, 1860-03-23
ExceIIenl sense and sound Patriotism.

/. Dr. Robert j. Breckenridge the uncle Of
the Nice-P President, uu old man of seventy
year, Of age, has just written a powerful
letter to his nephew, imploring him to be
true to the Union IN these days Of treason
able language. We give the closing para
graphs
" 1t is the iurthest possible froal being
trne that the secession Of portion Of tie
slave States, by the disruptiol Of tbe Umjn
on the slave line, is a necessary, wise, or
even an allowable alternative. 1t is true
the States are sovereign States. But it is
equally true that the nation is a nation
the American people IL people, Great Ia.
tons cannot suddenly disappear, Ike Il
cloud Of insects; nor do powerful nations
fade in day, like the flower or the grass
1t took the Roman Empire thousand
years to die; and the Hebrew nationality
has survived through all the possible for
tune Of four thousand years.
"To rend nation in twain is a far more
terrible procedure than for nation to re-
cover itself by an internal struggle Moth,
ing can lie more certain, than that slavery
cannot be petultcd Oh this continent by
means of the rending Of this nation With
a single nationality Ike oa.s, internal strug-
giles, no matter how often they may occur,
can never be greatly prolracted, aud can
never fatally arrest the progress Of society
But ii precisely sach case as ours, tbs
permanent rending of the nation is u catas.
trophe-the progress OF which promises
nothing so assuredly as the mutual dissolu-
ton of both parts--~ind the end of which
can produce nothing more certainly than
the total defeat Of the .GyoSed object Of its
preparation. The firm determination Of
every portion of the Uuion to maintain its
rights within the Union, under every ex-
trcmity, would soon put an end te all ne
cesSity for any portion OF it to elect be-
tween terrible means Of doing so. II is
the holding in reserve Of this idea OF reud-
ing the nation, it is the weakening Of The
idea Of our glorious nationality that gives
vigor, ifnoL existence, TO SO many ideas
which can escape being traitorous only by
denying that VIC are a people or have any
nationality. In the restoration Of that
great idea, there is q moral force eolnpe-
tent TO save the country by ordinary means,
even in such crisis as this. Or, il there
is not, there is practical force in it com
petent TO save the country by arms, when
ever law Is silent, ,and arms are the only
remedy It Is horrible to reflect that the
children Of the Revolution might be OBJ
lged to shed each others blood. How
much more horrible to shed it in sncl(
manner that oceauS Of il. could never, We
store what we had destroyed, while every
drop Of it would be an eternal testimony,
against our folly ~ - sadisa
For my part, am mot ashamed 10,
confess the depth Of my love for my whole
country, and the mingled sorrow aud indlg-
nation with which witness every attempt
to weaken amongst the people the seuss Of
what we owe to the mother Of us.alL No
people ever did anything glorious, who did
not believe in God, WHO were not faithful
to oaths, and who did not love their c0un-l
try. When reflect on what God has al
ready done for Us, and already done by nsl
for his owa glory and for the Advancement
Of the human race; when | consider what
our position and our influence amongst the
nations of tho earth must be when we be-
come huudred millions; when try to apS
preciate the necessity Of Just such power,
on earth, and the majesty Of its beuefeentl
aud irresistible exercises; my very heart
throbs with overpowering Joy and exulta-
ton that sueIi destiny is reserved Tor my
people, that such refuge aud Inheritance
is kept in store for man. thank God
continually that the dust Of my ancestors
mingles with this soil; that the hands Of
my kindred have labored on these sublimeH
monuments; that the yalor Of my. friends
was part OF the cost by which all has
been secured; and that the lot Of lhe inher-
itanec Of my pOsteriiy appertahs to such a
land and such people fsTs
As for the South, taken in its widest
sense, God has cast my lot there, aud !
have been loyal to her; all the more loyal,
that have been neither blind TO her er-
rors, nor ignorant Of her perlls. As for
Kentucky, if have left undohe anything
could have done for her honor, her inter
est, or her glory, she knows how joyfullyI
would redeem that lack OF service. Bat
still l love my county; still | am al Ameri-
can citizen. Aud | deny, with uplifted
hands the right Of any Court, auy Presi-
dent, any Congress, any State. any com
bination Of States uuder Heaven, to abolish
from amongst men that highest Of all hu-
man titles. / have worn it as crown all
my days on earth. Aud | implore you by
our common blood aud common name, by
all the love so many noble hearts bear for
you, and all the hopes they cherish con
cerniug you, SO to quit yourself in this day
of trial aud rebuks, that. you shall bear
that title proudly, long after my gray hairs
are under the green sod.
S,...,.. m IL nnr,1rNr 1,hn ,rifn nf Inh,,