The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-03-03
NUMBER 10.

considerable surprise at what he terms our
shrinking from meeting the questions raised by
his resolutions. Sir. there may be other causes
than fear which render US reluctant to vote for
them. When boy read "a story Of the civil
wars of England, which taught me lesson not
yet forgotten. An adherent of the Parliment
had been cruelty treated by one of the opposite
party. His houses had been burned down and
his fields made desoiate- Some time afterwards
he met Acquaintance TO whom be told tho
story of his wrongs. 1t was done simply and
plainly, without single threat or execration .
When he had finished his friend asked him with
surprise, "And did you not vow revenge 80
NO" the reply ''those who take tho
trouble TO make vows very certain that
time viii come when they will need n VOW 10
steady t cir purposes. | never doubted what
| would do. and | made no vows" Sir tbern
was more danger in one sueh man than n whole
regiment of noisy babbiers. Silence is almost
invariably the coDcomitant of determined reso--
luton and the world will be quiet IS likely "a
believe in earnest, and will res pect IS az nuch
for refusing TO pass, year after year, series OF
threatening resolutions
Mr. President, find that I am taxing nv
strength too much. aud find that l must sosn
close. The pilgrim who, in obedience 20 a vision
oftentimes repeated, seized his staff and set ont
in search Of land in which he had been pro1,- .
ised all the joys Of Paradise, after traycrsina
many lands. steadily pursuing his dangerous
wa through forests, and deserts and iungies
reached at last the only mountain which shut
out from his gaze the promised land. Slowly
he commenced the ascent then paused, over
come by contending emotions. If from that
mountain top. he shonld indeed look upon q val
ley such as had appeared to him in his dreams
beautiful and glorious, where the flower had lost
its thorn. where the sweetest melodies were con-
tinuay poured into the ear, and the very air
WAS redolent with perfume. how cheaply would
it be purchased even by all the tolls and dan
gers he had encountered. But then cafHc the
fear that dream had deceived him that he
might find n barren waste of thorns and brarn-
bles, desert, cheerless, and inhoSpitahle Anx-
ious to know the truth, yet dreaming to have IL
revealed, he stood upon the mountain side un-
able TO advance to reced. Even such emo
tons, Mr.. President, might now well swell tho
American bosom. We have reached the hill
side from whose top the future of America may
be found. But who can ascend it without a
feeling Of doubt and terror Is it to be the
America whicn all of US loved to paint in our
boyish days-free happy, and prosperous in
culcating by its precepts, and enforcing By its
example, a deep love of law and order, Offering
a refuge and asylum to the fugitive from opres-
sion, cultivatnc with assiduous care the arts OF
peace, and Illustrating all the mild beauties cf
Christianity? Or is il 10 be that America which
progress" manifest destiny" and "over-
ruling necessity" are now seeking 70 make it.
where freedom will be lost amid the clash Of
arms. and the wall of every good spirit will rise
above the crushed aud broken hope of mans ca
pacity TO govern himself Sir il is in our ac-
ton that the answer must be found. Our coun-
try is at stake. and he who loves il as he ought
should pause and ponder long and we'll before
tampering in any way with so high aud holy
trust.