Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-08-19
LALLA LINwooD.
LETTER PROM HON. RUFUS
CHOATIS,
: RESPONSE 70 AZ IS1fT171oS 10 1DDREss \ WING
coSyESrIoS At wATERvILLE, ME
=-------- .-.--M 1aEa

y
BosToN, Aug. q, 1855.
Gentlemen-Upon my return, last evening,
after 4 short absence from the city, lourd your
iletter of The 3Uth ult, inviting me to take part
in the proceedings of the Wings of Maine, as
sembled in mass meeting.
appreciate most highly the honor and kind
ness Of This invitation and should have had true
pleasure in accepting it The Wings OF Maine
composed at all times so important division of
the great lational party, which undeFthat mime,
with or without official power, as a responsible
administration or as only an organized opinion,
has done 81 much for our country-our whole
country; and your possibilities Mt this moment
are SO vast and peculiar, that acknowledge an
anxiety to see-not wait to herewith what no.
HE bearing you meet the demands Of the time
If the tried lcgi0ns, To whom il is committed to
guard the frontier of the Union, falter now, who
Iaay where, can be trusted9
Ny engagements, however. and the Necessity
or expedieucy of abstatning from all speech re-
iquiring much effort, will prevent my being with
YOU. And yet, invited 10 share in your coun-
sells, and grateful for such distinction, cannot
wholly decline to deiare my own opinions on one
of the duties of the Wings in what You will
dnscribe as 1.-THE present crisis III the political
affairs of the country" cannot now, and need
not, pause to elaborate or defend them What
/ think, and what have decided to do, permit
me in the briecst and plnincst expression to tell
you.
The first duty, then, of Wings, not merely as
patriots and as citizcns-loving with a large
and equal love our whole native land--but as
Wigs, and because we are Wings, is to unite
with some organization of our countrymcn, to
defeat aud dissolve the new geographical party,
calling itself Republicans This is our first du-
tv It would more exactly express my opinion
to say, that at this moment it is only duty.
Certainly, at least it comprehends or s,lSpcndS
ali others; and in my judgment, the question
for each and every one of us is not whether
this candidate or that candidate would be our
first choice; not whether there is some good
talk in the worst platform, and some bad talk in
the best platform; not whether this mans am
bition, or that mans servility, or boducSS, or
fanaticism, or violence, is responsible for put
ting the wild waters in this uproar; but Just
this: by what vote can do most to prevent the
madness of the times from working its maddrSt
act-the very ecstacy of its madness-the per-
lnauent formation and the actual present triumph
of party which knows onc-half Of America
only to hate and dread it; from whose uncon-
secrated and revolutionary banner fifteen stars
tare erased or have falleE; in whose national
!antIcm the old and cndcared airs OF the Eutaw
Springs and the Kings Mountain, and York
town, and those, later, of New Orleans, and Bu-
ena Vista, and Chaputepec breathe no more
To this duty, to this question, all others seem to
Inc to stand for the present postponed and sec
iondary.
And why? Because, according to our creed, it
lis only the united America, which can peaceful
lly gradually safely improve lift IN, and bless
with all social and personal and civil blessings
all the races and al the conditions which COM
pose our vast and various farnily-it is such an
America, only, whose arm can guard our flag
develop our resources, extend our trade-and
fill the measure of our glOry aud because, accor-
ding to our convictions, the triumph of such a
party puts that Union in danger. That is my
reason. And for you, and for me, and for all Of
US, in whose regards the Union possesses such y
value, and to whose fears it seems nenaccd by
such danger, it is reason enough. Believing
the noble ship state to be within half cables
length Of a lee shore of rock, in gale of wind,
our first business is to put her about, and crowd
her off into the deep, open sea. That done, we
can regulate the stOwage of her lower tier Of
powder, and select her cruising ground, and
bring her officers to cOurt-martal at our leisure
If there are any in Maine-and among the
Wings of Maine hope there are is not one
hut if there are any, in whose hearts strong pas
sions, vaulting ambition, jealousy Of men or Sec
tons, unreasoning and impatient philanthropy,
or whatever else have turned to hate or GOODNESS
the fraternal blood and quenched the spirit of
national life at its source; with whom the union
of slave States and free States under the actual
Constitution is a curse, a hindTance reproach;
with those Of course our view Of our duty and
the reason of it, are stumbling block and fool
ishneSS. To such you can have nothing to say
and from such you can have nothing to hope
Bat If there are those again who lore the Union
as we love it. and prize it as we prize il; who
regard it as we DO not merely as = vast instru-
mentality for the protection of commerce and
navigation; and for achieving power, eninence
amp name among the sOverCigns of the earth,
but as n means of improving the material lot
and clevating the moral and mental nature, and
ensuring the personal happiness of the millions
who think thus justly Of it,-and yet hug the
fatal tlelusion that, because it is good, it is ne
cessarilv immortal; that it will thrive without
care; that anything created by mans will is
above or stronger than his WILL that because the
reason and virtues of our age Of reason and vir-
tue could build it, the passions and stimulations
of dav Of frenzy cannot pull it down; If such
there IRE among you, to them address yourselves
with all lie eArneStnesS and all the cloqucnce
Of men who feel that some greater interest is ut
stake and some mightier cause in hearing, than
ever vet tongue haspleadcd or trumpet proclaim
ed If such minds and hearts are reached, all
is safe. But how specious and how manifold
are the sophisms by which they are courted!
They hear and they read much ridicule of
those who fear that a geographical party does
cndanger the Union. But can they forget that
our greatest, wisest, and most hopeful statesmen
have always felt, andhaye all in one form or an
other, left on record their own fear of such a
party? The judgements OF "aShlngtos, MaGi-
son. Clay, Webster, on the dangers ofthe Amer
lean Union-are they worth nothing to con-
scientious love ofi2 What they dreaded as a
remote aud improbable cOntingency-that a.
eainst which they cautioned as they thought,
distant gene.ations-that which they were so
happy rs to die without sceing-is upon u.s.
And yet some men would have us go laugh
ing and singing, like the traveller in the satire
with his pocket empty, at a present peril, the
mere apprehension of which, as distant and
bare possibility, could sadden the hear! of the
Father Of his Country. and dictate the grave and
grand warning of the Farewell Address.
They hear men say that such party ought
not to endanger the Union; that although it hap
pened to be formed within Que geographical! sec