The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-07-13
PHILADELPHIA, JuIy 10Th Isl

PHILADELPHIA, July lOlh, 1851.
DEAR EDrToR There is not an honest
heart in Pennsylvania that does not beat
warmly for your success during this trying
crisis; and aid and encouragement Should
come from us unsolicited The IJhig is
hailed throughout our State as the great cham.
pion of" Union in eastern Maryland and
long may she thunder forth her unmiStak able
truths In the enjoyment Of such character.
Having followed the articles cmnating from
your pen, and those of your correspondents
since the commencement Oh our present
national difficulties, am constrained to ask
your indulgence Of my desire to supply that
which suppose to he a want of your paper
an occasional Philadelphia letter.
do not propose to bring to my assistance
profundity Of crudition, nor solidity Of
reasoning but such remarks as my humble
ability may render me capable of laying
before your readers, hereafter. it is my sim
cere hope, will be received with Il generosity
proportionate 10 the spirit in which they
shall be written. We all should direct our
arguments upon the questions involved in the
present national issues in friendly, cour.
tcous and faithful spirit. Friendly 10 those
who may, from a religious conviction. differ
with us; courteously to hose whose inclna.
tons lead them. without argument or an
understanding of their true positions to an
opposite course Of thinking and, faithfully
to the avowed cncnlcs to the proper observ-
ance of the constitutional restrict ions and
laws paramount Of the land. Such course
/ hope to pursue, and as a faithful exponent
of the times, gain that confidence with your
readers which shall hcget responsibility in
me "a responsibility that will convict me of
the necessity Of doing my part well.
Such form of government as that under
which we live, was not the product Of day,
nor oe an hour albeit. may think, with
manv of the writers in " The FcdcraHSt,"
iand political historians Of more recent day.
that it was not the intention of The trainers of
the Declaration of Independence to establish
Constitutional Republic. Sufficient for us
to know at this day that it was DONE The
trainers of the Declaration of Independence,
the Articles Of Confederation. and suisse
quently Of our present Constitution, and their
associates, formed phalanx of great minds,
than which no assemblage OF men. in any age,
were greater They were instructed upon Il
sides in the duty they had to perform, and
their ability Wcstigcd success in the forma-
tion of Constitution that was to govern the
most mighty nation of the world In the
mother country they had bitter teacher,
and on the page o! history was recorded the
decay and fall Of the mighty republics Of
Greecc--the Respondent republic of Rome
and that founded upon a basis of folly and
foundation Of iicentiousness--the republic of
France, from which could be learned the
secret of their fall and that which ruined
them" The one taught them how to mould
and fashion the Government. the other how
to preserve it. These fountains of knowledge
were rcsorted to with avidity 20 quench the
thirst for knowledge of governments That
"Republican " was term alike applicable
to all governments wherein the people retained
in their own hands the functions of govern
ment, or delegated that power to representa-.
tivcs, in accordance with constitutional
instructions and restrictions prescribed by
the people to be governed, they all knew {;
but to make those instructions and restrict
the powers of the representatives was the
great difficulty to be surmounted. That
there were heads equal to the task is already
indclliLly recorded on the page of time: and
their work is the testament that we are all
republicans" Lords of the self-same herit-
age.' By their own unbiased franchise they
did solcmnly undertake and covenant with
and among themselves to make all laws pro.
per and necessary to be made for the common
benefit, in strict accordance with the funda-
mental principles Of the Constitution; and
likewise, that they should execute and admin
lister the laws so enacted. The people were
alike the governor and The governcd-the
ruler and the ruled-the emperor and the
empire. They ratified this Constitution in
solemn asscmblage held, for their own control
IN their intercourse with each other as citl-
zens. lawmakers, judges and executors Of the
law. For almost seventy years this has
been pronounced the wisest production Of any
age. Before it the shade Of the Amphi-
chyonic council fades. the IIanseatic league
grows pale, and the bright stars that existed
in the Dutch and French Republics, and he
Swiss Confederacy are shorn of their laurals.
Under its benign influence the earth, like q
good parent, multiplied her gifts. in proper
ton to the number Of her children who
merited her bounty by their labor, and scat
tered plenty over the smiling land Plenty,
cheer fulncss, domestic concord. and public
tranquility became uninterrupted and univcr-
sal. No country ever made the rapid strides
we did towards intelligence and sure refine.
ment Jealousy and faction did not break in
upon the homely joys of our fathers; they
werc,not scduced by pleasure nor BY indo-