Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1860-12-14
Gbc National Crisis.
Letter from Member Of the cabinet.

Letter from Member of the Cabinet.
The Pittsburg Chronicle publishes the
following letter, which, itsays, "a promi-
nent clergyman of Pittsburg has just re-
ceived from member of President Buch-
anan's Cabinet--a truly Christian man
and tried patriot: y
WASHINGTON, Nov. 80, 1860.
My DEAR SIR: l am in receipt of
yours of the 9th instant, and thank you
for your kindly allusion to myselfN in
connection with the fearful agitation that
now threatens the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of our
government. l think the Presidents
message will meet your appreciation, but
have little hope that it will accomplish
anything in moderating the madness that
rules the hour The indications arc
that the movement has passed beyond
the reach of human control. God alone
can disarm the cloud of its lightnings.
South Carolina will be out Of the Union,
and in the armed assertion of distinct
nationality, probably before Christmas.
This is certain unless the course of evcnts
is arrested by some prompt and decided
action on the part of the people and the
Legislatures Of the Northern States. The
other Slave States will follow South Car
| DINA in few weeks, or months The
border States, now so devoted to the
Union, will linger little while, but they
will soon unite their fortunes with those
of their Southern sisters Conservative
men have now no ground to stand upon
no weapon to battle with All has been
swept from them by the guilty agitations
and Infamous legislation Of the North
do not anticipate, with any confidence,
that the North will act up to the solemn
responsibilities of the crisis, by retracing
those fatal steps which have conducted
us to the very brink of pcrdition, politi-
cally, morally and financially.
There is a feeling growing in the free
States, which says, "Let the South 90 %
and this feeling threatens rapidly to in
crease. 1t is in part the fruit of com
plete enlargement, and in part weari-
ness of this perpetual conflict between
North and South, which has now lasted,
with increasing bitterness, for thirty
years. The country wants rcpose, and
is willing to purchase it at any sacrifice
Alas, for the delusion Of the belief that
repose will follow the overthrow Of the
government.
| doubt not from the temper of the
public mind, that the Southern States
will be allowed to Withdraw peacefully
but when the work of dismcmbermcnt
begins, we shall break up the fragments
from month 10 month with the noncha-
lance with which we break The bread
upon our breakfast tables. If all the
grave and vital questions which will at
once arise among these fragments Of the
rupturcd republic can be adjusted with
out resort to arms, then we have made
vast progress since the history of our
race was written. But the tragic events
of the hour will show that we have made
no progrcss at all. We shall soon grow
up race of chieftains, who will rival
the political bandits of South America
and Mexico, and who will carve out to
us our miserable heritage with their
bloody swords.
The masses Of the people dream not of
these things. They suppose the repub-
lie can be destroyed to-day, and peace
will smile over its ruins to morrow.
They know nothing Of civil war This
AIarah in the desert of the pilgrimage Of
nations has, happily, been for them
sealed fountain. They know not, as
others do, of its bitterness, and that
civil war is a scourge that darkens every
fircside, and wriDgs every heart with an
guish They are to be comniscrated,
for they know not what they do. Whence
is all this2 1t has come because the
pulpit and the press, aud the covering,
INSCRIPTIONS politicians Of the North
have taught the people that they are re-
sponsible for the domestic institutions Of
the South, and that they can be faithful
to God only by being unfaithful to the
compact which they have made with their
fellow men. Hence those "libcrty bills"
which degrade the statute books of some
ten Of tho free States, and are confessed
y shameless violation of the federal
constitution, in point vital to her honor
We have here presented, from year to
year, the humiliating spectacle of free
and sovereign States, by solemn act Of
Legislation, tegalt@ing tie Meh Of their
neighbo'S property. say theft, since it
e ~ tha I.ss On booo,eo H. .,,t:4 cI
the despicable crime chances to be
slave, instead Of horse or a bale of
goods
From this same teaching has come the
perpetual agitation Of the slavery ques-
ton, which has Tcochod the mind Of Me
dace populdtion If HE ,Soath, and has
rendered every home in that distracted
land insecure. This is the feature Of the
"rrepressible conflict" with which the
Northern people are not familiar. In
almost every part Of the South miscreant
fanatics have been found, and poisoning
and conAagration have marked their foot.
steps. Mothers there lay down at night
trembling, beside their children. and
wives cling to their husbands as they
leave their homes in tho morning. |
have brother residing in Mississippi,
who is lawyer by profession, and cot
ton planter, but has never had any CON
nection with politics. Knowing the
calm aud conservative tone Of his charac-
ter, wrote him, few weeks since, and
implored him to exert his influence in al
laying the phrenzy Of the popular mind
around him lie has replied to me at