Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-10
NUMBER $50.
From the Frankfort Commonwealth
The American Question.
LETTER FROM REV. DR. BREcKrNRIDGr

by number of the most respectable citizens OF
your town, amongst whom recognise many old
personal friends, urging me to address the people
AZ the capital OF the State upon that great Ameri-
can question which so deeply engages the attention
OF the whole community. I may add, that many
similar invitations have been sent to me, and still
continue TO be sent from various and widely-sepe-
rated portions of the Commonwealth, signed In the
aggregate by a very large number of persons And
is no doubt, known to you that within this
month was prevailed on, under peculiar circum-
stances In both instances to speak on this subject
In Cynthiana and In Lexington The object Of this
communication Is, In the first place, to say in this
pubic manner, that II does not appear to me TO be
my duty TO accept these invitations; and in the
second place, to perform the duty which they, and
many other considerations, do seem TO me to n,
quire, In the distinct expression Of my principles
the necessity of future explanation to saw that
avail myself Of the proofsheets Of article written
by me for periodical published IN another State.
which has not yet been issued and to add that ii
| supposed there was the smallest doubt of the
issue OF this contest in Kentucky, or that nv SCI,
vices were comparable In value to the estimate D,
on them py partial friends, should pursue very
dlnerent course from the one / have now adopteG
| Politics have assumed new, and to the old
managers OF parties and elections, most unex-
pected phase. Many things have conspired 10 prt
duce this result and men will, no doubt, give this
or that explanation Of the movement we are wit
Messing, according to the point Of view from which
they consider il. Many effects may be produced
ny the movement itself, and men will appreciate
those effects, and endeavor to promote or prevent
them, according to their views Of general politics.
OF the interests Of society and of the proper des
tiny Of our great country tiIB
The intense and pervading power Of the move
ment itself can no longer be a matter Of doubt.
Ana 70 the calm observer various elements are
manifest which render Its future progress alto
gether inevitable. Amongst these decisive al,
ments may be stated the augmented force of tho
movement ITSELF acquired by Its own previous tri.
umphs and the great homogeneousness or the
spirit OF IT, TO the portions of that country remain
ing to be subdued, than to the portions, already
conquered II will encounter no difficulty eoual
TO the intense Democracy of New Hampshire mi.
nos, pennsylvania and Michigan; the widespread
political immortality Of New York, the Democracy
Of Virginia, and the settled antisavery sentiment
OF massachusetts the hereditary Whigism of Ken.
lucky Yet all of these are mastered by the
grander spirit of the new movement Whit bar
rier remains to arrest its irresistible career?
L Is infinitely absurd for the opponents Of this
vast movement OF the human mind, to attribute il
70 unworthy or insignificant causes. 1t Is utterly
ridiculous for its friends to imagine that IL can OK
haust itself upon subjects that are feeble and IN.
distinct. II may aim at what is wrong, or what i
but Il cannot avoid airllinn nj what
Is great and permanent any more than II could
nave been produced by anything that was feeble
lndueet, or base great people does not receive
sucn SHOCKS rom SUCH causes; nor when received
do they terminate without immense results
atty Reneath that we behold the restoration of
that prineva spirit of Protestant civilization, in
which the country itself was originally created
And still beneath that we behold the renewal Of
that profound sense Of the overwhelming necessity
OF our National Union--which was the grandest
outbirth of our National Revolution These are
the life and heart and soul OF this gigantic move.
ment. American Nationality, Protestant Civilizs.
ton, National Union. The country believes all
three Of these arc In danger Men may say the
country is deludcd. But that does not alter the
case so long as the country thinks otherwise The
country Is resolved that all danger TO all Of them
shall be thoroughly removed. Men may say, the
country Is misled but what Of that so long as the
country is resolved TO be National, Protestant and
United A III
The country Is thoroughly convinced that IL can
not trust the pcrpetuation Of It's nationality its
Protestant civilization, and It's Union us one pco-
pie any longer, TO the keeping OF existing parties,
In their ordinary action; and 80 the country has,
for the time at least, set aside all parties Men
may say this Is mere fniaticism; but what does
the country care for the sayings Of men whom il
rejects as unworthy Of being trusted withits dest
ny In 30 great crissy The country resolves TO
perpetuate the union Of these States They who
are faithful 10 the Union had better take up the
same grent parable they who are not, ought Ia
the Judgment OF the country 70 be indiscriminately
crushed The country determines that its Pro-
testant civilization Is It's original It's most precious,
and rs most vital Inheritance; and, believingit to
have been betrayed, II purposes TO surround il with
adequate safeguards. They who participate IN
these opinions win applaud this profound purpose;
they who conspie to destroy that Protestant civil.
| ization, or who abet or cell themselves 10 those
who do must abide the political overthrow which
/ so Justly and permanently awaits them. The coun.
try chcrishes its glorious nationality, and believing
IL 10 be endangered II has risen up In lis msjesty
70 assert 20 vindicate and 10 developc still more
powerfully the nationality without which the coun-
try itself has no destiny-no mission the face or
the earth. They who are so lost 10 every exalted
instinct 70 be insensibe 10 the grandeur ofsuch
| hopes ms God has set before u.s. may also despisc
all the efforts by which those hopes are 10 be
allied. Nevertheless, the country viii guard and
assure It's nationality in spite OF its recreant child
rem, as well as It's open foes. This Is my version
Of this grand movement; one point Of view from
which It's rise It's progress, and its aims arc dis.
| tinctly manifest Let the country execute such
| work in such a spirit; and sho will be launchcd
anew upon her high career sr
| IL may be OF less importance 10 determine by
what means this great spirit has been aroused and
| concentrated. Yet this Is not difficult. Manifest
4 w Whatever tnOSo means were, tneN must nave
| worked long and worked deeply. Was il nothing
that in all parts Of the country, and for years to.
gether, and upon the most opposite preteSts, the
dissolution ofthe Union was constantly thrcatcnedg
Was itnothing, that political corruption, grown gi-
gantic in the land had shocked all honest men
/ Was IL nothing, that stream OF foreign paupers
and felons flowed ceaseessy into the bosom OF the
Republicf Was nothing, that millions Of foreg,
Papists and foreign InRdel, inundatingth country
like food OF locusts, were openly organized into
political powers, directed against the liberty the
religion, and the nationality Of the peoples Was
il nothing, that political parties openly bought and
sold the support of these fearful powers, contracting
always for such payments, in return, as were the
most humiating and the most fatally Was il no
thing, that the voice Of patriots, the power Of the
press, the opportunities Of the pulpit were direct
ed, each IN It's own sphere and for years together
against this frightful and enormous wickednessg
Was 1t nothing, that at length, men could neither
vote, nor speak, nor preach, nor pray, nor teach
without being liable to insult and violence unless
they would do all in such manner as snited the
tastes Of foreign mobs, composed Of foreign Inf
4 m. L. ~. .1.a,.