Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-08-14
Hon. j. ID. Bright's Letter.
To tie great Democratic mass meetingat Indian
apOlis on the l7h July.
I,lu q


WASHINGTON, July II, 1856.
DEAR SIR: have seen Senators Cass Doug
las, and Brown, and Representative Cobb, of
Georgia, and agreeably to your request, have
invited them in behalf Of the State Central
Committee" to attend the mass meeting of our
friends at Indianapolis on the 18th instant. Mr..
Cobb has assured me that he would be present
but the other gentlemen feel that they cannot
consistently with their pressing duties here, be
absent for the length of time such a visit would
necessarily require, and they beg to be excused
For myself, nothing would afford me more plea
sure than to unite on the occasion with the
democracy of our State in ratifying the nomi
nations Of that experienced and profound states
man, James Buchanan, for President, and the
equally worthy and gifted young son Of Ken
lucky John G. Breckenridge, for Vice Presi
dent, but my official engagements here are of
such character as to forbid my leaving at this
time.
avail myself, however, Of the opportunity to
say to you, and to the mass gathering of our
friends, and to my constituents generally, that
so soon as my duties here will permit, shall
hasten home with the intention Of visiting as
many counties as time will allow, and holding
converse with the people, face to face, on the
absorbing questions of the day. IL there ever
resentative should be brought close together to
commune with each other freely, tits the present.
The systematic effort that is being made to
array one section ofour country against another
upon a purely local question, and to inflame the
worst passions of men by misrepresentation
and falsehood, is calculated to alarm those who
love the Union and desireits perpetuity. Against
the dangers Of sectonalism we we're early
warned by the Father of his Country; yet the
tendency of the public mind for the past few
years, led on by men sometimes designing, and
always fanatcal, has been toward that result,
until now we see, for the first time in the
history of our country, formidable sectional
party, presenting sectional candidates for the
highest Offices in the nations gift, and basng
their claims to election upon purely sectional
grounds. 1t is appalling to contemplate the
consequences which must result from the success
of such party; for it can end in nothing less
thar the lsmemberment of that glorious Union
the work Of our revolutionary patriots-the
bequest Of our revolutionary sires-to which
we are indebted for our security at home and
our consideration and dignity abroad.
The Union had its origin in the wants and
| necessities Of the whole people and Of the
several States, and every year Of its existence
| has afforded fresh proofs Of its utility and its
blessings. Under its benign influences, agri
culture, commerce-every industrial pursuit
have llourished in al unparalleled degree and
we have grown in the short period Of three
quarters of century, from inconsiderabl,
power to be one of the mightiest nations of the
world. One might well pause to consider
whether it would be wise to throw all these
advantages away for the very llusory, unsub
stantial gains which sectionalism will furnish
For myself, 81 have not" in the language 0
the immortal Webster, "coolly weighed tn,
chances of preserving liberty when the bond
that unite us together shall be broken asunder