The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-07-18
Hear an Old Lime yVFaig!
Letter from The Hon. Wm. b. Reed.

AZ Vab aGsC sAVhs' ~ ALi' IS RNFG
1t affords us very grea; satisfaction to publish the
following sound aud able letter from our Distinguish
ed feIlow-citzen the Hon. Wst. B. RGrD in reply TO
an invitation trom the Democracy Of Pittsburgh 10
unite with them IN celebrating the late anniversary
OF American Independence. We ask for it the
careful consideration. 1t presents the true
questions before the public mind, with remarka-
bic clearness and vigor. It is hardly necessary for
to add that Mr. REep has been loading and in
nueutal menaber Of the late Whg party:
PmLADElPHiA, Jane 30, 1856.
GfxrLraFN - have had the honor 10 receive
your letter Of invitation. II wonld, | assure you
give me great pleasure TO ha We the opportunity Of
sayinS 10 my teIow-citiZenS Of Allegheny County
why support the nomination Of Ms. Buchanan
nestly and actively. Bot my engagements here
nestly preclude II. should have pecUar satsiac-
ton IN being among you neN., because my last visit
10 Pittsburgh very different ertaHd. was
I there Two years ago as a upenber Of what sup
/ posed to be the Wing State Committee. with ear
nest anxiety 10 from insult and defeat your fell
low-ctizen, George Dar-ie, OF high charac-
ter and unqur- toned integrity, and sho thought
(anG the result showed hoe truv) was about be
sacrificed because his birthplace and very early
childhood happened TO be abroad
! With what followed, | need not trouble Won, bur
within the next wear | found myself obliged by
sef-respect publicity 10 renopnce all active
ION with thi~ Committee. My reasons are before
my fellow -citzens-and feel no little pride in the
recollection that did wait till IL Of de-
cay and discontinue to express my anagonism to
( that unconstitutional and antl-Rspubllcan party.
j known he Know Nothing Organization. When /
said wat thought about il, II IT. full power
Of mischief. 1t IS not necessary 10 speak Of il
It's honest adbrreEts (and tho>e Srre rot teVv)
leaping II. Its managers ara designers, and contrI
vers, onaht BE- forgiven for having disfgured
the political history ol the country hy the Tradition
! as il has now become. ol party whlch proser bed
mans religion and drew distinctions between those
whom the Constitution and the laws make eqna.
! II destroyed the old Wbg party utterly and COM
! petely and when m now asked TO vote for Mr..
/ Fillmore as >tiil Wing, or for Mr.. Dourlsoa
/ Democrat, have Il plain answer that ] under
stand H. each Of these gentlemen brcane an adhe-
! ring Know Nothing. technical ssAmerican.' -
passed the degrees OF the ORDER and took
foolish and wicked oatTs. II this be so-and it has
been opruly asserted and never daDi-d-f MIR. Fill
rnorr an * President of the United States, ever
! took oath or obligation 10 exclude, aid in
/ Guiding from public trust simply account of
his religion his bth; if in taking that obligation
he had 10 purge hin self from all sympathy con-
nexion with Catholics or foreigners, however nno-
cent and respectable. then | cannot. as a gentleman
I a. American citizen. vote for 8fT. Fillmore
There has died in this city, witaln the last two
months, OF our most venerable citizens, resi-
dent here for than half century, thongh born
abroad and a Roman Catholic. followed him TO hi>
/ grave. II 5 whole heart loyal his adopted
country, and to the faith OF his Two
of his sons, my personal and political fren@s, pro-
ipsSng the same religious opinions with taer IA
ther, for years, represented this city in the Leas!a
tnre Of the State with honor Themselves and their
constituency, and vet if they and he alive now,
they would ind themselves, by this ritual. pro-
sCrlbed and disqualified. refer 10 this Il srri-
king and 10 my immediate fellow citizens. familiar
illustration OF the practical and inevitable fruits
+ OF this organization. We'll may be grateful that
party, protesting sach principles. has passed awavi
/ ! beg yoar pardon Tor troubling you even With this
reference 10 il.
I Those who were once Wings are now asked to
vote for Mir. Fremont and Mr.. Dayton. rot a Wings,
but as hat are called ssRepubiicanS'' for it seems
10 be assumed (nd perhaps history ustifes it) that
nothing i easier for a Wing than to change his
raur. II he does II in a certain direction and calls
himsejf a huow Nothing or Republican. it is all
very Wet, bnt # hp chooses. the exercise OF 4
manly discretion stimulated by local pride, TO act
/ with iie Democratic party, as ] certainly to
do there Is 40 end to the denuuriatiia be receives
Mr. Frerncat, DO not know personally. and what |
have read Of him induces 10 think he gentle
man Of entire personal raspectabilitv. Of rambling
and adventurous habits of life and Of large specula-
tive wealth. My gallant townsman. DR.. Kane, has
done quite much in the way OF adventure, endu-
red as much hardship, gained large a scientific
fame in the cause OF human charity; aud yet | am
not ware that he has any immediate aspirations for
the Presidency. lie is not rich and lives in
! Philadelphia. Mr.. Dayton DO know. and have known
long and vcIl and all the a<perities of poll
Tics il is very pleasant have The chance of bear
iug testimony (yaiUeless though it NAV be) to his
high, social and intellectual position. He is worthy
of every nouor the nation bestow on him, al
though this time his fair ambition cannot be graijf-
ed NJ. Dayton stands on the Republican platform,
having within ten years as Senator voted against
extending the Missouri Compromise line 10 the Pa
cifc ocean, and in favor Of the Wimot provso; on
the last Que, Iion If mistake not, recording his
vote against those Of Daniel Webster and Henry
Clay. Under these circumstances. | see no especial
claim this ticket has IN Wing fidelity.
But let ule, in cand0r. k how any conserva-
tive or national man, especially any parnsrlvanan.
vote for the Republican nominees? This il a ques-
ton shoGd BE- glad 10 put and TO have answered in
your hearing. The nomination made in Phila-
deIphia and had some opportunity Of observing the
influence under which it was made, aud The manner
in which il has been received. Had the Convention
been LETT Ia disinterested impulses. it would
have nominated John Mclean, of Ohio OF whom il
may at least be said, he is tried public Still,
though supported earnestly and heartily by Pennsyl-
vania-and perhaps for that very reason. he had no
chance-he first withdrawn and ;hen defeated.
The managers and fanatics had determined or anoth-
eg nominee, and of course Pennsylvania was defeat
eG her delegates suIlenly firing guns of dismal ac-
quiescence their buried candidate. Mr. Free
mont nominated, and will be sustained, | fear,
by the ferce>t and most sectional tanaticism. | do
not 10 refer TO individuals, but no one will
question that the leading and active men in that
convention gentlemen who proud call
themselves sfAboiltloHistS.N - You know the opin-
ions OF representatives from Western Pennsylvania
/ can for those from the East They are
generally avolyed and extreme enthusiasts. But the
spirit that actuaeG the convention not disguised.
1t was very boldly avowed. There lies before
me copy of.a Philadelphia newspaper, published at
the time and favorable to the Republican caRse,
which records that Just before the nomination. del
1 egate. (Mr. Lovejoy, of llinois,) said, " he pro-
claimed himself an Abolitionist-he thought the Dar
~ had the disease and before the campaign was
through il would break out all overland then, at
this cutaneous prophecy, there Tremendous