The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-07-09
/. GENERAL CAss ON sELP-GoYERNMENT.

bowed himself out"
rs GENERAL CAsS ON SELF-GOyERNMENT.
Nothing has fallen from the luminous pen of Gen. Cass
for many day which has been characterized by much
beauty of conception felicity of expression and excellence
of sentiment as his letter to the committee who in
ved him to attend the celebration Of the Fourth Of July
at independence Hall, in Philadelphia. He writes and
feels as a national democrat should write and feelno
democrat who is national only in name, but one whose
heart as well his Judgment is thoroughly imbued with
that noble sentiment which knows North, no South
East and no West except North South East and West
constitute one glorious national unit The conviction
fully confirmed by an experience Of hree-score and ten
years rests upon the mind of General Glass; that the faith
full maintenance of the great cardinal principles of the
democratic party is indispensable to the full develop
ment and highest enjoyment Of the blessings Of our
institutions His age his public services, and the
known disintercstedness of his present position fully
justified him in following this conviction by rendering
the democracy Of Pennsylvania the wise and patriotic
counsels contained in his letter It was not less up
propriate in him to dwell with impressive carnestness
upon great American principle of selEgovernment This
principle would naturally suggest itself to mind devoted
to it like that of General Glass; when called upon to unite
the anniversary of national independence
It would suggest itself with peculiar force in consequence
of the late signal triumph of that principle In theegsaon
of Congress- and threatened appeal the people for the
reversal of that legislation
In this connection, cannot refrain from alludng to
the fact that General Cas has peculiar cause to regard with
deep any political contest in which the principle
of segovernment under constitution is involved as
the prominent AS connected with territorial gov
ernments, General Cass has identified his name for
all time to with the doctrine of popular SOW
ereignty The circumstances under which he rebelled
in ls48 against public sentiment at the North, which
almost universal and the unsurpassed intellectual
power with which he combatted and finally evolutionz
that sentiment with the fact that the avowal
of this principle contributed to weaken him in that por
ton of the Union in which it ought have secured for
him the popular confidence could not fail to excite In the
bosom of Gen Cass the deepest socude to the union
of the democracy in support of the principle OF selgov
in the pending contests in several OF the States
AS individual have long felt that In the presden-
a contest Of l84s the South led to appreciate the ser
vices Of the who stood forth the foremost and abest
champion of its rights under the federal constitution We
are persuaded that no man now more fully enjoys the
and cordially commands the admiration,
of the people of the South than be does and cannot
doubt that he looks upon the late legislation of Congress-
and especially the unanimy by which 1t character
lied at the South the highest evidence that his past sr
vices properly appreciated. With good reason,
therefore, did Gen. Cass dwell with unaffected earnestness
and interest upon the great principle of sefgovcrnment
Under abiding confidence that his counses will exert
sautary influence upon national everywhere, we lay
his letter before our readers and solicit for it universal
perusa:
WAsHIsaroN, July 8, 1854.
Sra Though compelled to decline your invitation to
join the democracy OF the city of Phadepha In their
honored observance of assembling the anniversary Of the
birthday ofour nation upon the spot where independence
first proclaimed hear read that great declaration Of
principles which asserted and justified IT, yet MOI the
less obliged you for this mark Of attentions and though
absent shall fully participate in oil those patriotic eaga
which the time and the place well calculated To inspire
The whole history of presents wonderful
tast than is furnished by the position occupy when
look round upon what we and II with Whist
when that deed done which will make the day we
celebrate immortal Your fathers the witnesses Of
act and haowed forever will be the Of its
And to their sons is committed its custody and to them
perhaps than to the people Of any other single State
is committed not indeed the custody Of nsutionsthat
belongs equally to abut peculiar influence in their nan
tenance and preservation Our ARCH we'll hope will
resist all pressure while its keystone safe and the character
of Pennsylvania is sufficient guarantee that and here
AFTER it will be undisturbed whatever trials may be des
tined to encounter,
Ever the principles Of our party indi
cate that the democracy of Pennsylvania may be soon called
upon again prove their devotion duties by strenuous
exerons and by unity of council action which, dis
regarding all other differences will find its triumph
and its reward in the maintenance Of the great political
trnes which believe essential to the prosperity of our
country and TO the pernanence of confederation And
but express the hope that when great American
princplethe great human principle, ndeed-the right Of
all to e9isae for themselves Upon every question of in
terna atonis asailed and codemued oh this siiq
of the Atlantic that the democracy of Peunsyxaria viii
march to its support firmly and unedy did their rcvo
luonary fathers when similar effort made the other
side of the Atlantic and England sought rule coloues
by the prctences claiming that her Parliament the
right legislation in all whatsoever distant re-
gons it claimed that Congress tho same right
of oppression fellow living remote Terri
tories As to pretexts justify srhrary assumption
the world is full Of them; but whether they come In tho
guse of philanthropy IN any other capc which the love
is fertile in assuming they equally be condemned and
repudated.
The only safe principle the principle of self
Give to those to whom belong the rights and the respousb
ity the power provide for them TO vary the language
but 70 retan the sentiment of Mr. Jefferson we well
ask if mon in the Territories are unit govern hesalye
have they found angels in Congress in the shape of men ID
govern them 1t cannot be that such assumption 20 con-
ary to all We have done and claimed can be ssnooned by
the people OF this country Far from the be such
an act OF tyranny and political suicide.
am, sir, very respectfully, your obedent servant
LEWIS CASS.
N. d. BaowNE, Esq,
Chairmen Of Committee of Invitation
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RIOT AT BATH, MArSE.A telegraphic despatch from
Bath, Maine, of the It'll SAYS n
rho tlx.l 49,