North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-08-09
Joseph Holt.

e~o"3 "hose angular aH0 une1-
pected course III Office has caused astonish-
ment and regret among all bis old friends,
both in Kentucky and the East, wrote let-
ter to one of them in November, 1860, from
which we make a few extracts. After aIlud-
ing TO the prospect of immediate secession in
South Carolina, and other cotton States, this
letter continues:
"The border States, now so devoted to the
Union, will lInger little while, but they will
soon unite their fortunes with t'.ose of the
Southern States. 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 legis-
Ia'i"n 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 con.
d cIed US to the very brink of perdltion. DO
iiticaIly, morally and tnanc ally"
Speaking of the blindness OF tho people to
Coming events, Mr.. Holt said:
They know nothing of civil war. This
march in the desert of the pilgrimage of ns-
tons has happily been for them q sealed
fountain. They know not as others do of its
bitterness, and that civil war is a scourpe
that darkens every firesde, and wrings every
heart with anguish. They are to b. COM
m'sserated, for they know not what to do.
Whence is all this? 1t has come because
the pulpit and the press, and the covering,
unscrupu!ous politicians of the Mort have
taught the people that they are responsible
tor the domestic institutions Of the South
and they can be faithful to God only by be.
ing uniaIthiul to the compact which they
have made with their fellow nen.
Hence those liberty bills, which degrade
the statute books of some ten of the free
States, and are coDfessedly a shameless vio-
lation of the Federal Constitution, in puin,
vital to her honor. We have here presented,
from yeHr to year, the humilIating spectacle
OF free aud sovereign Sttaes, by solemn act
of Iegallzng the theft OF their neighbors
property. | say theft, since it is not less 50
because the sutjrct of the desplcabIe crime,
chances TO be slave instead of bale
of goods"
Portraying the effect of this upon the
Southern mind, the letter goes on as follows:
81 have brother residing in Mississippi,
who is lawyer by profession, and cotton
planter but has never had any connecli IN
".h politics. Knowing the calm and con
servanve tone Of his Character, | wrote him
lew weeks since, and lmplored him TO exert
his Influence in allayrng the frenzy of the
popular mind around him lie has reul,ed
to Inc at much length, and after depicting the
IN Vaccinations Of the wretches TO whom 7
have alluded, aud the CONSERVATION winch
e'gns in the homes of the South, he saws it
i the unaterabe determination of the Sou,h.
ern people 10 overthrow the governm, m. as
the only refuge which is left to them fr, NJ
these insupportable wrongs, and he adds -
On the success Of this movement depends
my every earthly interest, the safety of til,
roof from the firebr4nd, and rfmy wife and
children from the poison and he d"s~"-.' -.-
81 give you This langu age, because 1t truth.
fully expresses the Southern mind, which at
this moment glows as furnace in its haired
10 the North, because Of those Internal agi,a-
'lons, Think you that any people ran endure
this condition Of things When ~. Northern:
preacher nfuses into his audience the spirit.
OF assassins and ncendaries in his crusade
against slavery, dues he think, as he lies
DOM quietly al night, .f the Southern homes
he mas robbed Of sleep, and the helpless wo.
men and children he has exposed TO all the
nameless horrors Of SCI vile insurrectiuns 2
81 am still for the Uui"n, because have
yet faint, hesitating hope that the North
will d." justice to The South, and save the re-
pub! before the wreck Is complete. Bar
acti"r:, to be available, must be prompt. II
The free Slales will sweep the Eber'y bills
from their codes, propose a convention of the
States, and offer guarantees which will afford
the same repose and safety to Southern homes
ard property nj"yed by those of the North
the impending tragedy may be averted, but
not otherwise. | feel q positive personal
humiliation as member of the human family
in tie events now preparing"
OPINION OF STEVEN A DoUGLAs-In the
discussions before the people Of Illinois just
previous to his last election to the U. S. Sen
ate, Judge Douglas said:
81 hold that a negro is not, and never
ought to be citizen of the United States