Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-08-16
LETTER OF HON. THOMAS G. PRATT,
OF MARYLAND.

OF MARYLAND.
Below will be found truly statesmanlke
letter from Senator Pratt to his fellow-W higs
of Maryland. 1t takes irrefragrable positions
justifying his and their support at the coming
election of the Democratic nominees.
1t states briefly that Mr.. Fillmore abandoned
his Wing friends and went over to the Ameri-
can party, which denounced the Whig party
that Mr.. Fillmore accepted the nomination as
of the American party; that he did not con-
suit his Whig friends, nor appeal nor refer to
them in his acceptance; that, in fact, he made
sequently there can be no claim by him to
their support.
The letter shows that the Fremont party is
organized for the express purpose of attacking
the rights and interests of Maryland.
That, allowing to Mr.. Fillmore every merit
claimed for him, it is clear as MONDAY that he
cannot be elected.
That it is equally clear, that with the aid Of
the Wings the nominees of the Democratic
Convention can certainly be elected, and that
thus the conspirators against the peace, in.
terest, and honor of the South, will be de.
feated.
That the old issues between the parties are
obsolete.
! That to vote for Mr.. Fillmore, in the South,
is only diversion in favor of Fremont.
TO THE WHIGS OF MARYLAND.
In response to the commpncations received
from many of my brother Whigs deem it my
privilege, In this manner to counsel with all in
relation to the course which patriotism and
duty would seem to indicate as proper in the
present political crisis.
No lover Of his country whose judgment is
unbiased by party zeal and uncontrolled by
Northern or Southern fanaticism can fail to
see and deprecate the pending danger to the
Union.
The first duty of every man who loves his
country and her institutions is to provide for
their safety. The life of the nation is in dan
ger. II must be saved; then, and not till then,
will it be permissible to US to discuss our differ
ences Of opinion upon minor subjects.
| | say that the life Of the Union is in danger,
| because, for the first time in our history,
| party has been formed composed exclusively
of citizens of one section of the country, bound
| together by the single bond of an alliance for
offensive warfare against the other section.
That the success of such party would imperil
the Union has been recently demonstrated by
an address of Mr.. Fillmore, and will, it is sub
mitted, be apparent to all who will bestow a
moments consideration upon the existing pos
ture of political affairs.
The value of the slave property of the South
is not less than two thousand millions of dol
lars, sum equal to one fourth of all the other
property in the United States, as shown by the
last census. This property is not only recog.
nised but so far guaranteed by the Constitution
as to impose upon the Federal Government the
duty of restoring to his owner the slave who
may escape into another State or Territory OF
the United States. For years past this con-
stitutional obligation has been not only repu-
dated by some of the non slaveholdng States,
but political parties have been organized in all
with the avowed object of hberating the slave
and thus not only depriving the South of this
vast amount of property, but subjecting 1t to
all the horrors which would necessarily result
from such a consummation. In addition to all
this, whilst the abolitionists on the one hand
openly avow their opposition to the Constitu-
tion and their desire 10 destroy Government
which imposes obligations repudiated by them,
on the other hand many Southern men, goaded
by the incessent attacks of their Northern fel.
low citizens upon their feelings, their property,
and their constitutional rights, express the be
lief that the interests of the South would be
more efectually protected by separation of
the slave from the non slavehoding States,
and therefore rather promote than inter
pose to prevent result so calamous. We
have hitherto disregarded the danger which
such state OF feeling and such course
1f ,,,l..
because we have assumed that such sentiments
and action could only be attributed to a small
minority of our Northern brethren. But now,
when this sectional evaporation has been
made available for the Inauguration of a party
calling itself Republican, under whose banner,
for the first time in the history of the country
this sectional opposition to Southern rights
and interests have united in nominating with
alleged probabilities of success purely sec.
tional ticket for the Presidency and Vice Pres
dency of the United States, we can no longer
shut our eyes to the reality of the threatened
danger; we cannot but feel that the success of
such party would be the death knell of the
Union. The unpatriotic purposes of this sec.
| tional party are but too manifest. Many Of its
supporters avow their object and purpose to be
disunion, and have even gone so far in the
| madness Of their tanaticism as to desecrate the
flag of our country by obliterating from its
| constellation the fifteen stars which represent
the slaveholding States, and displaying as their
party banner that flag with but sixteen of its
stars remaining, to represent the sixteen non
slaveholding States. 1t is manifest that those
who disavow the object are not ignorant of the
inevitable result.
The Wings Of Maryland, whom have the
honor to address, need no proof to convince
them that calamtous consequences would flow
| from the success of this sectional party. They
each and all knoW that the election Of Mr.. Ere
mont, and the administration Of the Govern
ment by him upon the principles of his party,
would necessarily occasion dissolution Of the
Federal Union, to which they have been taught
to look as the source of national strength and
Of individual prosperity and happiness.
have known only the Wings Of my State too
long, | estimate their patriotism too highly, |
have associated with them too intimately, to
suppose it necessary for moment to offer an
argument to them in behalf of their country.
They appreciate, as fully as could depict, the