Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1861-01-18
VOL XIII.
The Ring of the True Metal.
Letter from Hon. John Sherman to the Citizens
Of Philadelphia.
WAsHIxGToN. Dec. %. Is6l

w ASIINGToN, Dec p, 1860.
GENTLEMEx Your note of the 18th inst,
inviting me to attend public dinner in your
city, on Friday evening next, was duly receiv-
ed.
remember with pleasure the kindness
shown me during the recent canvass by our
political friends at Philadelphia, and would
gladly avail myself Of the proposed celebration.
to mingle my personal thanks With your re-
joicings over the recent triumph of sur politi-
cal principles. Other engagements and duties
however, will not allow me that pleasure.
No State can dispute with Pennsylvania
the honor of this triumph. Her own son was
upon trial, and her voice Of condemnation was
emphatic and decisive. The election of Cur
tin foreshadowed her decision, and strengthen
ed our cause 10 every State where freedom of
election is allowed to the people. Her YER
dict IN November reconsidered and reafirmed
her verdict in October. And now, since the
victory is won, let us not lose the fruits of it.
Fidelity to principle is demanded by the
highest patriotism. The question is not wheth-
er this Or that policy should prevail bat
whether we shall allow the government to be
broken into fragments, by disappointed parti-
sans, condemned by four-ffths of the people
Il is the same question answered by General
jackson in his proclamation of 1888. 1t is
the same question answered by Henry Clay in
the Senate of 1850 1t is the same question
answered by Madison and Jefferson, and re-
Gently by Wade and johnson. 1t is ques-
tion which, l feel assured, every one of you
win answer, in the patriotic language of Gen
eral jackson -" The Union, it must be pre-
served"
Such would be the voice Of the whole eoun-
try, j! the government was not now admins
tered by those who not only permit treason,
but actually commit it, by turning the power
Of the government against itself They kill
the government they have sworn to maintain
and defend, because the people, whose agents
they are, have condemned them. In this spir
il we have seen a Secretary of the Treasury,
charged with the financial credit of the gov
ernment, Offering for sale the bonds of the
government, and at the same moment declar-
ing that it would be OverthrOwn, and that he
would aid in Oyerthrowing ii. We see other
high officers receiving pay for services to the
government, and yet at the same moment plot
Ting its destruction. We sec the Treasury
TO ,bel by subordinate oiliceis amid the genera
ruin Stranger still, we see the President of
til United States acknowledging his duty To
execute the laws, but refusing to execute them.
He admits that the Constitution is the sn-
preme law I; that neither State nor the citi-
zens of State can disregard it and yet,
arm d as he is with all the executive power
he even refuses to protect the praperly of the
United States against armed violence. He
viii not hear Gen. CaSs, the head of his Cabi-
not. He will not heed Gen. Scott, the head
of the army. He has transferred to the
Southern States more than one hundred thou
sand arms, of the newest patterns and most ef-
ftctive caibrc, to be turned against the gov
ernment.
The American people are now trembling
with apprehension lest the President allows
our officers and soldiers to be slaughtered at
their posts for want of aid which he has rcfus-
cd, or, what is fur more disgraceful, shall or
der the flag of the Union to be lowered with
out resistance to !awless force.
Treason sits in the councils, and timdity
controls the executive power. The President
listens to and is controlled by threats. lie
theoriz2s about coercing a State, when he
should be enforcing the laws against rcbellious
citizens He admits that the States have sur
rendered the power to make treaties, coin
money, and regulate commerce, and yet we
will probably have the novel and ridiculous
| farce of negotiation between the President
and a State for the surrender of forts, and ar
seuas, and sovereignty Congress can do
nothing, for the laws now are sufficient, if exc
cuted. Impeachment is too slow remedy
The Constitution provided against every pos
sible vacancy in the office of President, but
did not provide for utter imbecilny.
| The people, alarmed excited yet true to
| the Union and Constitution, are watching
with eager fear, lest the noble government,
baptized in the blood Of the Revolution, shall
be broken into fragments before the President
elect shall ussumc the functions Of his office.
What pretext is given for this alarming con-
dition of affairs for every reasonable act
has its pretext. We are told that the people
Of the South I'll States apprehend that Mr..
Lincoln will deprive them of their constilu-
tional rights. 1t is not claimed that, as yet,
their rights heve been invaded, but upon an
apprehension of evil, they will break up the
most prosperous government the Providence
| of God ever allowed to man.
We know very well how groundless are their
apprehensioDs, but we are not even allowed to
say so to our fellow citizens of the South
So wild is their apprehension, That such states
men as Stephens, johnson, Hill, Bolts, and
Pettigrcw, when they say /" wait wait till we
see what this Republican party will attempt,
are denounced as abolitionists, submissionistS.
You know very well that we do not propose
to interfere in the slightest degree with slave
ry in the States. We know that our leader,
fer whose election you rejoice, has, over and
over again, affirmed his opposition to the abo-
lition of slavery in the District OF Columbia,
except upon conditions that are not likely to
occur, to any interference with the Interstate
slave trade, and that he will enforce the Con
stitutional right of the citizens Of the slave
/ States to reeaptme their fugitive slaves when
they escape from service into the free States
We know very well that the great objects
which those who elected Mr.. Lincoln expect
to accomplish will be to secure to free labor
its Just right to the Territories of the United
States to protect as far as practicable, by
wise revenue laws, the labor of our people tc
secure the public lands to actual settlers, in
stead of to nonresident spectators; to dc
velop the internal resources of the country by
opening new means of communication between
! the Atlantic and the Pacific, and to purify tht
, administration of the government from the per
: nicious Influences of jobs contracts, and un
, reasonable party warfare.
But some of you may say, all this is yer.
r well. but what will you do to save the Union
Why don't you compromise?
Gentlemen, remember, that we arc just re
covering from the dshonor of breaking a leg
j islative compromise. We haae been struggling
, against all poucers Of the GoUernment for 81
gears, to secure practically artot aras eIpresst
r granted By compromise. We haze succeeded
Kansas is now free. The Missouri restriction
is now practically restored by the incipien
cnnsfitntinn of Kansns and snler vet hY tn