IZI&HT Oil WEtO.Y&. 1' H 8 .V RIGHT. TO BE K L P T U I C II T, H i S W K O S li, TO UK VVT Rltl II T. TH miSDA Y::::::::::::::::::::::M ARCn 20. Important Correspondence. Wheatland. March 17, lfcC2. . C. I. M ci'.ba v , Esq., Charles : It has Lcen so long since you have had the pleasure of hearing from Hie, that you have, no doubt, ere this, be gun to speculate as to the cause of my si lence. I trust, however, I have not been misunderstood either in my motives or action, cr rather, I should say, my want of action, and therefore I shall not wea ry you with any apology for what may or may not have been a shortcoming. But of one thing I will assure you. 3Jy si lence has not been because I have forgot ten you. The truth is, Charles, I am not a forgetful man ; I was always remarkable on account of my good memory. I well know that John W. Forney, and a few others of like character, have boldly char ged me with forgetting my friends occa sionally, but I repudiate the charge as a fuul calumny. It is, indeed, a herculean task for a man having so many friends as I have had, to remember them all. It is but human to forget one here and there, but I solemuly assure you I never did. the assertion of Fokney and all other in grates to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstaudiug. And as you know I was always extremely fond of playing upon words, let me say that, dead or alive, it is my private opinion I shall always have a Qood memory. I say this not to antici pate monumental inscriptions, or what the historian may say, but because I verily believe it to be true. And further saith not. So with these few remarks, I will now prepare to pucker. "We are just now, Charles, in a most important crisis. We have fallen, I fear, upon evil times ; or perhaps it would be more proper to say that evil times have fallen upou us. Civil war desolating our land ; fraternal strife is being waged ; brother is panting for the blood of broth er; and we are having a bad time gener ally. Nevertheless, we shouid be duly grateful for the general good health of the people ; for the abundant crops of the last season ; and for divers other mat ters and things too tedious to mention. lut above all, should we be thankful that, while the War has come very near being carried into Africa, it has not yet been carried into Pennsylvania. 1 should feel sorry, indeed, to see any part or por tion of the property of my fellow citizens, whether it might be real or personal, he roine a prey to a devouring element in the shape of an invading arruj from the South. If such an event should ever oc cur, (and it is my earnest prayer that it nev er may), it is ea?y to see how our hen roosts would suffer. Nor is this the worst that would befal us. Our houses and barns, nud other outbuildings, "would in all probability be ransacked and destroy ed, and our fence?, upon which so much has been bestowed, and for which we cherish such a tender regard, would be prostituted to the base use of making fires to warm the shins of the enemy and cook his yictuals by. This would be hu miliating enough in all conscience, to say nothing of having our roasting-ears appro priated, our orchards broken down, and oh, horror! our 7talldiid ruined. The vcrv idea makes me ncrvoux, and hence it is that I have written to nenouJg upon the subject. But let us bide our time. "There is luck in leisure," saith the old proverb, which yeu have doubtless long since com mitted to memory. It is alvay3 best to be prepared for emergencies, I grant; but, perhaps, we have no good reiso.i to fear a war of invasion from uur brethren of the South. It is true, that, in looking over the columns of the Ilollidaysburg Stand ard, a few days ago, I noticed that threads of that kind had been freely made. It seems that, s::cc Floyd tole away from Fort Donelson, and Pillow .showed the tchite feather, it. has become necessary to reorganize the Southern at my. Roekkt Toomr?, of Georgia, it is said, has been, or is to be, placed at. the top of the heap, sud he, forsooth, is to march right over bffi with hisiwr?, and non-tec down 'jpon us like a humble-bee upon a clover-top. When that dire day comes, if come it must, we will likely have a time of it. Weil might we exclaim, ic the language of the Poet 'When Greek meets Greek, Then comes the tug of war " a quotation which would be very applica ble indeed supposing us all to be Greeks, which is very far from the case, though the quotation itself may be Greek to a reut many. IJut for the sake of our wives and little ones, (of which 'fortunately you and I have none), I hope Toombs will not be eo green as to attempt the experiment. If he does, all I can saT to him, is that we will furnish Toombs for him and all the men he brings with him, and that too on the shortest notice and on the most reasonable terms. In such a contingency, I will, if it be agreeable to all concerned, go myself at the head of the Army, and would like to htve you, Charles at the head of the Xavy. In other words, I propose that I shall take the field, and that you shall take the water a thing which may go a little awkward with you at first, inasmuch as you have always been used to something stronger. As for myself I am sure that, if an opportunity be afforded, I will add still more military glory to that which II achieved in the Mormon -War, and in the great Expedition which I sent against the haughty and powerful republic of Paraguay ; and as for you Charles, I know your strategy would accomplish wonders. If attacked, your very first fire would in all probability be from your rear, thus giviug your adversaries iis-i7&-tly to understand that you would show them no quarters, except AiWquarters. I imagine that a few shots such as you would fire from the mortar at the stern end of your craft, would have a telling effect, particularly on the soil upou which it would happen to land. But, if I may be permitted to use a Yankee expression, "it seems to run up the baok of my leg'' that we need not ap prehend an invasion at present. There are, in my opinion, some cogent reasons why we are likely to be "let alone" in that line. In the first place, as you well know, Charles, the people of the South have always been the strenuous advocates of State Rights and State Sovereignty. They hold that the soil of any particular State is and ought to be sacred to the peo ple thereof ; and so far have they carried this theory, that, when Old Abe under took to send the Federal troops into cer tain of their territory, they denounced the movement in the most unmeasured terms, and even went so far as to say that it was "an outrage upon a fret people" in which expression they did not, of course, mean to include their slaves. Now, if the people of the South are the people I think they are, (and I have no doubt they are,) I cannot for one moment believe that they will preach one thing and practice anoth er; that they will one day proclaim an idea as their adopted theory, and the next day repudiate it by their action I say I cannot beliave this. Suppose we admit the Rights and Sovereignty of their States and the sacreduess of their soil thtir Rights and Sovereignty are no better or greater, according to their own argument, than the Rights and Sovereignty of Penn sylvania, nor is their soil any more sacred. It is very true that "my successor" did not heed their protests agaiust what they termed "an iuvasion," nevertheless that can afford them no excuse for invading us. If they want to do right, let them act upon the Golden Rule, and (not) "do unto others as they would have others (not) do untd them." If they want to be "let alone," they ought on the same prin ciple to let us alone, it being a well ascer tained fact that what is sauce for the goose is, by a parity of reasoning, sauce for the gander also. Rut there is another and what I conceive to be a greater reason why our brethren of the South will not invade our State, and that is because, if we may judge by recent, events, it seems likely that they will be kept busy to stay where they are. I have occupied considerable space in discussing this subject, deeming it one of peculiar importance. 1 need not dwell at any great length upou the policy of my administration in regard to the great is sues which necessarily pressed upon its attention. My acts were those of "an old public functionary," whose sands of life had well uih run out, and whose greatest ambition was to preserve the Con- j ttituiion, save the Union, and see thai the institution or Slavery should not suffer. Rut 1 confess, Charles, and with the deep est remorse, that my policy was a failure ; for ere I had retired to the shades of Wheatland, the Constitution had been vi olated and broken, and the Union was knocked into a three-cocked hat ; and as to Slavery well, Charles, I am afraid i has suffered slightly, and I fear it would not now do to bet on. I was, Charles, as you well know, al ways friendly to Southern people and Southern institutions. Of this I gave ample proof in and at divers ways, times, and places. I showed it by my public speeches and votes before my nomination for the Presidency ; by my acceptance of that nomination, and my unqualified en dorsement of the Cincinnati Platform ; by my inaugural address ; by my endorse ment of the Died Scott decision ; by my course on the Lecomptou question ; by all my Messages ; by bestowing my best appointments on Southern men ; and by giving my ear to Southerners as my Con stitutional advisers. Nay, more, Charles : you know I always was a ladies' man ; and. as such I used to heed the prattlings of thoe dear, bewitching creatures from the South, who were all the while whispering Southern Rights tome; but who, I am now satisfied, were only binding me hand and foot with wreaths of flowers, so that they might eventually carry me a captive down the highroad to Secession. And I confess they had well nigh succeeded. For you may remember, that up to a very late period of my Administration, I back ed up or connived at every movement the Southerners inaugurated, and overlooked or excused every crime which they com mitted. I allowed Cass to go out of the Cabinet, because he wanted to do what he considered right, and I permitted Floyd, and Cobb, and Thompson to remain when everybody knew they were traitors aud thieves. I really thought hard of South Carolina when it seceeded, for I had trea ted it well ; and I begged it to remain in the Union, because I knew if it would go out, the Union would be dissolved, and a bad example set for other States to fol low. My policy was a peaceful one. When Andeuso.v wanted reinforcements, I wouldn't send them, though I knew all the while that the South Carolinians were making arrangements to drive him out of a Federal fort ; and when he took the precaution to leave Moultrie and go to Sumpter. I would have ordered him back with a fitting rebuke but then, Charles, I had begun to "smell a mice," aud I was afraid the people of the Noith wouldn't stand it. All these things and many similar ones I had done and permitted, Charles, in order that I might exhibit my friendship for the Southern people, and to indicate in the most unmistakable terms that the Federal Government, so long as I con trolled it at least, had not the slightest disposition to tread on their corns. These manifestations, together with the hearty support which I had given to your dearly beloved friend Breckinuidge, a South cm man and a Southern candidate, I hao" hoped would be satisfactory to my mis .guided fellow citizens in that section ; but in this I soon found' myself a victim of the most bitter disapppiutment. They reminded me forcibly of a set of spoiled brats the more they got, the more they wanted. When they finally discovered, that I had begun to consider that "for bearance had ceased to be a virtue," and that I was no longer to be moved by their importunities, they began to bluster, and swear, and threateu, and one by one, and State by State to secede just as though thc- cculd scare me. And even the southern ladies, Charle3, yes, even they began to slight me, and finally the dear creatures ceased to come to those princely halis of the -White House, where before I had so often made theui the recipients of my unbounded hospitality. Base in grates that they all were, their conduct aroused my anger which, by the waj', is terrible and the result was I was brimful of fight. I felt for a time like pitching into the South, men, women, children, niggers and all, and was about making preparations to that end, when presto ! I happened to think of a certain Mes- sage sent into Congress a short time before. In that document, dictated by some evil genius, I had taken the position that the President could not make war even for the purpose of preserving or defending the Union; and, though admit ting that a State had no right to secede, -et I had declared that, if it saw fit to go out of the Union, the Government had no right to keep it in, or in any way to co erce it. I was reminded, too, that, upon the identical position there assumed, the Democracy were fast organizing them selves intJ rn anti-coercion party ; that such powerful papers as the Democrat & Sentinel were warmly urging such a con summation ; and that numerous able-bodied orators like youreelf, Charles, were advocating the doctrine with any quantity of eloquence.- This very naturally placed me in a split etick, and rather knocked the war feeling out of me. Of course, I could not run counter to Democratic feel ing and sentiment, arid as my official term was near its close, I contrived as best I could hcv not to do anything one way or the other, and finally, on the 4th of March, 1S01, I handed the Government over to "my successor" at which time, to say the least of it, the Union was in a very dilapidated condition. I returned to Wheatland, resolved to spend the remainder of my days here, aud as I met with rather a cool reception on my arrival, and learned the feeling of the people to be against my policy, I thought it prudent to change my tactics at the earliest possible moment. I en deavored, at an early day to become Pres ident of a Union meeting, but for some reason or other my proposition was decli ned. 1 took occasion, however, so soou as the War had commenced, to say pub licly that Old Abe's Administration should by all means be sustained, though I well knew at the time it was pursuing a coercive policy towards the South, which, in the Message referred to, I had ut terly repudiated. For this change, I am informed, I was somewhat blamed by cer tain of my old "friends in your county, but you will row see the propriety of it, and be prepared to explain it accordingly. I was, indeed, very much consoled by the fact that, when I changed, your paper changed also. It had violently opposed coercion, and so bitter were some of your articles, that I often wondered that some of your Republican neighbors did cot take occasion to ride you on a rail that being a sport in which they are sometimes prone to iudulge. By drawing in your horns at the lime you did, and pretending to sus tain the Government, you exhibited a de gree of shrewdness which did you credit. But in my humble opinion, Charles, you have not yet gone far enough. Doubt less, the great body of the Northern peo ple are in favor of putting the South through, and heuce they look with suspi cion on anybody or any paper showing a disposition to cripple the Administration in its prosecution of the W ar. I have no ticed several side-wipes in the Democrat tl- Sentinel, which would be to many per sons conclusive evidence that you sympa thize with the Rebellion. If this be so, you ought, as matter of policy, to repel such an idea by feigning the contrary, aud that in the strongest way possible. Above all, you ought to pitch into Breck inridge. While, you have said a great many things in his favor, I have never seen a single word in your paper against him. Neither you nor I have anything more to expect from John ; so you may as well walk into him rough-shed. By so doing you might possibty dispel the pres ent belief that you are still his friend. By all means, Charles, do all you can to keep down the impression that your paper is in favor of Secession. It is a sheet in which I always took the deepest interest, and I would much regret to ee your es tablishment subjected to the "eleauing out process" which some others have been compelled to undergo. But I fear I am wearying you with this protracted dissertation on national ques tions ; therefore, I will close it, and finish up by a few touches on topics more local iii their character, but quite as interes ting. I watched, with great interest, the cam paign in your county last fail, aud was delighted to hear of the glorious victory the Democracy achieved. They did a good thing by refusing to coalesce with the Black Republicans. It is all right, of course, for Democrats to be in favor of the Union; but that don't say that they ought to be in favor of a Union Ticket more especially in a county where they can get along without it. It may be al lowable, indeed, in counties like Hunting don or Blair, but then only on the princi ple that "half a loaf is better than no bread at all." I noticed 3-011 elected our old Congressional fiieud, .Peksiiino, to the Legislature, by a handsome majority. Considering that your county was repre sented in that body several years by Black Republicans, Pebsiiing's election was rather a good thing. The puff you gave him last week, however, was a most pon derous one, endorsing, as j-ou did, his en tire career. Since that time, I discover that he forgot to vote for the act to restore the three-mill tax. Of course, you will now give him another puff on that score. If I remember correctly, you last week compared him to "some tall cliff," with "eternal sunshine settling on its head," &c. You are generally happy in your po etical quotations, Charles, but allow me to suggest that you slightly missed it on this occasion. Would not a middle-sized cliff have better answered your purpose ? and as to the suwJu'ne, don't the Tonnage tax vote satisfy you that it was all moon shine? "I feel auxious, indeed, to see how you will dispose of his case iu your next issue. Time works wonders. I am informed on what I consider icliable authority, that Jonathan Oldbuck is actually a candi date for the Senate. But a few years since Jonathan was "an old-line Whig"; then, for a very brief space of time, he was a Black Republican ; and then he became what is far worse than both these together, a Douglasite ; and now, it seems, he is a candidate, and that too for an im portant Democratic nomination. When will wonders cease ? How are you going to meet this question, Charles ? 1 hope you will do your duty. All I can sayis, that we ought to fight those who have always been lighting us. If we are to give all our places of trust and profit to uew-fiedged Democrats, and thrust ail our old stand bys aside, we may as well abandon our organization at once, and break up iu a row. What say you, Charles? Am 1 not right 1 feel sure that Jonathan's nomination would be a bitter pill for you BaECKiNuiuaLBS to swallow. But Jon athan is good at sugar-coating, and if he compels you to take the dose, 1 hoj e you will till do so with a-i good grace as possible. I notice with much pleasure that you continue to give "the great Apostie of Liberty all the way from the State of Maine," an occasional big lick. You seem determined to make it appear that he is "an Abolitionist from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet." Take care, Charles, that you don't overdo the thing. It may turn out, as our friend Jeff. Da vis said of the Southern Confederacy, that you have undertaken to do more than you can successfully accomplish. By the way, who are those fellows whose certificates you published last week, iu regard to the Che&t Springs speech ? That wa3 the first intimation I ever had that such mor tals were iu existence. Who are they ? and where do they live ? and who wrote the certificates? and did they know what they were signing ? It is remarkably strange, indeed, what a penchant seme men have for notoriety, and what an ap petite for getting their names ito print I But so it is. Between youandmc, privately, Charles, there is a great difference between a Re publican and an Abolitionist. I am well satisfied Barker never was an Aboli tionist, aud I think all who know hitu are cf the tame opinion. Still it is well enough foyou to keep that idea before the people, as it may have a tendency to injure his chances for Congress. But, as I said before, take care that you don't overdoo the thing. 1 am aware that our friend Tbaugu, whose weather-cock poli tics 1 never liked, but who undoubted';,' considers himself one of the smartest men of the age, speaka flippautly of Barker's recent article proving' that he is not an Abolitionist but a Republican. And he asks Barker to tell the difference be tween twecdle dum and twcedle dee. Now Barkeh may. not be as good at rc ttrt as I am. but if i were asked to tell the "difference," I would answer unhesi tatingly that as for you, Charles, 1 consid er you tweedle dec, and as for TRAi.oi!, well, I consider him twcedle dumh. I see, by your last p'apcr, that our eld friend Mordecai has finally consented to leave this world, and become a candidate for Congress. Your strictures ou the step which he has taken are very caustic and severe. In looking over his letter, my eye rested on a number of grammat ical errors, and they very naturally con firmed a previous opiuion of mine that "Mordecai is not much of a scholar." I have often wondered, Charles, that you, who are in the habit of boastinsr that your "best days were spent in teaching School," shouid permit so many mistakes to go forth jn jour paper without correc tion. Speaking of teaching School leads me to suggest, that, if it be consistent with your notions of things, you ought to go back to that business, as i know of no one better qualified than yourself to keep company with children. I have been somewhat surprised that Mordecai did not inform me of his in tention to be a candidate. 1 have just re ceived a letter from him, peuncd in his usual style, but iu which he was entirely mum on that subject.. He gave me some items of news, however, which were in tensely interesting. Among other things, he stated, that, after your paper had coiue out hist week, you were sj delighted with the many good thiugs which it contained, that, in conformity with an ancient cus tom of yours, you proceeded to take on a small keg, and the result was that you forgot to attend to your duties as Cletk to the Commissioners. This, according to Mordecai, raised quite a Storm iu the Board, and they performed the very Lit tle, act of tumbling you out, and puttiug another iu your place an occurrence which, however annoyiug it may have been to you, no doubt gave -una Lloyd sat isfaction to your successor. Mordecai then goes on to say, that, for a while, you had thought of testing the matter before the Court,-but ou his advice, you had de termined to drop it, aud let the whole thing eju hy the Boar d. I am sorry, in deed, that this little affair resulted bo dis astrously to you, but I must at the same time commend your wisdom in keeping it as quiet as possible. If I were iu your place, I would amuse n3self by opcuiu" up the batteries of the Democrat d- Sf-nt?-n7 ou tha Commissioners. They richly merit severe caption for E;,fic1f?!, official acts, and it is hard to tt?1 :r they would do or wouldn't do f Iv14 publicans hadn't placed a CWr t, l tighten the hoops on thtui. 1 Lere to Mordicai also informs' rue tL-t loner since, vou were, mv.i.. . ul Sj! barbershop, not a hnre 1 ' Ebeusburg. lie says vou h-. . . habit of getting shaved and sh "; there, aud had gone in again for tb'!?'' pose; but, it seems, ihe'hanr I modestly alleging that he couM , "."L encuiiuusiy pvnoiui louse!'l-il 2. for any fellow who taid and pu'u;; L,f'',''! "negroes were no better than In!,,!.!"1" It seem?, too. that you reuionstH argued the point, but to ny jurr.J baiber was inexorable. Well n :i 7 .uiiNi ; corcialiv rf..r.-. '1 e to withdraw i once your pairoM-. that establishment, aud read it 'ttI'J a less.oii through the ample coiaj' your paper. s There are rnarry other Eaters W things, Charles, on whieh I vrculj fv!? spread myself, but advancing jea'ai monish me that it is hinh tiiLe tu lr. this rambling epistle to an end." Youpil observe that where I have said ami" atall pointed, I have taken the prccaun! to ui.der&.ore it. Here and there- tv discover a pun, Some of thesr. ' ,v.i" will be found pretty gr,0d, while otU' perhaps, are only middling. Hoping hear f rom you soon, and that r.Xm X Tiave written may' prove to you a source of C pleasure and profit, 1 deliberately gul-t the same tu your serious consideration." ' ' J.D, Letter from tlie 4S!Iicr Crajs."' Correspondence of The AilvgLaLian. A woudrous change has come ever lL appearance of things since I last addres sed you. The gi eat body of troops fiV.a occupying Camp Curiin hes left for the seat cf war, having been ordered jto tie Rotomac, leaving the "Silver Grcjs" al most solitary and alone in the occurar.rv of the camp. There are i,ct, at this t'u more than two hundred nu n at this f:. lion, our company bt-ii! the only full cbe here. The remainder is made up of three skeleton companies, 3lJ so rue Reruns kr regiments in the field. Camp Curtin has jr..-red frcn the :e mcdiate control of the smtin it its of ti.e State to that cf the Gttiural Covert; n:cnt. Caj t. Dodge, the gentlemanly u.uteri,:; ofricer and superintend' i.t of fr.e recruit ing service hi lVi.ti-vivai. a, rcpreevi the Government of the "Jailed States. ai.a has taken possession of the c-isiire ca:r.p aud its appurtenances, iu its naie. lie has issued an Order aj uiatic Ctpuiu rainier of the Gray", he being the fniur Captain, to take chaige of the police id discipline of the camp- The Grays nre "mouarchs of all thrr survpy." aud, for the present, '-to their right thcie is none to dispute." He "fowl and the brute," being soiisesL: scarce in these quarter-, the t t.e :i "IoVm- ship" need not be set up. I lor a may remain iu our pre i:t p(si:;o!i, es the guajdians of the public jr.'pcrty in and aruund the Capitol, 1 can not prtuict. The business en hand inw icquires the services of every mcmltr oi the coa jan;-. Lie who thinks the duties in. o-cd up a the Grays to be trivial and easily to be discharged is very much in trnr. Camn Curtin will hereaitcr lea Jet a for rperiiirs for the nrmv i Itculars ar.d Volunteers.) They v lvrwar-VJ to this point from the several si-t:,i! ;u us State, and then distributed j-J their re spective regiments in the hell. It w;.i devolve upon our compttuy to keep up the r..v,,Vir r.rAn ,.f r.'.mn il i Till i!3 till other trcM-;,s arc only teMVer-.ry stjeura ers, en route fur their respective cm- The recent simultaneous racvcr.cai- the several divisions of the army, leaniii; down upon the lines of the ciniry, ic;.i cafp .1 srfpdv rriihinir out 1 1 the Tele lion. The gradual development cf t'f plans of the Federal GovcrLir..t, vlaa have been maturin'' for ineiiths, promise that thi war must be of short ou lation. Taking this as a stand poiut, c may extend our view to the fouth-ea south, and south-west, and in e h ccl"r wc distinguish the evidence that a l!'?,'e' mind has been at work, c .r.uhn- au iW operations of the army, directing ts cret evolutions, and, by a sy.-tem (-" fc c tine strategy, cof.rcing the cJ;;tu:lt.').a'". the enemy's strongest positions vitbeu. shedding a drop of blood. While humac life is only secondary to the laaiutcn"" of our glorious system cf Govcrr.iuen?, humanitv must approve the Uit2S'; which accomplishes the desired cni the least sanguinary means. . Since the almost entire -cvacuaticn cf Camp Curtin, your correspondent nsj consider his "occupation jronc. rounded by abandoned barracks, eVlJ be compelled to romance, to calMo . aid all his limited powers of iuiagmaW' , that he might be cabled to l"'uci,i, interesting 'letter. Wdh Mr. l';. is out of the Hue of your kunihjc '-J ,' At the time llich IrivatJ "-'v himself to your rc:.ders, he vvotcd ca.; to be a chronicler of passing events detail facts and not fiction. oW- thc items, when called for, are He tint "spirits of the vasty de.p 1 not come. Until something revj t up," my visits must r.ecessuriiV'0 Angel'p, few and far bctwcei'. II 10 11 1'Kirirs- ; couiess tuai was ir.suitmg, and j. :,Kt ' I to show how the darkies wculj ,"s supposing that they were I hlnit?. 1 would
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers