Weekly Trinity journal., 1861-03-09
Number -.
~. ~. Prenii~s on the Union.


is from an address delivered before the New En-
gland Society, of New Orleans, on the 22d of
December, lS45, by S. S. Prentiss. 1t will be
remembered that Prentiss was u poor Green
Mountain boy, who, early in youth, sought his
fortune in the then young State of Mississippi.
He literally hewed his way up from poverty and
obscurity to be the most noted and eminent man
in the South. BY his eloquence, aud brave aud
genial nature, he dazzled the reason, and carried
captive the hearts of all Mississippi. He loved
his adopted land lover adores his bride, but
he never forgot the tall hemlocks and green
mountains of his native home. His soul was
too great for petty jcalousies-he knew no sec
tons America was his country-the Union his
beau ideal of world governments lie has been
dead nearly ten years but long will live in
grateful remembrance in the hearts of the people
of the Mississippi Valley. Would that he were
alive and in the full power of his magic elo-
quence in this his country's hour of madness,
that once again his burning cloquenoe might
sway them from their fratricdal course, and calm
| the storm of sectional passion. No American
can read these words from Prcntiss without an
Involuntary prayer springing from the heart for
preservation of the Union
| "Upop the banks of every river they build
temples to industry. and stop the squanderings
of the spendthrft waters. They bind the naiades
( of the brawliug stream. They drive the dryades
| from their accustomed haunts, and force them to
desert each favorite grove; for upon river, creek
and bay they are busy transforming the crude
forest into sanch and gallant vessels. From
every inlet or indcnture along the rocky shore
swim forth these ocean birds born in the wild
wood, nedged upon the wave. Behold how they
spread their white pinious to the iuvoring breeze,
and wing their flight to every quarter of tho
globe-the carrier pigeons of the world! 1t is
| upon the unstable element the sons of New Eng
land have achieved their greatest riumphs.
Their adventurous prows vex the waters of every
sea Bold and restless the old Northern
Vikings, they go forth to seek their fortunes In
the mighty deep. The ocean is their pasture,
and over It's wide praires they follow the mon
strous herds that feed upou its azure fields. Az
the hunter casts his lasso upon the wild horse,
so they throw their lines upon the tumblng
whale, They "draw out Leviathan with hook"
! They "nll his skin with barbed irons and in
spite of his terrible strength they "part him
among the merchants" To them there are no
pillars of Hercules. They seek with avidity new
regions, and fear not to be the first that ever
burst" into unknown seas. Had they been the
companions of Columbus, the great mariner
would not have been urged to return though
he had sailed westward to his dying day
Glorious New England thou art still trus
! to thy ancient fame and worthy OF thy ancestral
hOnors We thy children, have assembled in
this far-distant land to celebrate thy birth day.
A thousand fond associations throng upon us,
reused by the spirit of the hour. On thy pleasant
valleys rest like sweet dews of morning. tho
gentle recoections Of our carly life around thy
hills and mountains cling, like gathering mists
the mighty memories Of tho Revolution and far
away in the horizon of thy past CLEAN, like thine
own Northern Lights, the awful virtues of our
Pilgrim Siresl But while we devote this day to
remembrance Of our native land, we forget not
that in which our happy lot is cast. We exult in
the reflection that though we count by thousands
the miles which separate us from our birth place,
still our country Is the same. We are no eXiles
meeting upon the banks of foreign river, to
swell It's waters with our home sick tears. Here
floats the same banner which rusted above our
boyish heads, except that its mighty folds ara
wider and its glittering stars increased in mum
ber.
The sons of New England are found in every
State of the broad Republic. In the East, tho
South and the unbOunded West, their blood
minglcs freely with every kindred current We
have but changed our chamber in the paternal
mansion in all It's rooms we are at home, and
all who inbabit IL are our brothers. To us tho
Union has but one domestic hearth its household
gods are all the same. Upon us, then, peculiarly
devolves the duty OF feeling the fires upon that
kindly hearth Of guarding with plous care those
sacred household gods
We cannot do with less than the whole Union;
to us it admits of no division. In the veins of
our children flows northern and southern blood
how shall it be separated; who shall put asunder
the best affections of the heart, the noblest in
sncts OF our nature? We love the land of our
adoption, so do we that OF our birth. Let u1
ever be true to both; and always exert ourselves
in maintaining the unity of our country, the in-
tegrty of the Republic.
Accursed, then, be the hdnd PIT forth 10 loosen
the goLden cord Of Union thrice accursed The trait
orous lips whether Of northern Janatc or southern
deme,-4gue tDhich shaH propose its seUeraAce.. But
no IT, Union cannot be dissolved its fortunes
are too bi iant to be marred its destinies too
powerful to lse resisted Here will be their
greatest triumph, their most mighty development.
And when, century hence, this Crescent City
shall have filed her golden horns when, within
her broad armed port shall be gathered the pro-
ducts of the industry Of hundred millions OF
freemen when galleries of art and halls of
learning shall have made classic this mart OF
trade then may the sons of the Pilgrims still
wandering from the bleak hills of the north,
stand upon the banks of the great river, and
cxclam with mingled pride and wonder, Lo
this is our country when did the world ever
witness 80 rich and magnificent city-so great
and glorious Republic -
OLD IIUNDRED.-If il be true that Luther com
az i,,no nj fho mOFInIq ia