Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1856-08-01
HANCOCK, July 18th, 1856.
To John Moon, Esq, one Of tn tosrn
Comm if,ee Of fIe hum nf KoarorE

DEAR SIR 81 think II cxpedient, be-
ing member Of the Com. with you. to
inform you Of my present political POSI-
ticn, the conventions being near at hand
which will necessarily demand cur
attention. l therefore hereby inform
you that ! shall not act, as one of the
committee any longer; but for the pre-
sent shall stand on conservative ground,
though it may be for a short time, unless
remain deaf to the demands of my
country for the activity of her sons in this
crises of our history.
My beloved Country once land Of
liberty, now divided, distracted, torn
with dissensions, may that Almighty
Being, with whom this nation is but as a
drop in the bucket Who has de-
livered Us once from the power of
foreign tyranny, once more deliver us
from the WICKED, turn their counsels
into foolishness, and bring their purposes
to naught'-this sir, is my sincere prayer
this my hope. m
The liberties OF which we boast, our
fathers sacrificed their pleasures, their
domestic enjoymcnts, and perilled their
lives to purchase. It is ours by Inherit
ance, aud not by our own works. Let
us preserve the boon. OF the part my
ancestors took in the struggle for right,
have something to boast.
My father settled in the wilderness,
with wife and three small children de-
pendent upon his hands for support. At
the tap Of the drum on the plains Of Cam
bridge, heedropped his axe and seized his
gun and repaired to the head quarters of
the army, and served his country four
years. When Burgoyne urrendered, he
went South in second enlistment and
was at Valley Forge when the soldiers
stained the ground with blood from their
naked feet. Here is a picture, dear sir,
which should never be forgotten, while
the sun gives light to man. A mother
whose sufferings were not less, whose la
Dor was not only such as belongs to man,
but to the beast Of burden-glad to have
the privilege Of carrying half bushelcf
corn three miles to mill. This is no tale
of fiction.
My grandfather, Daniel Merrill was
man Of different standing in the world,
possessed some wealth, was master
teamster in the British mast camp, a
brave man; at the call of his country
he raised a company, became their Cap
tain and never left his post until the adj
versaries of liberty were driven from
the land.
Now, Sir. although have given you
little detailed account of the sufferings
OF my progenitors, would not have you
to understand me to think their suffer.
ing will compare with many of our
or women in that day which
tried mems souls. They bore their lot
with patience probably and told their
tale and trust it has made a lasting i'm
preston on my mind not easily to be for
gotten. That instrument called the
declaration of rights, emanated from
men of wisdom, when the strong arm of
British oppression and tyranny ruled the
land. 1t is worthy to be written in let
ters of gold and posted up at the corner
of every street through the whole land.
1t is fact (Which of late we frequently
hear rehearsed) that the party called
Democratic, have for the most part ruled
the country and made the laws; but sir,
we should not forget that the Declaration
of rights, the Constitution and the most
of our essential laws were made before
the two great parties existed in the land.
You may think l am getting in rather
deep water for so small fish as am.
| agree with you in that, but if had
eight dollars per diem and the U. S.
Library | might be better posted to COM
municate to you what little intended
when | commenced.
! never belonged to any political party
but the Democratic, nor should ever
wish to, did they carry out their profess
ed principles. We never should expect
perfection in any party, when laws are
to be made to govern the people with
no precedents, and are only proved
by their operation as applied to
their designed purposes. With our
present administration l am very much
disappointed. 1t dill not aris, by preju-
dice | am ctrtaiH, for l WAS well satisfied
when Pierce was elected.
The Missouri compromise, which for