Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-03

rs the foregoing Is Of general interest to the
people Of the State, we respectfully request tho
Examiner to copy.
HALIFAX County, Va, Nov 22d. 1853
.<-OS>-
THE CELEBRATION AT PTTTsBURG
LETTER OF PRESIDENT BUCHANAN
WASHINGTON Nov 22d, 1855.
GENTLEMEN: | have had the honor to re.
ceive your invitation to he present. on the 25th
instant at the Centennial Anniversary Of the
capture of Fort Duquc>nc: and | regret that
the pressure Of public affairs, 1T a period 50
near the meeting Of Congress, renders it i'm.
possible that should enjoy this privilege.
Every patriot must rejoice whilst rejecting
upon the unparalleled progress of orr country
within the last century. What was. at its
commencement, an obscure fort. far beyond
the western frontier Of civilization. has now
become the centre Of populous commercial
and manufacturing city, sending its produc.
tions to large and prosperolr~ sovereign States
still further west. whose territories were then
vast, uncSplored. and silent wilderness
From the stand point at which We have ar
rived. the anxious patriot cannot fail, whilst re-
viewing the past, to r;u>t 4 glance into the FL
tnrc. and to speculate upon what may be the
condition of our country when your poStrrity
shall assemble to celebrate the second Ccntrn-
nial Anniversary of the capture of Fort Du-
qucSnc. Shall our rhoir country then COM
pose one united nation more populouS power
lll and free than any other which has ever cx
iStct: Or will the conicderacy have been rent
aSundcr and divided into groups of hostile and
jealous States: Or may il not he possible that
ere the next celebration all the fragments. cx.
halIStel 10y intermediate conflicts with each
other, may have finally reunited and sought
refuge under the shelter Of one great and over.
Shadowing lcSpotiSm:
These questions will, ! firmly believe, under
the Providence of God bc virtually decided by
the present generation We have reached
crisis whcn upon their action depends the pre-
Scrvaton oi the Union according to the letter
and spirit Of the Constitution; and this once
gone. all is lost.
regret To say that the present "mcrs are
far from propitiou> In the last age of the
Republic it was considered almost reasonable
to pronounce the word diSunioH. Times have
since sadly changed. and now diSunion is free.
ly prescribed a. the remedy for cyanc>ccnt
evils real or imaginary. which. il left To them
selves would speedily vanish away in the pro.
grcSs Of events
and the generation next after them, who were
inspired by their personal counsel and exam
pie, have nearly all disappeared The present
generation, deprived of these lights. must. whc-
thcr they will ar not, decide the fate of their
postcri,y Let them cherish the Union in their
heart Of hearts let them resist every measure
which may tend to relax or dissolve its bonds;
let the citizens uf different States cultivate feel
- Il
other aud let all resolve To transmit il to their
descendants in the form AMI spirit they have
inherited it from their forciathcrS: and all will
then be well for Otlr country in future times.
shall assume the privilege Of advancing
years in referring to another growing and dam
gcrouS evil In the last aye, although our
fathers, like ourselves were divided into polti-
cal parties which often had severe conflicts
with each other yet never heard, until
within recent period Of the employment Of
money to carry elections. Should this practice
increase until the voters and their representa-
tivcS in the State and National Legislatures
shall become infected. the fountain of free gov
crnlnrnt will then be- poisoned at It's source and
we must end. aS history proves. in Il military
drSpotiSlm. \ Democratic republic. all agree.
cannot long survive. unless sustained by pub.
people become vcnal there is - canker at the
root of the tree u! Liberty which must cause
It to wither and to die.
Praying Almighty God that Your remote pos.
tcrity may continue, century after century for
ages to come. to celebrate the anniversary of the
capture of Fort Du1ucSnc in peace and pros
pcrity, under the banner Of tine Constitution
and the Union, remain.
Very respectfully your friend,
JAMES BuCmANAH..
TO Russell Errct. j. Heron Foster. jaime, =.
Barr, Charles Midnight. j. &. Barkotcn
William VI. Darlington. and /. j. Bigham.
E>ulrcS, Tommin,f ~ H"it'tion.
LETTER or coy. wi>r To Tur rIrrSItEG GLE.
RrruNoNp w.. Nov. .. lS5s.
Gentclncn-I regret that it will not hc in
INV power to unite with the citizens Of Wcs-
tern Pennsylvania. in celebrating the 18th in
Stant the Centennial Anniversary Of the Cap
turc of Fort DuqucSnc.
The site of Fort Pitt is associated with great
events in our history. and especially with the
life and actions Of George Washington. His
youthful observations marked ii aS Il place oi
great power. not only in war, but in peace
Late in life. his almost prophetic vision looked
to its connection with the Potomac in its links
to the Lakes II was to be point, IN h"hs'".
of commerce from the North and Northwest.
and the CapcS Of Virginia were 10 l'c the great
pillars Of Hercules TO the gate Of american
Commerce with the World. TO this cnd, he
began the improvement Of his own mighty river
of Swans. and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
WAS the beginning Of the result
And now. let me call your attention I" the
fact that another great company. of the James
River and kanawha Canal in whose great
work Washington was Il co-laborer. is about to
,lcvrlopr a rofsrlmmation for Fort Pitt. such
as Washington contemplated in way which
experience and true science and time alone
could discover Mr. Elicit. the Engineer of
the Kanawha River Improvement, has boldly
and drmon>trativcly proposed 10 hold the
mighty foods in reservoirs Of civil engineering,
and To give them out bountfully to navigation
the wear round: Ia save. in the seasons oi sur
plus rains. more than Suiliciency in drousht>.
to swell our rivers To depth To float all our
produce 10 market Ia prevent inundation
in times Of flood and scarcity of water in
dry times; to change climate itself by re-
tanning evaporation at home. and to use
the waters themselves at the highest level Of
canal to cut their channels out faster than
with the power Of steam or Of pck-axcS and
spades. This programme Of Improvement Is
first. | am proud TO announce to you To he
applied to the Great kanawha. and it must
ultimately be applied to the upper Ohio. The
grand reservoirs for the Ohio must br found
in circle not larger than. "a county's territory,
where the Monongahcla, the Elk and the
Gaucy rivers rise in the Allcghany mountains
in the centre of Virginia. II this noble en-
tcrprisc be carried out and il succeeds, Fort
Pitt may set thousand more anvlS ringing.
and send her boats up and down stream all
the seasons Of all the years Of ages until the
clouds Of Heaven shall fall.
invite your attention To tlc report oi Cha>.
Elicit to the Board of the James River and
Kanawha Canal Company. as the greatest con,