Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-12-04

- atsAuS
GENTLEMEN: have had the honor to receive
your invitation to be present. on the 25h instant at
the Centennial Anniversary of the capture of Fort
Duquesne; and regret that the pressure of public
affairs, at period near the meeting of Congress
renders it impossible, that should enjoy this priv
ilege -, !. 81. ~ asss
the unparalleled progress of our country within
the last century, What was at its commencement,
an obscure fort far beyond the western frontier of
civilization, has become the centure of popu-
lous commercial and manufacturing city, sending its
productions to large and prosperous sovereign States
still further west whose territories were then vast
unexplored, and silent wilderness =
From the stand point at which we have arrived
the anxious patriot cannot fail whilst reviewing the
past to cast glance into the future, and to specu
late upon what may be the condition of our country
when your posterity shall assemble to celebrate the
second Centennial Anniversary of the capture of
Fort Duquesne. Shall our schole country then COM
pose one united nation more populous powerful and
free than any other which has ever existed? Or
will the confederacy have been rent asunder and
divided into groups of hostile and jealous States p
Or may it not be possible that the next ceebra
ton all the fragments exhausted by intermediate
conflicts with each other, may have finally reunited
and sought refuge under the shelter of one great
and overshadowing despotsm
These questions will firmly believe, under the
Providence of God, be virtually decided by the
upon their action depends the preservation of the
Union according to the letter and spirit of the Con-
stitution; and this once gone, all is lost. r#
l regret to say that the present omens are far
from propitious In the last age of the Republic
it was considered almost reasonable to pronounce
the world disunion. Times have since sadly chang
ed and now disunion is freely prescribed as the
edy for cvanescent evils real imaginary, which, if
left to themselves would speedily vanish away in
the progress of events .-..f .
Our revolutionary fathers have passed away, and
the generation next after them who were inspired
by their personal counsel and example, have nearly
all disappeared The present generation, deprived
of these lights must whether they will not, de-
eide the fate of their posterity. Let them cherish
the Union in their heart of hearts; let them resist
every measure which may tend to relax dissolve
its bonds let the citizens of different States cult
vate feelings of kindness and forbearance towards
each other and let all resolve to transmit it to their
descendants in the form and spirit they have in
herited it from their forefathers and all will then
| be well for country in future times.
shall assume the privilege of advancing years in
referring to another growing and dangerous evil In
the last age, although our fathers like ourselves
divided into political parties which often had
severe conflicts with each other yet we never heard
until within a recent period, of the employment o.
money to carry elections. Should this practice in
until the voters and their representatives ir
the State and National Legislatures shall become
infected the fountain Of free government will ther
be poisoned at its source, and we must end as his
tory proves, in a military despotism. A Democrat
ic republic, all agree, cannot long survive, unless
sustained by public virtue. When this is corrupted
and the people become venal, there is canker al
the root of the tree of Liberty which must cause i
to wither and to die.
Praying Almighty God that your remote poster
ty may continue, for ages to come, to celebrate tn
anniversary of the capture of Fort Duquesne in
and prosperity, under the banner fthe Constitution
and the Union, l remain,
Very respectfully, your friend
JAMES BUCHANAN.
To Russell Erret J. Heron Foster James P. Barr
Charles Midnight, j. G.. Backofen William NJ
Darlington, and I. j. Bigham, Esquires, Commit
tee Of Inritation