Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-12-04
Tender of a Public Dinner to the Hon
G.. J. Biddle.

Tue Hon. Charles j. Bidde, Representative
in Congress of our Second District, ard Colonel
of regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserves, hav
ing returned from active duty in the field. where
he has been serving since the opening of the war,
number of his friends have invited him to meet
them at public dinner.
Col Biddle has, however, declined the proffer
ed honor. His letter is as follows
To Hon, George III. Dallas, Charles J. Lagersou,
Peter NcCdU John Cad1caIader, George SAarJ-
rood, 4. T. Parsons, Frederic Farley, Henry
II PhiEips, ESqS., and others.
GENTLEMEN-I have hal the pleasure to
ceive to-oay, your communication, and beg you
to accept my thanks for the isttcriDg terms in
which you have expressed your views upon what
has beer, to me, subject of anxious reflection.
1t has been my earnest desire, at this great
juncture in National affairs, to give my hum
bic services where they may be most useful to
my country. With this purpose | took the field;
and holding, during the period of the Extra Ses
sion, separate and important command, l did
not feel at liberty to quit it to take the scat in
Congress to which you had, in my absence cleo
ted me.
have come for day or ~ o. from the great
camp in front OF Washington, where | command
a regiment that has been TO me source of the
highest pride and satisfaction, and shall leave
it with feelings of regret that | will not attempt
to express here. But yield to the representa-
tions of the wishes of my constiu ents, conveyed
to me in your letter and in other FORMS l shall
therefore tender, through the proper authorities,
the resignation of my military commission from
the State, and, as your representative, will re
turn to Washington
1t is true that, according TO high authorities,
L might at once hold the two positions; but it is
plain that could not perform the duties of both
and, waving the bare legal question, it seems
to me to be Incompatible with the character of a
representative and legislator to be a paid OFF,
Ger, subject to the orders Of the Executive, and
present in his place only by the revocable leave
of military superior. 1 have, therefore reached
that your representative must not now be thus
trammelled !; yet should the tide of war, indeed,
roll round the National Capital, l hope that my
brethren in arms will find room in their ranks
for one soldier ilore.
My political opinions what they have al
ways been. / am Democrat-never more one
than at this hour | rejoice that it was with my
name upon your banners that you overthrew the
Republican party 10 this city.
When | say ( am Democrat / do not mean
that | belong to any knot of politicians. When
| say am Democrat, mean that l have ever
maintained those national principles which, un-
der God, made and preserved us a nation those
great national principles of justice and equality
for all the States which, so long as they were
practced, made various institutions and IN
terchangeahle commodities bonds of strength and
union rather than grounds FOR strife.
This, at least, we may say for the Democratic
party-it rated at their true value the fantastic
theories, the whimsies, the 'isms,' the questions
OF mere phraseology. that men, calling themselves
statesmen, have preferred to peace, to union, to
the gradual progress and development of each
section. and all races in due relations to natural
causes This. too, we may say for the Demo-
cratic party-while it maintained its sway Sc
cession' was a little bafled clique the Repub-
lican party rose, Secession became an army
with banners.
Nor the foresight of the Republican lead
ers wider than their patriotism. The false proph-
cts of the party promised their followers that
three months should see the end of all the troub-
lie f; and when war came upon them even then
even then they wanted only three months volun-
tee's to end it. They created and fostered that