Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-10-05
EBENsBURG, OCTOBER 5, 1854.

loss Of civil place that would most aft CT our adopt
i ed citizens but it would lie the humiliation Of be
/ ing designated a class, of whom 1t should ID
! said. they are not to be trusted with civil place
! This is the idea that would most wound thei
! pride aud excite their Indignation There m,
| amongst them those who in the want of full a
| probation Of our institutions and customs SO de
4 port themselves as to give reason for complaint
/ But these facts effort Sufficient ground for vio
iatlng the institutions Of the country. II i.
| simply cowarylly to ackno~lea-e danger from
such source, and the avoEai If II Is poor com.
| p'iment to the strength of our government.
/ repeat, that | am opposed to al: oath bound
societies or associations to accomplish pOlItiya
ends and to ali obligations which e1nbarrass III,
free exercise Of the elective franchise. r that may
oe calculated TO prejudice the sanctity OF tie idrv
| box ! deprecate most mischievous these 20 J.
teal tenets which, In their ill!ber and intnlerant
spirit, would 60 behina TIE swadding clothes Of
the infant, and pry into the conscience of men t.
FIX the test for civil office
Has it ever occurred to those who have thought
lessly espoused this doctrine that the praci-
cal apll cation Of il must be met al the very
tIeshhold by insrrmontabc difficulties Is + is
attempt to excite class of professu Christians
against another, mere cxpediert # willy polit-
e;ans t. accomplish ther own selfish ends. is il
intended as a great radical chan-e in the in titu-
lions of our country? If the latter lie the real
idea il viii be perceived that the first step must
be unity Of Church and State. How else can
can these new Goc1nas be reduced TO practice
Their advocates must get possession Of TIE civil
gJvernment-nust change the Fundamental laws
Of the land and then bring the power Of the co-
yernment to bear matters of religious belief
and church organization, and when ofie denrmi-
nation Of protesting Christians Shell have been
punished into purity, according T. the ii ms Of
this new power. then another, the most needing
Correction would he taken up and so on until all
religious denominations would be male to accord
tpa fixed standard by the force Of law. In my
opinion by the time this ''SanhedraIn" should
have passed all denominations in review. the
Christian spirit of the nation would be prostrated
ana the iniidcl spirit he prcdominating.
Wlo Will have the bcldness 10 uniertskca work
of this magnitude No one. | venture to say. of
ali the men, who, In an evil hour. have embraced
this horesy, car be found who VIII assume 50 great
responsibility. Such an attempt, could it be
made, would be well calculated to awaken dread
Of the scenes Of the seventee nth century, as
enacted i'll Europe We should not lie deaf to tie
voice Of history upon this subject. nor should we
forget that our ancestors from whatever country
they may have come, and wherever landing on
tis continent, whether at Plymouth Rock of
Jamestown, were refugees from rel gious persc-
clltiCn essaping from the boodyScenes which
mark the darkest pages in modern history. Nor
should we forget, that wh,n Wm. Penn. ger
Villains and Mr. Baltimore a Quaker Baptist
and a CathoGC-a rre-d upon terms &C perfect re
I1ious tolerance, that 1t . second era GOOD
vii 10 man earth.
But to suppose-which is smrly IN absurd
ideal that there re reason to apprets n cT,rroac-
ment upon our civil institutions by any class or
sect Of citizens. where would al good citizens
r. ily far protection against such an evil They
would lie found to cluster around thc constitution:
they would gather about it like the faithful at
Mecca. and hold it up an impossible barrier 10
such encroachment There / should he in such
ba
nct Of al lIsses and ali denominations Of Chris
tians. But how idle is 1t in those who pre-
tend that there be danger to the civil institutions
of the country, to announce, as a remedy, the
destruction of the greatest safeguard which our
institutions aford.
SO long as the people have confidence in tic
paramount :aw Of the land and reverence its prin-
ciples 50 long viii it afford ample protection TO
all but if that instrument be overridden by the
power Of combin1tion-if it he thus demoralized
and weakened and the confidence Of the people
alienGted from it, and encroachmcnts should then
be attempted. there might be cause for alarm, for
those resisting such nva sions would be in the at
titnic of an army with the fortress torn down and
the ordinance dismanted. But enough of this
and trust that have succeeded an making my
views known to you on this grave subject.
/ have said none OF thcsa ting from prejudice
for am myseit renusylvcnan by lirth, and
Protestant by religious belief. were my parents
before me, hut i have SIMPLY declared Principles
which | believe are consistent with the hest inte-
rests the dearest rights. and highest hopes of tie
people Of nv native State. Nor do ! intend to
speak unkinGlv of individual citizens, who for my
reason may have connected themselves with the
associations 70 which have bc6n RETIRING. | can
readily perceive how, clothed with novelty and
secrecy, the approaches Of such institution
would be insidious aud seductive and how a citi-
zen Of the best intentions might be drawn within
its reaches But all such have a plain duty to
perform, and that IS. to withdraw from the or Ger
to renew their allegiance to the Constitution,
and to assert the digliIy Of free AMI independent
voters, and vote for whomsOever they Ilease for
political office
l have now. fellow citizens. said all that the
limits Of communication of this kind viii per-
nit. and trust have made myself understood on
all subjects relating % my official duties. The
issue must be with you. / am confidential that,
in passing upon my acts, You win not test them
by standard of perfection. for that Is what hu
rnanity cannot attain. In conclusion. let me
sure vou. that whatever your decision may be. it
shall not weaken my attachment t. the principles
have declared, nor lessen my zeal for the welfare
of my native State, my admiration for you
people.
Very respectfully, your fellow-r'.izen,
WM. BIGLER.
Supposed Discovery of sIse steamer