Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-11-28

q liberty no people ever have been great and
Tree no people ever can long be- free who are
not military their habits, ana ever ready to de.
lend their constitutions ana laws. We is i
people enjoy the peculiar privilege OF bearing
afEas, and being The defenders Of oar "
rights and liberties. If we should ever Be de-
priYed OF the one Or lose the other, it will be
because We are unworthy Of them, and had not
the courage to defend diem. II IS, however.
not only our privilege, but il issour bounded
duty asa free people, to cultivate d military
spirit and to obtain a military knowledge; 10
this view Of duty, IT will be ID i study IT'D effect
9 thorough organization OF the militia of the
State This I would feel bound to do, even
though there was no immediate danger raenas
elag US. But situated as we now are with
danger the most imminent, il is absolutely ne.
cessary to our security and the perinanenee of
our institutions.
That the overthrow Of our social orgaaiaao
ton II the fixed purpose of d large number Of
the people Of MISUNDERSTANDING States. is be-
yond a doubt. fl the Presidential election. it
was fully manifested-aBd they had carried
eleven out of the sixteen of those States
They are now preparing for another struggle.
They teach hostility to us and our institution,
in their schools, they preach it from their pulpit,
they print it in their books, they proclaim it at
the hustings, they agitate it in the State, and
Federal Governments, their course is onward,
and believe can only be arrested by force or
fear. You might as well reason with a mad-
man as q fanatic. How can you approach a
traHscendentalist of the higher law school, who
has alaW OF his own, paramount TO the consti-
tuition OF his country, and religion holier than
that OF the Bible; il cannot be done, and | fear
thai we act upon false premises, when we en-.
courage the expedition of this fanaticisnl that
will die out or recede from its purpose. God
grant that il may be so, but such an expecta-
tfOn is not justified by the teachings of the
past; all history shows that such ~fanaticaI orr
CARNATIONS have generally succeeded in their
purposes, or had to be crushed out by force,
and strangled in their own blood. The former
we never can permit, for the latter, let us be
ready; OUR SECURITY AS a STATE AND
THE PERMANENCE OF THE UNION DE.
PEND UPON THE FlRMNESS AND CON-
OF THE SOUTH. Let us not, by
our supineness invite aggression, but BY d
thorough arIning and organization, convince
our assaiiants, that w cannot be attacked with
lmpnnity. but on the contrary, that we are fully
ready, and willing and able TO take care of
ourselves, in the Union if we can. out Of il if
we must. Let US act thus, taking eur measures
fearlessly and openly; it is our right and duty,
and it is possible that even yet, being thus
fully and solemniy warned Of the consequences,
there may be sufficient patriotism and
sense of justice at the North, to avert the great
Of disruption with which the country
is now threatened; and which is inevitable if
travel on in the direction to which they
are now tending. In addition TO this. let US
appeal to the democracy Of the non slayehold~
ing States, and all other patriotic or eonseryao
tive men there, and everywhere, urging them
to stand fast, and struggle on in defence Of the
constitution and the Union-hoping that the
second thought Of the people may yet
save the country. This with thorough pre-
on our part is all that we can do. AT
he best We must leave all To that God, who
las thus far guided and prospered us, a nation
-tFusting and praying that the same kind
providence which has voucI,safed TO as in the
past, may continue in the fature-weii knows
ng. that except the Lord keep the city, the
Falchman Waketh but in vain.
VIZ. MELVILLE.