Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-11-27
Latte, from Rev. DR. Bre skenridge.


Letter from Rev. DR. Bre skenridge.
The distinguished DIR. Brcckenridge Of Ken
lucky has responded through the public press to
the speech OF Senator Seward in Albany. a short
time before the election in TINT State. The let
ter is two long for insertioa. and We can only
command space for a few ext acts. Replying 10
Stewards sneer at the -three hundred aud fifty
thousaad slav.Aolders" be says- liz
..The slaveholding interest II this country were
a. insignificant rs you pretead, the present con
dition of the public mind Throughout the Repno-
lie would be. not only the most inex Piicable, but
the most disgraceful phenomenon ever exhibited
amongst a civilized people. The hucksters IN
the City of New York compared with its whole
population-the eohtmea on your canals, con.
trasted with all the people Of your State. would
be incon,parsbly more weighty and decisive cie-
menss with you than this handful OF dctestnble'
and cwcresstyrants. in the grasp of so many
millions Of freemen. Whatever may be the mum
Der Of Shareholders in America, tins at least Is
obvious upon your showing, that the dread OF
Them has penetrated thirteen States so deeply.
: that they have dissolved all other political par
ties in order 10 form one great Republican party.
by u,eaus Of which to preserve, if possible, their
own liberty, "a result so doubtfulas apparently to
Gil you with The greatest anxiety. Whatever
may be the proportion Of slave holders TO non,
slave holders in the Slave States, 1t is past all
doubt that in every one Of them the great major
ity of the people are opposed to any disturbance
Of the Institution. and that in the conflict with
your great Republican party, they will be more
unanimous and determined tan the people OF
any Free State are, or ever were upon any dls-
pnfed question whatever. On The other hand
there Is not. and there neyer was theienst desire
in any Slave State 30 sacrifice or 10 put in jeop-
ardy the safety or interest Of any free State, far
II - It --..l.-- - sl..t .,rt sru ~ ka 0uatna
TO be inseparable from affair participation by the
Slave States in all the advantages resulting from
the union Of all the States under ooe common
government. So far has il been Otherwise, that
numerous and powerful Free States exist upon
territory conceded by slaveholdirg States. while
not a foot Of slave territory exists which was
conceded by one Of the Free States 81 this Uni
on.
He uext speaks ". the inHuar0es by which he
has been surrounded from his childhood. and
proceeds to state what the ,ieEs VI Kentucky
are on the question If slavery. end the causes
which have prevented that State from ,nanumit-
ting its slaves:
sSir, IL passed that childleod around the knees
Of ihe oA officers and soldien NJ Is taell-yolutioD,
who had won the independence If their country,
and then conquered from the savage this fair and
noble portion Of it. l did not know then that these
were pecu lar men, but | have learned that well
enoug ID since. The sons and daughters OF those
men were the ~playmates Of my earliest years. a.
they have been the friends and companions on
my ubsequent life. expect te-,ningie my du-,
with theirs; | hope their children and mine will
Law me in an honored grave; and my childi ems
children already stand before me side by side
with theirs. / have differed aftea- sometimes
6aroely--with these men; have differed with
tht1a ab,at many aspects Of this very question
of domestic slavery But. Sir, what Is Slavery
to me compared with the lives, the fmtunes, the
honor, the safety of these Ten! What is the
fate of a handful of poor Africans TO me. cotppar-
ed with the fate of these men! And 20 we all
feel. 4 tell ypu...Sir. il was mainly one turn oil
this deep intense hereditary feeling which pre-
vented this State six years ago and prevented il
again fifty years before lthat-and prevented it
ut 6rst sixty.three years age from Initiating n
system Of gradual emancipation. I'VE will moi
separate ourselves from the Slave States OF
the South. We will not forsake those who
share . ycomman peril with us.' Such was
their Language il not wise, surely most ia
tai. And, when the peril is now ~fearfully augmen-
ted, and when every just and manly heart r-volts
at the peridy of the pretexts and tho baseness of
the methods resorted to, is there much reason to
expect that these men will change their nature J
Do you imagine that no stronger bond exists be-
tween these people than exists between the fac
tons which revel in the vitals of your own great
State! Since the world began no bond ever ex-
listed save amongst Gods ancient people, which
bound every man TO his fellow. every State TO all
the rest. and all the States to the nation whose
liberties they had conquered like the bond which
p~ervades these fifteen Slave States.-They will
Stand by each other, they will stand by their
country, they will stand by every party that
stands by the Constitution. Ifit be possible, they
will preserve our national institutions, precisely
as they received them froL, the hauds Of their
fathers. Ifinexorahle necessity obliges them to
do it, they will baptise those institutions in the
blood Of traitors. At the last extremity, they
will perish. sword in hand, bot they will never
submit to be dishonored or subiugated. They
will never subvert the institutions of their coun-
try nor will they permit you to do it, without a
struggle worthy of their great descent
The foregoing extract contains the pith of Mr..
breckenridge letter, which is distinguished
throughout by unusual ability, and is both mode.
rate in tone aud candid in argument. Mr.. b. con.
cludes his letter with the expression of the follow.
ing sentiments.
1.-The question which the American people mus,
now settle is no less than this Are they DESTROYS
and are they capable, in the new posture of affairs
and opinions, OF continuing any longer one unite,
and great people! This question, as I view it, i,
one wholly Independent of any consideration
touching the nature Of Slavery; and it is the evi
passions Of men. ane pot the essential nature o
Slavery at all.hy which the people are hurried for
ward to the ruin of,heir country, Let Slavery b'
what it may,it affords no rational ground of iisel
for the separation of the States and civil war; an,
every good. wise, and patriotic man, let his opin
ions shcutSlavery be what they may ought to b,
ready to crush every political party which init
mates that it does. And such IS my faith in hu
man nature, in the destiny of my country, aud
above al, in the overriding providence Of God, tina,
l confidently trust . way VII Iva found to hur
from power. and to cover with pablic indignation
ovarv MARTY that shall dara IN WAC . ,n,r,.