able to review all Of this letter OF Gener-
81 Scott.
He has another plank in relation to the public
lands Well, this is q vezed question. 1t a
( question should have been gratiied to have
seen any great statesman attempt TO solve-to
present me system which would solve It wise
/ ly and well. But Gen. Scott has not done So
( He has pot undertaken to grapple with it. He
wants 1t solved, so as to benefit actual settlers
aad iRjuro nobody upon the face OF the earth-
That is safe, but. it is not definite I do not
/ know whether I agree with him or not. can
not tell until! he shall have submitted some plan
for eFecting his object.
There is auother clause in General Scotts let
ter especially offensive to my own and the decla-
red opinions of the great body of the people of
Georgia. He says: Il should neither coun-
tenance nor tolerate any sedition, disorder fac
ton, or resistance TO the law or the Union, on
any pretezt, in any part of the land" The
State Of Georgia has solemnly declared that she
/ holds the Union secondary in Importance .sto
the rights and principles it was designed to per-
Petuate, and has pointed out certain principles
settled by the Compromise. for the reversal of
/ which she will and ought TO resist, even (as
last resort) to a disruption ofahe Union" Mr.
/ Clay and Nj. Webster both affirm her right in
one Of those contingencies to resort to those ex-
treme measures. General Scott does not seem
/ TO be able to discriminate between lawless mobs.
/ Christiana murders, and the action of the sover-
/ eign States Of this Union. He seems not to
have studied to advantage the republican faith
/ ers. These opinions of Gen. Scott make it still
more important to know what he thinks of these
/ great Pl.E pies settled by the Compromise. ana
whether i viii abide by and maintain them
/ We can get neither the one nor the other from
him. He tells us. ''Finally, for my strict ad-
herencS to the principles of the wing party, &C.,
! can offer no other pledge or guarantee than
the known incidents of long life now under
/ going the severest examination" Laughter
/ That life has been long and brilliant one. No
man now living on this continent, certainly, has
| auueu more 10 ine lnlltary reputation OF thSS
country than Gen. Scott. Ihavc been very will
! ling to award to him freely this justice That
he is a great general nobody denies, but he has
shown no aptitudes for civil life: And we have
had too recent experience that great military
/ genius may be wholly without fitness for civil
! life, to repeat the experiment Laughter. !
Let US be admonished by our late almost fatal
experience. General Scotts brilliant military
history gives me no. clue to his opinions upon
these controverted questions of public policy
His civil history is to be found fly in half
dozen letters, and they offer me no satisfactory
pledge for his future.
General Scott would have acted wisely and
well not to have invited scrutiny into his past
! opinions on slavery. There are no known Incl
dents IN that life which commends itself upon
these great questions to the appreciation of a
southern man. Point TO it. lie is faithful
soldier and an honorable man, L know. That
he will do what he says, l believe. l object
! that he has not said what we require that he
has not pledged himself to stand by and firmly
| carry out these great principles and, therefore
pies, and honest in holding them 1 will not
| trust him where it is not clear that they agree
with mine.
My hour, l am informed, is near its termina-
ton and l shall, therefore, be compelled to
! pass by his Canada letter, to which I intended