The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-06-08
MISCELLANY.
The American Question.
DANvILLE, Ky, April %. 1855,


Col. Il. G.. Hodges, Frank1ort--M,
Dear Sir: You are aware that / have re-
ce'ved two communications, both of their
signed by number Of the most respecta
bic citizens of your town, amongst whom
recognize many old personal friends, urging
mo to address the people at the Capital O
the State upon that great American ques
tion which so deeply engages the attention
OF the whole community. may add, tha,
many similar invitations have been sent to
me, and still continue to be sent from vari,
GUS and widely separated portions of the
Commonwealth, signed in the aggregate by
avery large number Of persons. And it is
no doubt known to you that within this
month was prevailed on, under peculiar
circumstances, in both instances, to speak
on this subject in Cynthiana, and in Lex
ington. The object of this communication
is, in the first place, to say in this public
manner, that it does not appear to be my
duty to accept these invitations and in the
second, to perform the duty which they and
many other considerations do seem to re-
quire, in the distinct expression of my prin-
clples on the subject itself. In doing this,
it may save the necessity of future explana-
ton to say that 1 avail myself of the proof
sheets of an article written by me for Pc
riodical published in another State, which
has not yet been issued and to add that if
l supposed there was the smallest doubt of
the issue OF this contest in Kentucky, or that
my services were comparable in value TO the
estimate put on them by impartial friends,
| should pursue a very different course from
the one have now adopted.
Politics have assumed a new. and TO the
old managers Of parties and elections, i,
most unexpected phase. Many things lave
conspired to produce this result; and men
will, no doubt, give this or that explanation
OF the movement we are witnessing, accord
ing to the point of view from which thev
cons'lerit. Many effects may be produced
10y the movement itself; and men will ap-
preciate those effects, and endcavor to pro-
mote or prevent them, according to their
Views Of general politics, of the INTEREST," Of
society, and Of the proper destiny of our
great country. !, ~ -
-, The intense and pervading power Of the
movement itself can no longer be matter
of doubt And to the calm observer various
elements are manifest which render its future
progress altogether inevitable. Amongst
these decisive elements may be stated the
augmented force of the movement itself,
acquired by its own previous triumphs; and
the great homogeneousness of the spirit Of
it, to the portions already conquered. It
will encounter no difficulty equal to the in
tense Democracy Of New Hampshire, ILL
nois, Pennsylvania and Michigan the wide
spread political immortality Of New York,
the Democracy Of Virginia, and the settled
anti-sIavery sentiment of Massachusetts !;
the hereditary Whigism of Kentucky. Yet
all of these are mastered By the grander
spirit of the new m ovement. What barrf-
er remains to arrest its irresistible career?
1t is infinitely absurd for the opponents
of this vast movement of the human mind
to attribute it to unworthy or insignificant
causes. tits utterly ridiculous for its friends
to imagine that it can exhaust itself upon
subjects that are feeble and indistinct 1t
may aim at what is wrong, or what is un-
attainable; butt cannot avoid aiming at
what is great and permanent any more than
it could have been produced by anything
that was feeble, indirect, or base. A great
people does not receive such shocks from
such causes nor when received do they ter
.. .te without immense results.
hi'n.; 1.,, we behold is vast and apparently
What Uprising of the spirit Of Amer
ican nationality. Bsnea1n anas We ;. 1enola e,
the restoration Of IT, "s .a "h:h ths sp".. oo,u 81
Protestant civilization, il "n,c S ''e I'd Ioa;1 s,;1
try Itself was originally crea.- =. -oI 4 ~ ~ .ba,
beneath that we behold the renew " =, noa"a .,.''
rl ,o,so; ,,f! tho nvarwhalmipO hooe"''