Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1859-05-20
WILLrAN II. SEvAAp.


SPRINGFIELD, H., April 8, 1859.
Gentlemen: Your kind nOte, inviting ne
10 attend a festival IN Boston, on the 18th
inst, IN honor OF the birth day Of Thomas
Jefferson, was duly received. My engage
menis are such that can not attend. Bear
ing N mind that about seTenty years ago TWO
great political parties were first formed IN
this country; that Thomas Jefferson was al
the head of one OF them, and Boston The head
quarters of the other. 1t Is both curious and
interesting that those supposed 10 descend,
poliucally, from the party opposed To Jeffer
son, should now be celebrating his birthday
IN their own original seat OF empire, while
those claiming political descent from him
have nearly ceased TO breathe MS name every
where.
Remembering that the jefferson party was
formed upon lis supposed superior devotion
10 Ine personal nights OF men, holding the
nights OF property 10 be secondary only. and
greatly inferior, and then assuming that the
so-called Democracy Of to-day are the Jefier-
son, and theIr opponents the antl-Jef'erSon
parties, II will be equally interesting 10 note
how completely the two have changed hands
as to the principles upon which they were
originally supposed 10 be divided.
The Democracy of to-day hold the liberty
Of one man TO be absolutely nothing, when IN
conflict with another man right Of property
Republicans, on the contrary, are Tor both
the man and the dollar bat u cases Of con-
1ic, the man before the dollar.
remember being once amused al seeing
two partially intoxicated men engaged 10 a
hgh; with their great coats on, which hight,
after a long and rather harmless contest, end
ed IN each having fought himself out OF his
own coat and into that Of the other. II the
two leading parties Of this day are really Iten-
tical with the two in the days OF Jefferson and
Adams, Ihey have performed the same feat as
the two drunken men.
But soberly. 1t Is now no chili's play 10
save the principles of jefferson from q total
overthrow in this nation.
One would state with confidence that he
could convince any sane child that the SIM
pier propositions Of Euclid are true; but
nevertheless. he would fail. utterly, with one
who should ieny the definitions and axIoms.
The principles o. jefferson are the definitions
and a1ioms O. free society. Aud vet they are
denied AMI evated. with no small show o.
success. One daShIngy calls them "sliler-
ing generahue>,' another blanty calls them
-self-eyident lies : and others insiduously
argue that they apPy only to superior
races
1 leSe EXPRESSIONS llHtIllg n 4pfui- eIc
identical in object and effect, thus supFant-
ing the principles Of free government, and
restoring those Of classification, cast and e.
gitimacy. They would delight conyocaion
OF crowned heads plotting against the people.
They are the vaBsuari-Ihe miners and sap
pers Of returning despJusm. We mus re-
pulse them, or they will sutju-aie Us.
This Is a world Of compen>alions and he
who wonld be no slave must consent 10 hGre
no slave. Those who deny freedom to others
deserve it not for themselves and. under
lust God. can not long retain It.
All honor 10 Jeli-rson-tJ the man who. n
the concrete pressure of struggle fer nation
a independence By single people, had the
coolne>s. forecast aad capacity TO introduce
into a merely revolutionary document. an
abstract truth. applicable TO all men and all
times, and SO TO embalm Il there that today
-
and a stumbling block 10 the very harhlngers
of re-appearins tyranny and oppression.
Your obedieut servant,
A LINCOLN.