Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1856-04-02
EBENsBURG, APRIL 2, 1856.

that its DAYS are numbered. and that to dust
and ashes, the place of its birth, it shall
speedily return, trampled upon by the heels
of men, women and children, who care for
the common Inheritance of freemen which we
have derived from our fathers. Applause.
In what, sir, does it consist? because
start out without theme, and take up this,
the most natural one that lies before me--In
what does it consist? In prescription of men
because of their birth place. and intolerant
prescription Of them because of the manner
in which they see fit humbly to kneel down
and ask the Almighty 50 forgive their num-
berless transgressions. Great applause.
Now, sir, for the incident of which L have
spoken, a contradiction to all that they say
in regard to this prosecuted and abused peo-
re. We were standing in an indiscriminate
mason yesterday morning, just such one as
you see here, when the Speaker of this Honse
took his seat, and his gavel announced that
members were to prepare for business; the
crowd at first, pell NELL, rushed towards the
door, but in the next instant the Minister of
the Almighty raised his hand and voice in
PRAYER, and instantly, Protestant and Catho-
lie, paused, and putting his hand upon his
heart, prayed, in common with him. for the
perpetuity of our country, and the advance
ef those free institutions enjoyed under our
Constitution and our flag. Applause. The
scene was dramatic, but, sir, it was to the
life, and if any mans attention had been cal
led to it, he must have been less than human
if his heart had not filled with warm emo
tions, and tear of true sympathy had not
stood in his eye, powerless TO move because
his whole nature was fixed by the grave and
glorious. yet simple spectacle. [Cheers.
Now, sir, in regard to this question of
Know Nothingism-if do not run into a
tedious speech instead of making a few de-
sultory remarks-(cries of no, no)-I beg
leave, since have made this my starting
point, to call the attention of gentlemen to
few facts from the record which can neither
dissemble nor lie heard respectable gen.
tleman in this Hall, within the last three or
four weeks, when 1 happened to be in Har-
risburg, make an earnest and anxious and
sometimes very eloquent appeal on behalf
of the Bible. He belonged to that peculiar Ma
tive American party which, whether dark or
shining, whether open or shut, L neither know
nor care, bat L can tell them, whatever it
may be, they will find before the year is ended
that it is dead open and shut (Applause
and laughter.) This party claims to be di-
rected and governed by the Bible. Why.
sir, happened to find Bible under one of
gentleman to whom have alluded, however,
and l looked at that very part which the Jews
recognized as Law to them-a system COM
monty known as the Mosaic economy-and
in that you will find more than six or seven
times within few different books, command
laid down to the children of Israel, in regard
to the kind treatment of the stranger. And
what was the character of the strangers, so
far as that character had any relation to the
people, who were to receive them? Why,
they were all alien enemies; they constituted
the nations that surrounded the favored
people, and yet here is the command given
over and over again, that Z" the stranger that
is within thy gates thou shalt not vex him. or
oppress him." and the reason given is, 80 for
ye were strangers in the land of Egypt thus
saith the Lord, thy God" (Great applause
Again, Glove ye, therefore, the stranger, for
ye were strangers in the land of Egypt"
Let US apply these commands to ourselves.
Our fathers came to this country, pilgrims for
the sake of personal freedom, for the sake of
political freedom, for tho sake of religious
freedom, for the sake of the poor right of
poor sinner to seek his own way to Heaven !;
they were of their own consent banished to
wilderness; they we're strangers in strange
land, and yet these Children of the Star
Spangled Banner" who will let no others
live under its light, these " children" under
take to say, and that in the hardest, cruelest
and most proscriptive manner, that the Bible
authorizes, nay. commands them to vex and
oppress the stranger who comes here to seek
a home with the very same object as that our
fathers had in view, and upon the very same
shore of the same unchanging sea. Ap-
plause.
I will not stop, however, to argue this, nor
will run through the New Testament; for
there is neither time, nor is this the occasion
to undertake it; but if you will look at all
the doctrines taught by the New Testament,
you will find them the same. Our Saviour
winds them up in his last words to his Disci-
Piles, when he bids them go into lands where
he himself had never been. ''Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel unto ev-
cry creature He himself repudiating the
Know-Nothingism that would have kept them
with their glad tidings at home, and repudia-
ting Know-Nothingism even in the lands to
which they were sent. [Applause. Now,
| myself, feel little on this subject, for a
reason. am the son of an Irishman. [Ap-
plause- heard very respected friend of
mine, who happened to be born surrounded
by the billows, on the Green Isle-I heard
him say that an Irishman's son was not half
as good as an Irishman, because he was sec
ond-handed. Laughter and applause. i
Well, sir, will admit, that perhaps the son
is not as good as the father on that account,
but we must endeavor to be as good as we
can. put this plain, practical argument in
plain way to the sons of foreigners, whether
they are the sons of Irishmen, of Frenchmen,
or of Germans, 1 care not whose they are. or
from what country their ancestors may have