THE JOURNAL.
peamat rtlncimm—dtprorrin ST SMITH.]
17N PINGDON, TUESDAY, DEC• 25. 1849•
TERMS:
The "Roattnonom JOURNAL" is published at
the following rates, viz : $1,75 a year, tf paid
iq advanoe ; $2,00 if paid during the year, aid
$2,30 if not paid until after the expiration of
this year. The above terms to be adhered to in
all eases.
No subscription taken for less than six months,
and no paper discontinued until all arrearages
sea paid, unless at the option of the publisher.
car Hon. S. Car.v., will please accept our
thanks for favors from Washington.
Holliday Presents.
Those of our friend; who desire to make Hol•
lidav presents, are referred to the cards of JAS
T. SCOTT, and Narr & MILLER, in our adver•
tieing columns.
GitiAT 'NEWSPAPER SALe.—We learn that
over 80,000 copies of the Mammoth Pictorial
BHOTHEII JONATHAN for Christmas and New
Years were sold during the month of November
by Messrs. Wilson & Co. of New York. It is
calculated that the sale will reach 150,000 cop
ies before Christmas day, at nn average price
of ten cents per copy. Fifteen thousand dollars
for the Brother Jonathan! Who says this is
not a great country
Christmas.
This is Christmas day ! What an animating
announcement for the ears of the young. What
an innumerable number of youthful hearts have
been longing for the dawn of this glorious day
of festivity and joy. Well, we hope all may
De so circumstanced as to fully enjoy it; and
especially on we wish all our patrons, and all
tbeis little folks, a merry, "Happy Christmas."
Poor louse.
For the information of the citizens of the
county generally, we would state that petitions
are now circulating and being numerously signed,
praying the Legislature to authorize the Com
missioners of Huntingdon County to purchase a
farm and erect thereon a County Poor House.
We make this statement so that those opposed,
If there be any, may have an opportunity to
make known their opposition.
Doings of CongresSr
There still continues to be no organization of
the House, and as a consequence, no message
from the President. It is idle to recapitulate the
balloting., for they afford no indication of the
sentiments of the members, and no clue to the
probable termination of the struggle.
0.. ned LOCO
loco members held separate caucuses for the
purpose of deciding upon their future action,
and agreeing to a compromise if possible. At
these meeting both parties appointed Commit
tees of their number, confer together. These
committees, after conferring together, agreed
to report in favor of electing the Speaker by a
plurality. On Friday evening last the Locofo
co members held a caucus, and received the re
port of their committee. After an animated
discussion, the report was rejected by a major
ity of ten or twelve. Had the report been
adopted, an organization on Saturday Would have
been the result. The Locofoco party is there
fore fairly responsible for any further delay that
may take place in organizing the House.
White disorganization thus continues to hold
sway in the House, the Senate is fairly under
way, having communicated to the President the
fact of their organization and readiness to co
operate in the transaction of Executive busi
ness. The President has accordingly made
communications to his Constitutional advisers,,
who are understood to be now acting npon them.
This body has also chosen its committees, in
the course of which they have given Cot. Ben
ton the cold shoulder by placing him as a third
man on the Committee of Foreign Relations,
of which he was last year chairman. Mr. Ben
ton says nothing, but is no doubt deeply morti
iSed and bent upon having his revenge.
It is worthy of remark, too, that the Locofo
to majority in the Senate have given the South a
majority on all the important committees. On
Foreign relations,Mr. Webster stands "solitary
and alone" to represent the Free States. The
North American very aptly denominates this as
the"compromising spirit" of the South.
The Houee will no doubt do their best to elect
• Speaker before the Holidays. If they do not
succeed, we hope the President will send his
Message to the Senate, and that the people may
no longer be kept waiting for ti,is important
document, on account of the refractory spirit
manifested by their representatives.
C3FIVe invite a careful reading of the article
in another column from the New York Tribune,
headed "Slavery and the Union—Threats of
Dissolution." Every one should make him
self familliar with the origin and true cause of
the difficulties whic:: exist between the North
and South, and which are :Jo. , threatening such
sericus consequences. Those who desire to do
so, will attain their object by caret . Z.'lly reading
the article alluded to.
trr Our Hollidaysburg cotemporaries are
ecstacies about "that supper" given to the Prin
ters of Hollidaysburg, by Mr. James M. Lytle,
proprietor of the "Central Restaurant." The
idea of giving suppers and dinners to printers is
one we heartily approve of—we do ! And we
have no doubt our neighbor of the Globe would
ioncur with us in this opinion, even if he does
take issue with us on all others. We do not
mean to throw out any itLyinuations to the
the keepers of Restaurants it Huntingdon. Of
ovum t►at.
Mr. Collector Lewis.
The Perry Freeman, in alluding to the fact
that a few Whig papers are urging the rejec
tion of Was. D. LEWIS, Esq., Collector of the
Port of Philadelphia, so fully expresses our
own views, that we adopt the remarks of that
paper in relation to this matter. The Freeman
says Wb do not know the precise grotutd
they have for suggesting his rejection; end,
stripped of all insinuations and conjectures, they
might perhaps not be easily or satitfactorily
stated in explicit terms. But whatever their
grounds may be, we feel inclined to object to
the course of policy indicated by them, for the
following reasons, which, after making all due
and proper allowances which now occur to our
mind, we deem good and substantial ones
First.—Mr. Lewis' rejection, or the attempt
of a portion of the conductors of the Whig press
to secure it, might tend to embarrass the Ad
ministration of Gen. Taylor—a course of policy
certainly not desired even by those who may
not think favorably of Mr. Lewis' official action
in relation to apointments, &c.
Second.—Mr. Lewis may yet remedy any er
rors of omission or commission, which are, or
may be the groimds of complaint against him by
our respectable and zealous co-laborers in the
good Whig cause.
For these reasons, candidly stated and hon
estly entertained, we do hope `that no Whig
will attempt, in any way, to defeat the con
firmation 01 Mr. Lewis. For we cannot now
see that any good could result from it: If is, in
our opinion, a bad business to advocate the !e
-jection oT the Presidential nomination's. The
work may be carried too far, if it is introduced
by the Whigs. Gen. Taylor's nominations must
be sustained by all who would sustain his Ad
ministration. Any other policy is bad, and
fraught with mischief to the Whig party."
BACK-BITING. -A spirited articlei condemna
tory of this nefarious vice, appears in the last
Blair County Whig. Those addicted to the
practice in Hollidaysburg will, we hope, be
benefitted by this just and withering rebuke.—
We rejoice to believe that we live in a commu
nity so entirely free from the despicable habit
of back-biting, that it is altogether unnecessary
for us to publish any strictures on the subject.
II:7 - We neglected to notice in our last that
the "Whig" and "Standard" of Hollidaysburg
had both decided against us "in the matter"
pending between the editor of the "Register"
and ourself—of course.' It is strange that the
common jealousy of Huntingdon entertained by
the people of Hollidaysburg, should be so strong
as to even warp the judgment of the editors of
that place ! Why, brethren, if Huntingdon is
rapidly advancing, and Hollidaysburg standing
still, we can't help it. You need not spit your
spite at us. It is but the natural result of a
train of circumstances, for which we should not
be held responsible—not having the vanity to
suppore that we ever did anything to produce
them.'
Charge to Naples.
JAS. Pnwsa.Fsa.. has derlinpa tha
pointment of Charge to Naples, and E. JOY
Moanis, Esq., appointed in his place. We re
gret to learn that Mr. Power was constrained
to decline this appointment en account of the
delicate state of his health.
ag.'The Blue Hen's Chicken, a paper pub
lished in Delaware, where slavery now exists,
but is becoming very unpopular, thus speaks of
Congress :
CONORESS.—This body has been in session
since Monday week—have had about 40 ballot
ings and hove not yet elected a Speaker. The
main cause is that the Southern men want to
extend the curse of slavery, instead of promo
ting the cause of Liberty. They want a Speak
er to favor the extension of slavery in this land
of freedom, instead of restricting this curse of
human existence to its present limits. The
party that favors a slavery Speaker ought to be
defeated. The fees soilers are the salt of the
Republicit is their mission to save the land
from the pollution and crime of slavery exten
sion—let them he faithful and the question will
he settled against extension, to the glory of
God and the happiness of Mart. The free soilers
are right; let them keep so.
DICKINSON SEMINARY, WILLIAMSPORT, PA.-
Rev. CHARLES MCCLAY, Agent for this institu
tion, has sent us a catalogue for 1848-9. From
it we would judge that the institution is in a
flourishing condition—the total number of pu
pils being 210. It was opened in September
1649, under the patronage of the Baltimore and
Philadelphia conferences of the M. E. Church.
The purpose in view embrace a liberal course
of education, so as to qualify the students for
teaching, for any depariment of business, or for
admission to any college. The agent, Mr.
McClay will visit this place the present week,
and will preach in the M. E. Church, in this
place on Saturday evening next.
CCr Some of the members of Congress are
getting desperately short of cash, and their
washerwomen and boarding-house keepers have
to call on their reserved fund for patience in
consequence. The members, it seems, cannot
draw their appropriations till the Hpuse is or
ganized.
B - The hands in the employ of the State at
the Parkesburg shop, stopped work on Thurs
day, the 6th inst., in consequence of not having
received money for several months. So says
the Columbia Spy. Who is keeping the poor
laborers out of their money now, we wonder
CO" A Sabbath convention at York, Pa., on
the sth inst., Hon. Samuel G. Bonham, presi
ding, adopted a memorial to the Legislature,
requ'esting that all the locks on the canals be
closed, and the running of the cars on the rail
idea in the State be suspended on the Sabbath
(37 The editor of t country paper says that
he nevel' saw but one ghost and that was the ghost
of a s i n n e r who died without paying for his pa.
terrible to look upon—the ghost
of Hamlet warent a circumstance."
PETER Nam—The Catholic Magazine gives
the amount of t aonetributione for the Pope from
the United States, as $1 , 1, 0 18 Pt
Post Office Robberies.
As we expected (says the Carlisle Herald,)
most of the recent Post Office depredations can
be traced home to the locofoco ranks, just as was
the Susquehamfa Bank swindle. The new ad
, ministration has' been foully abused foli the small
nudnber of removals it has made, but as facts
now show, the public safety would have been
better secured icy a few mode still. Young
Gearhart, who recently robbed the Danville
Post Office, is as we learn from the Danville
Democrat, a regular locofoco, and last week
Win. S. Hunt, the Post. Master at Erwinna,
Bucks county, whom the mistaken kindness of
the administration had retained in office, was
also arrested for depredations upon the mails!
Hunt was arrested through the vigilence and
energy of Col. Ottinger, of Bedford county, one
of the most active agents of the Department.
Suspicion having rested upon him, Col. Otting
er mailed a letter at Philadelphia, containing an
amount of counterfeit bills, addressed to Mauch
Chunk. lie found that it got no further than
Erwinna. He promptly arrested Hunt, who af
terwards confessed his crime and was committed
to prison. He has heretofore borne a good
character, and has stood high among the Democ
racy. He was a candidate for the nomination
for Sheriff in Bucks county in 1818, and again
for county Commissioner in 1849, and if nomi
nated for either would have been elected. lie
has held a commission of Postmaster for many
years, and had the administration dared to re
move him, there would have been no end to the
groans it would have occasioned.
We hope that in all cases of mail depredations
the politics of the thief may be published. The
locofoco press has been endeavoring to cast
suspicion on the new appointments, and the pub
lic want to know when robberies are committed
whether the offenders are locofocos or Whigs.
If the latter, let all the punishment and odium
he visited upon them that they merit. But jus
tice demands that when depredations are com
mitted by locofoco officers who have not been
removed, the fact should be made known and
the administration relieved of all odium.
Executive Interference.
The non-interference of the President in the
affairs of the House of Representatives is con
strued by some of the opposition journals into
an acknowledgement of weakness. 'Among all
the recusants,' says one of these journals, re
ferring to the imptacticables of the House, 'he
has not been able td change a single vote.'
The charge betrays more than it imputes. A
familiarity with the usages and modes of cor
ruption is often intimated unconsciously, and
never more strongly or more suspiciously then
when the upright course of another is ascribed
to such lack of power or means as alone could
keep the accuser honest.
The President, we may presume, in view of
his constitutional duties, does not consider him
self called upon to interfere in one way or an
other with the organization of the House. The
people elected the members of that body, and
if they have sent representatives there who will
not put themselves is n ciwslitlvii so transact
the public business, the constituencies have no
no one to blame but themselves. The Presi
dent is not responsible. Ile is ready to do his
part, whenever Congress is prepared to come
into its proper sphene and perform its allotted
. functions.-- , -Lancast4,. Pram.
We learn by the Harrisburg pap'ers that
the Cotton Mill in that place is now under roof
ready for the internal finish ; that the Gas
Works will probably be completed in time to
furnish the " wise men" of the State with light;
and that the Insane Asylum, being erected there
by the State, is already up. if the.Harrisburgers
keep on they will soon make a great place eat
of the capitol.
Suicide of A Unitarian Minister.
CINCINNATI, Dec. 15, 1819.
The Rev. James H. Perkins, Pastor of the
Unitarian church, in this city, committed sui
cide last night, by jumping from a ferry boat in
to the River, whilst crossing. He left his hat,
cloak and memorandum book on board. It was
the impression he was laboring under temporary
insanity. He was much esteemed by all who
knew him, and leaves an interesting family to
mourn his untimely end.
THE Monnis STATE BANK.—The three in
dictments growing out of the failure of the State
bank at Morfis N. . 1., one being against six of
the directors for conspiracy, one against the
President for perjury, and one against the cash
ier for the same offence, were called up in the
Court of Oyer and Terminer, at Morristown,
and on application of Counsel, removed to the
Supreme court.
OY The Capitol of Alabama was consumed
by fire on the 15th inst. The public documents
and books in the libraries were saved, together
with the principal portion of the furniture. The
building is represented as having been very
beautiful.
139 — The Ohio Senate still continues disorgan
ized, althohgh it commenced its attempts to
organize on the Ist Monday of the month. The
Hamilton County Senator causes the difficulty.
The Speaker pro tens. recognizes the Locofoco
claimant, but the whole body of the Whigs re
fuse to vote for Speaker under such circumstan
ces.
Drsrcc•rwe FIRE.—The 'Willow Bank Mill,'
situated in Elizabeth township, Lancaster coun
ty, and owned by Mr. Elias Eby, was destroy
ed by fire on the 10th inst. There was about
15,000 bushels of grain stored in it.
Loss, $12,000 ; of which $2,000 only is cov
ered by insurance.
Toe RoTacinum.-- , The N. Y. Tribune says
that the Messrs. Rothchilds have concluded to
establish a branch of their house in that city,
at the head of which will be placed the young
Rothchild, son of the Paris brother, who came
to this country last year. We understand that
although young he already evinces much of the
financial acumen which distinguishes this fam
ily. The details of the aYrangements, and what
relation the present agent will bear to the new
heuee have not yet been settled.
The ,1 Union Right or Wrong."
The above is the sentiment of HENRY CLAY.
It is a glorious, patriotic, American sentiment,' .
and will find a hearty response in every true
American heart. Now, that a few Souihern
factionists and traitors are threute ning dissolu
tion in the Capitol, it becomes the lovers of
Liberty and Union to Speak out in such tones as
Will cause these plotteis of treason to hide their
heads in shame.
Immediately after the Southern members,
Meade and Toomes, had hurled their impotent
threats against the Union in the House last
week, amid an effort at applause from the south
ern Locofoco hlembers, Cdl. Banns, the Whig
member from Illinois, rose and raised his voice
for the Union. His remarks were received
with such a shout of applause from the Whig
side, and the galleries, as fairly shook the dome
of the Capitol. We give an extract from this
eloquent speech. Col. Baker said r
Gentlemen, when you threaten a dis
solution of the Union, we shall doubt.
When you protest, we shall disclaim ;
but no fervid declarations, no fiery ap
peals to southern feeling, no solemn in
vocations to the Almighty, (as if indeed
he was a God of discord,) will make
us believe that here, in this Hall, there
is one man who chambers in his secret
heart a purpose so accursed and so
deadly. Sir, we do not believe that
the Union can ever be dissolved. No ev
idence shall convince us, until the deed
is done; yet if such a thine be possible
it shall not be our fault. We shall not
be intimidated by threats of violence.
We shall not shrink from the calm ex
pression of our deliberate judgement.
We are here as freemen ; tdspeak for
freemen, and we will speak and act as
becomes us, in the face of the world and
of posterity. Gentlemen, who is there
among us, amid all this talk of dissolu
tion, that does not love the Union 1; Is
there a man in this vast assemblage,
who, on the coolest reflection, would
not give his blood to cement it 1 Is not
this our country, and is it not all our
c3untryl—[Applause.] Sir, 1 confess
this response gladdens my heart; and
already I reproach myself that I could
waver in my confidence but for a mo
ment. It was a mournful spectacle to
a true minded man, when threats of
disunion, fierce and bitter, could draw
forth shouts of applause fro& gentle
men on the other side of the House, as
triumphant as if disunion were glory,
and as if, indeed, the threat were al
ready accomplished. And yet, sir, the
echo contradicts the utterance. This
shout for the Union will be taken up
by the masses until it becomes a per
petual anthem of hope and joy. It will
swell among the mountains of the north,
and travel with the winds across the
prairies of the West. It will reverber
ate through all the vast extensions of
the confederacy, and be repeated by a
thousand advancing generations. Sir,
in the name of the men of the north so
rudely attacked: and speaking what I
know to be their sentiments, I say a
dissolution of the Union is, must be,
shall be, impossible, as long as an Amer
ican heart beats in an American bosom,
or the Almighty sends His wisdom and
His goodness to guide and bless us.
important Decision.
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania made, a
few weeks since, the following important deci
sion under the new law for protecting the rights
of married women. 1. The guardianship of fe
males under age is terminated by marriage, and
the husband, before the act of 1818, relative to
the rights of married women, might call on the
guardian to settle his account, and pay hint the
balance ; but that act has worked a radical
change in the conditio'n of married women.-
2. By the act of 18 , 18, a married woman must
be considered as single, in iegard to any estate
of whatever name or sort Owned by her before
marriage, or which shall accrue to het during
marriage, in any way ; and the husband is not
entitled to the possession of his wife's funds.-
3. The consent of the wife that the husband
shall have her funds, being a minor, is of no
avail.
VERY NAUGHTY.-The Boston Herald heard
an abolitionist say, the other day, " that he
wished the Lord would rain down the gun cot
ton preparation on the cotton fields of the south
let it dry in, and then send down a shaft of
lightning to blow up the whole country to glo
ry !" Hold him
CASE or Dn. PArtamAN.—The Coroner's jury
have returned a verdict that the remains found
in the Massachusetts Medical College are parts
of the body of Dr. PARKMAN, and that he was
killed by Dr. Jolts W. WEnsTen.
CHURCH AND STATE.—The Frankfort Com
monwealth says that the Convention now having
under revision the Constitution of the State of
Kentucky, have inserted a clause, by a vote of
76 yeas to 17 nays, declaring preachers and min.
isters of the bospel ineligible to seats m the
Legislature.
Dg' . MILLERISAr AND INSANITY.—The New
Hampshire Asylum fdr the Insane was opened
for the reception of patients, in the aututnn of
1812. The first one received Was rendered in
sane by the doctrine of the end of the world in
18.13, generally called Millerism. During the
seven years it has been in operation, 22 have
been sent there from the same cause.--. Exeter
_We tt , s Letter'.
I:7-The Legislature of this State wifl
meet at Harrisburg on Tuesday the Ist
day of January next.
ir ) .- The Editors of Easton, Allen.
town, and several other places make it
a rule to issue no papers on Christmas
week.
From the N. Y. Tribune,
Slavery and the Union---Threals of
Dissolution.
For several years the right of the people of
these States to petition their Representatives
in Congi ens Was Paetically disallowed and an
nulled, Co far as any portion of said people saw
fit to exercise that right with any sort of rola
tioif to Slavery. By the inflifence of Slavery,
acting through its own Repfesentatives and
upon the hopes and fears of others, this serious
abridgment of a fundamental Righf wag/affect
ed. The Free States remonstrated, expostula
ted, and in a legal, peaceful manner resisted,
but they never threatened to dissolve the
Union.—At no time were those who threatened
or contemplateddissolution a twentieth part of
the voters of the Free State.
As early as 1834-5, intrigues bolting to the
annexation of Texas Co' the Slave holding end of
the Union were conTmenced, and thence untire
ingly pursued with crowned with complete sue
cessin 1844-5. By this consumation Slavery
obtained an accession of territory exceeding the
entire area of the Revolutionary Stales now free
and containing seven millions of people. Sla
very obtained by this accession two Senators
and two Representatives in Congress, with the'
raw material for half a dozen future States.
And it was distinctly avowed by her champion
Calhoun ' then holding the commanding position
of U. S. Secretary of State, that our Govern
ment embarked in this Annexation crusade for
the purpose of fortifying, securing and perpetu
ating Human Slavery.
That whatever of moral sense and enlighten
ed conscience there was in the Free States
should resist this perversion of our common
Government to sectional and revolting ends,
was inevitable. Before the self-styled " De
mocracy" had been formerly involved in it by
its Baltimore Convention of 1844, its journals
and other authentic utterances were vehement
in denouncing the project. It was characteri
zed as " black as ink and bitter as hell" by a
leading journal of New Hampshire which was
in full cry for " Polk, Dallas and Texas" a few
months afterward, and this is a fair sample of the
spirit in which the plot was regarded by the
Northern " Democracy." The Locofoco Mem
bers of the. Massachusetts Legislature united in
resolutions denouncing the Annexation project
in the most unqUalified terms. In our State,
the dpposition of Van Buren, Wright, Bryant,
Barker and the greater portion of their leaders
of "the Democracy" was equally determined
and definite. Yet they bowed to the Baltimore
flat, and keeping as still as possible about Tex
as and Slavery, carried the State for Polk and
Dallas. By Polk's influence and patronage,
Anr.exation was driven through Congress, recei
ving a bare majority of votes in the Senate.
The Free spirit of the North was shocked, it
was outraged ; but how many of us talked of
dissolving the Union 1 What one State, among
all which had resisted Annexation to the last
grasp, now turned to Disunion as the remedy ?
Next came war with Mexico—the natural
fruit of Annexation. It was foreseen, foretold,
deemed inevitable. " Annexation and War
with Mexico are identical," was the warning
seasonably uttered by Mr. Clay. Mr. Van Bu
ren said substantially the same ; so did many
others. Not, indeed, that War might not have
been avoided after annexation, but that it would
not. The spirit that impelled to the first
wrong would be certain not to stop at that.
The appetite for acquisition would be sharpen
ed, not sated, by its first gratification. So it
proved.
Nothing could have tried the fidelity of
Northern men of conscience to the Union more
severely than this War. Having observed and
resisted all the steps by which it had been
reached, they felt a conviction of its atrocity and
inexcusable perfidy which language can but
faintly express. They resisted it, of course;
but only by endeavoring to drive its authors
from power; they resisted es loyal freemen;
,not as disorganizers ar factionists: 't frek in
terposed no otstacle to the constitutional ac
tion of the Government; they paid their taxes
without resistance or scruple; no considerable,
scarcely an audible fraction of them talked of
dissolving the Union. Perplexed, distracted,
revolting at the daily spectacle of their blood
and treasure lavished in the prosecution of a
war they knew to he unjust and detestable,
they still clung with unabated tenacity to the
ark of Nationality wherein their fathers had
found peace and security.
—.The scene changes. New and spacious
conquests from Our feeble and disasterous foe
become inevitable. The Representatives of
the Free States in the House—some moved by
principle, others by shame, and many by fear
of their constituents--unite in a declaration that
no Free Territory acquired by us shall in our
hands become Slave Territory. The propriety
of this was urgent, yet the notification was sea
sonable. if the South did not chose to prosecute
the war for the sake of Free Soil, she had, thro'
the President, the effectual control of the Gov
ernment, and might stop it at any time. Indeed
her President need hut recall our troops within
our own boundaries, and it 'would be stopped at
once. The Smith chose to have the war go on.
The Nation hail in former years acquired
Louisiana, Florida, Texas—all upholding Sla- ,
very. We heard nothing about dividing then,
—nothing but a double-and-twisted cheat in the
pretended compromise with regard to Slavery
in Texas. The South had uniformly assumed
that territory whereof Slavery was the law when
acquired must remain Slaveholding after its ac
quisition—not a part of it but the whole. It is
a poor rule that does not work at least as well
for Freedom as for SlaVery. When they were
asked to divide Texas in 1815 they scouted the
proposition. With what face then, do they ask
us to divide New Mexico and California ?
But, argument failing, and strength proiing
inadequate, we are now to be overborne by
threats. The dissolution of the Union is open
ly, hourly threatened in Congress if the Wilmot
Proviso be applied to the new Tdritories—
threatened by men who are eager for fight if
any one calls them Disunionists. Their, fond
ness for the thing seems to run parallel with
their hatred of the name.
What is this execrated Wilmot Proviso
Simply a provision that Slavery shall not be ex
tended to and established in territory where it
has now no legal existence. It does not touch
Slavery where it now is, or has any right to be.
It simply provides that it will not diffuse itself
elsewhere--shall not subject new realms to its
sway.
Thomas Jefferson, a slaveholder and the rep
resentative of slaveholders, originated this pro
viso in 1784, when it was adopted, by a
Congress representing Slave States almost e)c
elusively. It was then applied not Is legally
Free but to Slave territory—to the territory
north-West of the Ohio, ceeded by Virginia td
the Confederatioh, and now forming the States
of Ohio,lndiana, Illinois, Sze. Slaveholders
voted that the magnificent domain should be
freed from slavery forever, without suspecting
that they were betraying the South or doing
wrong to any one. They lived too near the
days of the revolution to imagine or assert that
'slavery is the corner-stone of our political ed
ifice,' or regard its perpetuation as one of the
cardinal duties of our Government. What
slaveholders did without a murmur with respect
to Slave territory, we propose now to do with
respect to Free territory. Is that aggression ?
But they say they will dissolve the Union.—
Who will ? The slaveholders ? They are but
one-fourth of the free white voters of the slave
States. Admit that these would desire to do
It, will the other three-fourths let them 1 Why
should the eight hundred thousand adult free
men in the slave States, who own no slaves,
consent to break up the Union because the two
hundred thousand slaveholders are not author
ized to sell or work their human chattels in Cal
iforhia and New Mexico What interest have
these non-slaveholders in the extension of slave
ry t What good would it do them? Even if
they want to become slaveholders, will such
extension reduce the Price of negroes 7 Is it not
urged as a measure calculated to increase that
price? And if they with to remain as they
are, why should they wish slavery extended 7
How is any man not a slave owner or overseer
profitted by slavery that he shotifd Pouf out hie
blood for it I See southern Illinois and Irma
filled with poor white men who have fled from
cheaper land and a more genial clime in Slave
States, to settle where they can till the earth
and follow the mechanic arts without being de
graded by the competition of chatteli. Mark
In hoa large measure the Military Bounty Lands
won by the services of southern men (but rare- -
ly sittehOldets) ih the Ilexican war have been
located in free States, Why should these non
slaveholtlers desire the extension of Slavery
Rely on it, they do not. They may be inflamed
and exasperated by cries that the North is Wag,
gling to degrade them, deprive them of their
rights, &c., nut when you come to ask them to'
dissolve the Union because Slavery is not al
lowed to enter the new territories, they will'
think twice befote they do it. It is easy to bi
deceived in this matter. The Southern Pfect
is the mouth-piece of the slaVe.fiolditig aristo.;
cracy ; Southern meetings are got up, officered
and managed by them. Men who fancy their
means of living depend on rich mm's favor may
seem to join in the hurrah for disunion, but they
can never mean it. They will show you so
when the time comes for action.
We think some Northern Members made a
mistake when they suffered themselves to be
bullied into reconsidering Gott's Resolution last
winter. They doubtless acted as they thought
for the best, but their course was an invitation
to more bluster and new threats of dissolving
the Union. We know it is best to avoid or al
lay excitement when nothing vital is put in
jeopardy by a concilitary course; but the truth
must be spoken, even when it has an edge.—
That resolution was true, and the judgement of,
the country so atilt med. Being true and not ir
relevant, it should have been stood by. Giving
it up invites farther dictation.
We would not pass such a resolution nor en
act the Wilmot Proviso except to some practi
cal end. Show us that either is needless and
we waive ifs abstract soundness. Show us
how Freedom is to gain and not lose by waiv
ing the ProVisO, and we are ready to waive it,
as we offered to last is-infer if we might thereby
wrest lkiew kexico from the grasp of Texas.—
But the sTav&ry propogandists do not make all
this uproar for ar. abstraction. They mean to
force a compromise which will surrender a pot.
tion of the territories to slavery. That must
be resisted at all hazards.
The Union of the States.
The newspapers are now so full of dis
cussions in which the integrity of the
Union is involved, as a question to be
consi&red, that It may be well toremind
the agitators who are fond of specula
ting upon the probabilities of such an
event, that the thing is utterly impossi
ble. It might save a great deal of bold ,
talk and bluster if this fact were always
kept in mind.
So long as threats of disunion aro
likely to create alarm in the public mind
so long will they be resorted to for polit
ical effect. But let it once be understood
that such threats are idle, and that those
who indulge in them are in a fair way
to make themselves ridiculous—that the
unity trF this Republic is a primary fact
from which our whole political system
takes its character and pursues its des
tiny-- that the continuance of such unity
postulate, not to be Fll fried about, nor
requiring proof, not admitting of doubt
—that any theory of disunion is as ab
surd as it would be to suppose that the
body of a man might be severed in two
and both parties remain alive—if these
things were rightly appreciated it might
then follow that the public councils of
the country would be relieved from much
useless confusion, to the great benefit of
the public business and to the promotion
of the national welfare.
The profound assurance which dwells
in the public mind, in relation to the
security of the Union, is so intimately
blended with the very elements of our
political beirrg, that all the efforts of all
the agitators, different sections of the
country, have not been able to disturb
the calm serenity of that assurance or to
excite alarm: Moderation and forbear
ance are usually the characteristics of
conscious strength, and tee doubt not
that the great National Party which may
be summoned in due time to put down
disargemizers from whatever quarter
they may tome Will be as magnanimous
as it must be poWerfut: It will breathe
the true spirit of the Constitution ; it
will remember what is due to every por
tion of the Union ; it will cherish the
sentiment of national fraternity while
its stern rebuke falls upon the factions
that may seek to obliterate that senti
ment. The question of slavery and oth- -
er questions may have their proper prom
inence; but the integrity of the Union,
With its high supremacy, must rule par
amount titer all.—Bait. ✓imerican.
SENglßLE.—Several marriage notices
lately sent for publications, were accom
panied by requests to enter the bride
grootn's names on our list of subscribers..
[Bucks Co. Intelligencer.
This we call a sensible remark,- end
no mistake. It is not to be expected
that every young man shall Cake a paper
while living in his father's house; but
when he is about to forsake it and "cleave
unto a wife," if he can content himself
without a paper in the house, we warn
all the dear ladies to be cautions, and
remedy the detect in their lord's char
acter as soon as possible. So. says the
Pottstown Ledger.
Falling in Love.—Getting knocked down
with a frying pin by your sweet heart