Year: 1860

DR.. Robert J. Breckenridge, the uncle Of the
Vice President, an old man of seventy years, has
lust written powerful letter to his nephew, i'm
ploring him to be true to the Union in these days
of reasonable language We give the closing
paragraphs


1t is the furthest possible from being true that
the secession of a portion of the slave States, by
the disruption Of the Union on the slave line, Is
u necessary. u wise, or even an allowable alter
native. 1t is true the States are sovereign States
But it is equally true that the nation is nation
the American people people. Great nations
cannot suddenly disappear, like cloud of in
sects nor do powerful nations fade in day. like
the flower or the grass 1t took the Roman En-
pre u thousand years to die and the Hebrew
nationality has survived through all the possible
fortune of four thousand years


To rend a nation in twain il q far more terri
BILE procedure than for u nation to recover itself
by an internal struggle. Nothing can be moro
certain, than that slavery cannot be perpetuated
on this continent by means of the rending OF this
nation With u single nationality like ours, in
ternal struggles. no matter how often they may
occur, can never be greatly protraeted, aud eau
never fatally arrest the progress OF society. But
in precisely such Il case as ours, tue permanent
rcndng of the nation is u catastrophe pro-
gress of which promises nothing 50 asSurediy as
the mutual dissolution of both parts-and the





than the total defeat of the avowed object of its
pcrpetration. The firm determination OF every
portion of the Union to maintain its rights wthln
the Union, under every extremity, would soon
put an end to all necessity for any portion OF it
TO elect between terrible means OF doing So IL
il the holding in reserve OF this idea OF rGnding
the nation, it Is the weakening of the idea OF our
glorious nationality. that gives vigor, II not eX'
istence to so many ideas which can escape being
traitorous only 10y denying that we are people
or have any nationality. In the restoration OK
that great idea, there ia II moral force comp tent
to save the country 10y ordinary means, even III
such a crisis ~ this. Or, 1t there Is not, there i5
a practical force in it competent TO save the
country by arms, whenever law Is suent, and
arms are the only remedy. 1t ~ horrible to re-
fleet that the children Of the Revolution might
be Obliged to shed each other $ blood. How much
more horrible to shed it in such manner that
oceans of it could never restore what we had
destroyed, while every drop OF 1t would be an
eternal testimony against our iolly.


For my part, | am not ashamed TO confess tho
depth of my love for my whole country, aud tue
mingled sorrow aud indignation with which
witness every attempt To weaken amongst tho
prople the sense of what we owe to the mother
of us all. No people ever did anything glorious
who did not believe in God, who were not faith
ful to oaths, and who did not love their country.
When | reflect on what God has already done Zoe
us aud already done by us Tor his own glory
and the advancement of the human race Wueu
| consider what our position aud our influence
amongst the nations of the earth must be when
we become a hundred millions when | try to
appreciate the necessity of just such power Oh
earth and the majesty OF its benelicent aud IRE
sislible exercises my very heart throbs with
oyerpowering JOY and eXutatlon that such des-
tiny is reserved for my people, that such arelugc
and inheritance il kept in store Tor man. l thauk
God continually that the dust of my ancestors
mingles with his soil that the hands of my
kindred have abored on these sublime mona
ments that the valor of my friends was part
of the cost by which all has been secured aud
that the lot Of the inheritance OF my posterIty
appertains to such a land aud such Il people.


AS for the South, taken in its widest sense, God
has cast my lot there, aud have been loyal to
her all the more loyal that have been neither
blind to her errors, nor ignorant OF her pcrla.
As for Kentucky, if have left undone anything
I could have done for her honor, her interest or
her glory, she knows how joyiuly would redeem
that lack of service. But still | love my cOuu'
try still am an American citizen. Aud | de-
ny, with uplifted hands the right OF any Court,
any President, any Congress, any State, any
combination of States under Heaven, to abolish
from amongst men that highest OF all human
titles / have worn it as crown all my days on
earth Aud implore you by our common blood
and common name, by all the love so many noble
hearts bear for you, aud all the hopes they Cher
ish concerning you, 80 TO quit yourseil III TINS
day of trial and rebuke that you shall bear that
title proudly, long alter my gray hairs are under
the green sod.