Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-07-12
LETTER OF THE HON. JAMES M. Blu
CHANAN, OF BALTIMORE.


Among the many letters which were written
to the Society Of Tammany, where SO much
genuine patriotism was poured forth, we find
the following from our friend of Baltimore.
We publish it because its patriotic and genuine
sentiments are peculiarly adapted to the pre-
sent political condition Of Maryland:
From James M. buchanan, Esq.
BALTIMORE, June 80, 1856.
SIR: have waited in the hope that might
be able to accept the invitation of the Society
Of Tammany or Columbian Order, to attend at
Tammany Hall, on the 4th day of July next,
and am extremely sorry now to find that it will
not be in my power to do so. Were it other.
wise, there is, / assure you, no quarter Of the
country in which / would find more sincere
pleasure in spending that glorious day than
, within the walls of old and time-honored Tam
many Hall. 1t is true land to the houor Of the
Society of Tammany be it remembered that
since the year eighty-nine, it has on no occa
sion failed to commemorate with suitable fes-
tivities the adoption and promulgation Of that
| immortal instrument which burst the bonds Of
| thraldom and proclaimed nation free.
And it is equally true that at no time since
| the adoption of that sacred Declaration has it
been of more importance than at this very day,
that we should, all of us, continue to commemo-
rate it, to revere its precepts and to vindicate
| its principles. That we are on the eve of dan
perous times, no one who thinks can doubt.
Sectional divisions are sprnging up among us
and are becoming, day by day, more and more
marked, and day by day more and more diff
| cult to be reconciled.
A false philanthropy, and disregard of
constitutional obligations impel a portion Of
the people of the North to interfere with an
important institution of the South. The South,
Justly indignant at a wrong so great, protests
against it and avows her fixed determination
at every hazard to maintain her rights The
North, at this, in holy horror, uplfts its hands
and cries out Southern BullyismV No
truce with savery!" "Let the Negro Drivers
Starve"-and thus the breach between US
widens.
| Man shall no longer be allowed to worship
God as God directs is the unholy doctrine Of
class of modern Pharisees. What says the
law ?--the law of conscience the law of God
| to man? "And when thou prayest, thou shalt
not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen
of men; verify / say unto you they have their
reward But thou, when thou prayest enter
| into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy
door pray to thy Father which is in secret and
| thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward
thee openly" This is the law of conscience.
And yet man would dare, for worldly gain, to
curb this sacred right
| The Constitution of the country knows no
religious test, yet man would strike the Consi-
tuition down, and profess to do it " for the love
of souls"
| The foreign-born must be prescribed though
they be citizens by all the forms of law, and
many Of them patriots at any cost of blood.
These are the doctrines which lead to strife, to
sectional divisions, and mayhap TO civil war.
Pray God avert it.
There can be no wiser course OF safety in
these dangerous. times than that pursued by
your renowned Society. To hold up to the
public view, and to commend to the public
mind, the sacred principles of that immortal
| instrument-the Declaration of American indie
pendence.
1t is matter of sincere qualification to learn
from your note of invitation that there is an
entire oblivion of all past differences Of opinion
which may have existed between those who are
ever ready to render cheerful aid in defense of
the Constitution and the Union. This is as it
should be. Brethren Of the same faith should
ever act in harmony together.
With great respect,
JAMES M. BUCHANAN.
To the Hon. LORENZO b. SHEPARD.