The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1858-12-08
Centennial Anniversary or he!evac-
unHt0u NJ Fort Du0ueSne


The centennial anniversary Of the evacuation
Of Fort Duquesne by the French army, and it
acOupation By the English. was eelebnted Il
|, Pittsburgh on the 18th plt. with the creates
enthusiasm. Business was entirely suspended
The procession which psradsd the streets wa.
the mos, gorgeous that ever took place. 1t con
sisted Ofths various military companies Of the
city and neigIfb6fhoOd, the remaining soldier:
of the wars of the Revolution and 1872, the
Mayor Of the city and other officials of the city
and county, and lhe various trades, which were
represented by large number ofcity operatives
with appropriate banners, emblems and devices.
The FIremen, 0id Fellows, turner's, Beuevo-
lent, Literary and other civic societies, also
turned out in large numbers. A large number
of strangers wsre also present, and many prom
ineut public men. Addresses were delivered by
the Hon. A..W. LOOMS, w. Wilkins and 9TH
ers at the Daquesne depot of the Pennsylvania
Railroad, which is leOated on the spot Of Old
, Fort Duquesne.
The following noble and patriotic letter from
the President of the United States was read:
;. WAsuINGToN Nov. %.
r GEsTbRMEs3-I have the honor to receive
your invitation to be present, on the 25th inst.
at the Centennial Anniversary Of the capture OF
Fort Duquesne; and ! regret that the pressure
Of public affairs, period so near the meeting
of Congress, renders itimpossible that should
enjoy this privilege 4, -.'.-
Every patriot must rejoice whilst rejecting
upon. the unparalleled progresSs of our country
within the last century, What,was, atits com
Increment an obscure Fort far beyond the
western frontier ofciVzation, has now become
the centre OF popuous commercial and manu-
featuring city, sending its productions to large
and prosperous sovereign States still farther west
whose territories were then a!vast, unexplered
and silent wilderness.
From the stand point at which wo have arri-
we'd the anxious patriot cannot fail, whilst review
ing the past, to cast glance into the future and
to speculate upon what may be the condition Of
our beloved country, when your posterity shall
assemble to celebrate the second Centennial An
niversary of the capture Of Fort Duquesne.-
Shall our tc1ole country then compose one uni
ted nation more populous, powerful and free
than any other which has ever existed? Or
will the confederacy have beyen rent asunder and
divided into groups ofhostile and jealous State?
Or may not be possible that ere the neXe cele-
bration all the fragments, exhausted by uterine
diate conflicts with each other, may have finally
reunited and sought re tuse under the shelter of
one great and oyershadowing Despotism?
These questions will, firmly believe, under
the Prov dence ofGod, be virtually decided by
the present generation. We have reached cri-
sis when upen their action depends the preser-
vaton Of the Union according to the letter and
spirit of tee Constitution; and this once gone,
all is lost.
regret to say that the present omonS arc far
from propitious. Ia the last age Of the Repub
lie, it was considered almost reasonable to pro-
nounce the word Disumon Times have since
sadly changed and nov Disunion is freely pre-
scribcd as the remedy for eyanescant evils, real
or imaginary which if left to themselves would
speedily vanish away in ths'progress Of events
Our fathers have passed away and the gener-
alton next after them who were inspired by
their personal counsHLand EXAMPLE have near
ly all disappeared. The present generation de-
prived of these lights must, whether they will or
not, decide the fate of their pOsterity. Lot them
cherish the Union in their heart ofhearts:--let
them resist every measure which may tend to
relax or dissolve its bonds:--let the citizens of
different States cahAate@ feelings of kindness
and forbearance towards each other: and let
ailresolve 10 transmit it to their defendants in
the form ard spirit they have inherited it from
their foreathers; and all will then be well for
our country in future times.
Ishall assume the privilege of advancing years
in referring to another growing and dangerous
evil. In the last age, although our fathers, like
ourselves were divided into political parties |
which often had severe conflicts with each 9TH
er, yet we never heard until with ecent period
ofthe employment ofmoney to carry elections
Shonld this practice increase until the voters
and their Representatives in the State and Ma
tiOnal Legislatures shall become infected, the
fountion offroe government will then be poison |
ed at its source and We must end, rs history
proves, in military despotsm. A Democratic
Republic, all agree, cannot long survive unless
sustained by public virtue When this is cor
rupted and hepaople become venal, there is a
canker at the root of the tree of liberty which
must tause it to wither and die.
fraying Almighty God, that your remote pos
terity may continue, century after century for
ages yet to come to celebrate the anniversary o
Fort Duquesne in peace and prosperity under
the protecting banner OF the Constitution and
the Union. .r..,
remain, Very respectfully Your friend,
a-'-- JAMES BUCHANAN.