Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-08-14
LETTER or HON. THOMAS @. PRATT,
OF MARYLAND,

LETTER OF HON. THOMAS g. PRATT,
OF MARYLAND.
Below will be found truly statesmanlike
letter from Senator Pratt to his fellowW hgs
of Maryland 1t takes irrefragrable positions
justifying his and their support at the coming
election Of the Democratic nominees
| II states brieHythat Mr. Fillmore abandoned
! his Wing friends and went over to the Ameri.
can party, which denounced the Whig party
that Mr.. Fillmore accepted the nomination as
of the American party; that he did not con-
suit his Whig friends, nor appeal nor refer to
them in his acceptance; that, in fact, he made
himself a voluntary separation from them, con
sequently there can be no claim by him TO
their support.
| The letter shows that the Fremont party is
organized for the express purpose Of attacking
the rights and interests of Maryland.
| That, allowing to Mr.. Fillmore every merit
claimed for him, it is clear as noouday that he
cannot be elected.
That it is equally clear, that with the aid of
| the Wings the nominees Of the Democratic
Convention can certainly be elected, and that
thus the conspirators against the peace, in
terest, and honor of the South, will be de-.
feated.
That the old issues between the parties are
obsolete.
That to vote for Mr.. Fillmore, in the South,
is only a diversion in favor of Fremont.
TO TIIR WuIGG on hADVT AMI
In response to the communications received
from many of my brother Wings, | deem it my
privilege, In this manner, to counsel with all in
relation to the course which patriotism and
duty would seem to indicate as proper in the
present political crisis.
| No lover of his country whose Judgment is
unbiased by party zeal and uncontrolled by
Northern or Southern fanaticism can fail to
see and deprecate the pending danger to the
Union.
The first duty OF every man who loves his
country and her institutions is to provide for
their safety. The life Of the nation is in dan
ger. II must be saved; then, and not till then,
will it be permissible to US to discuss our differ
ences Of opinion upon minor subjects.
say that the life of the Union is in danger,
because, for the first time in our history,
party has been formed composed exclusively
of citizens of one section of the country, bound
together by the single bond Of an alliance for
offensive warfare against the other section.
That the success of such party would imperil
the Union has been recently demonstrated by
an address of Mr.. Fillmore, and will, it is sub
mitted, be apparent to all who will bestow
moments consideration upon the existing pos
ture Of political affairs.
The value of the slave property of the South
10 hon fuo nd mil Of Al
lars, sum equal to one fourth Of all the other
property in the United States, as shown by the
last census. This property is not only recog.
nised, but so far guaranteed by the Constitution
as to impose upon the Federal Government the
duty of restoring to his owner the slave who
may escape into another State or Territory oil
the United States. For years past this con-
stitutional obligation has been not only repu-
dated by some of the .slaveholding States,
but political parties have been organized in all
with the avowed object of liberating the slave,
and thus - only deprving the South of this
vast amount Of property, but subjecting it to
all the horrors which would necessarily result
from such a consummaton. In addition to all
this, whilst the abolitionists on the one hand
openly avow their opposition to the Constitu-
ton and their desire 10 destroy Government
which imposes obligations repudiated by them
by the incessent attacks Of their Northern fel
low.citizens upon their feelings, their property
and their constitutional rights, express the be.
lief that the interests Of the South would be
more eifectually protected by separation of
the slave from the non slaveholding States.
and therefore rather promote than inter
pose to prevent a result so caamilous. We
have hitherto disregarded the danger which
such state OF feeling and such course
of actiou would indicate as most imminent,
because we have assumed that such sentiments
and action could only be attributed to a small
minority of our Northern brethren. But now,
when this sectional evaporation has been
made available for the Inauguration of party
calling itself Republican, under whose banner,
for the first time in the history of the country,
this sectional opposition to Southern rights
and interests have united in nominating with
alleged probabilities of success purely sec.
tional ticket for the Presidency and Vice Presi.
dency of the United States, we can no longer
shut our eyes to the reality of the threatened
danger; we cannot but feel that the success of
such party would be the death knel of the
Union. The unpatriotic purposes Of this Sec
tional party are but too manifest. Many Of its
supporters avow their object and purpose to be
disunon, and have even gone so far in the
madness of their fanaticism as to desecrate the
flag Of our country by oblitersting from its
constellation the fifteen stars which represent
the slaveholding States, and displaying as their
party banner that flag with but sixteen of its
stars remaining, to represent the sixteen non
slaveholding States. 1t is manifest that those
who dsavow the object are not ignorant Of the
inevitable result
The Wings Of Maryland, whom have the
honor to address, need no proof to convince
them that calamitous consequences would flow
from the success Of this sectional party. They
each and all knop that the election of Mr.. FIRE.
mont, and the administration Of the Govern.
ment by him upon the principles Of has party,
would necessarily occasion dissolution of the
Federal Union, to which they have been taught
to look as the source of national strength and
of individual prosperity and happiness.
/ have known only the Wings of my State too
long, estimate their patriotism too highly,
have associated with them too intimately, to
suppose it necessary for moment to offer an
argument to them in behalf of their country.
They appreciate MS fully rs | could depjct the