Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-06-13
pulitiful. |.
From Putnam's Magazine.
AMERICA FOR THE AMERICANS.

AMERICA FOR THE AMERICANS.
An Individual masked under the vulgar
name of Sam, furnishes just now good deal
more than half the pabulum wherewith certain
Legislators and journalists are fed. Whether
he is a mythical or real persoaage--a Magus
or monkey-nobody seems to know, but we
are inclined to regard him as real, because of
his general acceptance among Dalgetty poll
aicians and because of the irresistible merrl-
1nent his occasional looming down" on some-
thing or other affords the newspapers. We
saw paunchy old gentleman the other day,
with face like the sun, only more red, and
blue and spotty, and dismally wheezy voice,
who came near being carried off with pom
derous apoplectic chuckle, when somebody
casually observed that 90 Sam was pitching
into the police" and he was only relieved
from the fatal consequences by series of des-
Ecratc movements, which resembled those of
a seventy -four getting g-under-weigh again af
ter the sudden stroke of a typhoon Now, if
Sam was not unquestionably real parsonage,
and this old gentleman unquestionably a real
disciple of his. We are at loss to account for
the reality of the phenomena thus exhibited.
But whether zeal or mythical it has been
impossible for us to raise admiration of
Sam to the popular pitch. After due and dill
ligent inquiry, we have arrived a. only mo-
,erate estimate of his qualities. In fact con-
sidering the mystery in which he shrouds his
ways. We are disposed to believe that he is
more of Jerry Sneak than hero The as
sumption of secresy on the part of any one,
naturally starts our suspicious We cannot
see why he should resort to it, If he harbors
only just or generous designs. We associate
darkness and night with things that are foul,
aud we admire the saying that twilight even.
though a favorite with lovers, is alsofaverable
10 thieves. Schemes which shrink from the
day, which sculks behind corners, and wriggle
themselves into obscure and crooked places,
arc not the schemes we love at venture =
And all the veiled prophets. we apprehend.
are very much like that one we read of in the
palace of Morou, who hid his face. as he pre-
tended to his admirers, because its brightness
would strike them dead. but in reality because
it was of an ugliness so monstrous that no one
could look upon it and live.
There is an uttcrance, however, imputed to
this impervious and oracular Sam, which we
cordially accept. He is said to have said that
= America belongs to Americans as
his immortal namcsake, Sam Patch, said that
= some things could be done as well as 9TH
ers, and we thank him for the concession
1t is good, very excellent good, ,-as the logi-
cal Touchstone would have exclaimed, provi-
ded you put proper meaning to it
What is America and who are Americans :?
1t all depends upon that, and, accordingly as
you answer, will the phrase appear very wise
or very foolish. If you are determined to
consider America as thing more than the
two or three million square miles of dirt, in
Guided between the Granite Hills and the Pa
CHIC. and Americans as those men exclusively
whose bodies happened to be fashioned from
IT. we fear that you have not penetrated to
the real beauty and significance of the terms.
ne soul OF muck-worm may very naturally
be contented with identifying itself with the
mould from which it is bre l. and into which
1t will soon be resolved, bat the soul of man.
unless We are hugely misinformed claims
ioftier origin, and looks forward to nobler
destiny. ''o's'
America. in our sense of the word embra-
'ees complex idea. 1t means. not simplv the
soil with its coal, cotton, and corn. but the
nationality by which that soil is occupied. and
the political system in which such occupants
are organized. The soil existed long before
Vespucci gave it a name,-as long back, il
may be, as when the morning stars sang to-
gether,- but the true America, mere chick
en- stlii. dates from the last few years of the
e,ghseenth century. 1t picked its shell fol
tue 1Tsr time amid the cannon volleys of Bun
ger Ser mn, and gave its first peep when the old
:o'a,e ss,.s. House bell at Philadelphia rang out
hoerty to all the land" Before that pc
rioa' the struggling and dependent colonies
which were here were the mere spawn of the
elder nations.-the eggs and embryos q
America, but not the full-Aedped b;ra +.
was not until the political Constitution Of go %
had been accepted by the people that Amer;
ca attained a complete and distinctive er;s
tence. or that she was able-continuing th,
figure with which we began-to spread he
" sheeny vans" and shout a cock-a-doodle +
the sun
1t would be needless, at this day. to stat
what are the Distinguishing principles of tina
political existence They have been pronoun
eed ten thousand times, and resumed as oftel
IN the simple formula which every school-bo,
ha"Ss-the government of the whole peopi
Go,aa .aaenseises and for themselves. In othe
nat ,ss america is the democratic republic
government Of the people by despos