Franklin Repository

We have, for years, been aware of the fact that a dark spirit of sectionalism has been brooding over our beloved land, like a gloomy pall, threatening to shut out the genial rays of the sun of Liberty forever from our horizon. We have known whence this forbidding spectre emanated. We have told our readers, time and again, that the aims and objects of the Oligarchy were to obtain complete and entire control of every avenue to the law-making, law- executing and law-defining dapartments [sic] of the general government; that they desired to carry their infamous system of concubinage, and selling of their own progeny, into every portion of our beloved land. All this was denied by the pliant tools of the slave-drivers--the Niggerized Democracy of the North.

The impatient hot heads of slavery-extension, however, in their mad zeal for spreading the iniquitous system of unpaid labor over all portions of the country--even into regions where the fell spirit of slavery, the groans of agony from the hearts of helpless females, at being forever separated from their husbands, their natural protectors, have never obtruded their unwelcome society--during the recent sessions of the sectional, political organization at Charleston, have illuminated the sentiments of Southerners and settled, beyond controversy, the question as we have hitherto presented it.

The position of the Republican party has been, ever since its organization, such as that no candid man could take exceptions to its creed. They have only contended, as they are bound to do, even with the last drop of blood in their veins, if necessary, as true and loyal sons of heroic ancestors, that this country is the home of the white man; the place where the poor, oppressed, down-trodden whites of other lands may come and find an asylum for themselves and their little ones, away from the overbearing, degrading tyranny of their fellow men--the rich aristocracy and heartless monarchs of the old world. Shall we then, while extending the hand of welcome to the seeker after a home, and a place where men is supposed to be regarded as the fellow man, allow petty tyrants of our own land to over-run America with a baser and darker system of oppression than is known in Europe, thereby debasing the toil of the white portion of society who earn their living by daily labor? The instincts of a common humanity answer, No. The nobler feelings of our nature prompt us to use our best efforts in behalf of the oppressed of our own race--poor whites. All our endeavors shall, therefrom, be exerted to secure free homes for free white men and their families, and not contaminate free whites with negro slave labor.

Sectionalism means that which pertains to a particular locality, or section of the country. Slavery, therefore, being limited to certain States--legal only where tolerated and provided for by special law--is purely sectional; altogether local in its character. Freedom is as national, as wide-spread, as the utmost limits of our ocean-bound Republic. Therefore that only is Sectional which is confined within certain local boundaries, and that is National which pervades every quarter of the country. Being National, consequently, is to advocate the spread of principles which underlie the superstructure of our Government; while the supporting of dogmas repugnant to the genius of our institutions, and limited too by certain well defined boundaries in their operations, is certainly Sectional, and nothing but Sectional. The best proof which can be adduced by the Sectionalism of the Democracy is that their principal aid is to extend that which is now confined within local bounds--slavery.

The conduct of the Northern delegates to the Charleston convention, refusing to submit to the extreme measures demanded by the Sectionalists, because of their Sectionalism, shows that they, even, are beginning to see who are the real Sectionalists--the troublers of Israel. They too are beginning to learn that the United States Government was formed for some other purpose than to extend tyranny, and oppress the toiling millions. The sectionalists expected to crush out every vestige of liberty at the Charleston convention, and they came very nearly accomplishing their nefarious scheme. If the high ground occupied by the Republican party for the last four years, which has been so very popular with the working classes, because of its sympathy with them, had not started the Northern delegates to Charleston in the face, the Sectionalists would have triumphed.

All the horrors of Disunionism with which the country has been threatened by these locofoco Southern sectionalists, including the outrages upon decency and good morals in Congress, and the wicked cruelties and lawless violence in Kansas, emanated from Southern Sectionalism. There never was a greater insult given to the American people than that offered by locofoco who, themselves, sustain the meanest sectionalism in the land, and call others, those who advocate the principles of the Declaration of Independence in all their purity, sectionalists. When the whole history of the locofoco party comes to be summed up, it will all be embraced in one word--Sectionalism.

The Lutheran congregation of this place, have much improved their Parsonage. The front has been born out and re-built with beautiful pressed brick, on fine red sandstone range work. The internal part of the building has also been much repaired and painted, giving to the property a very pretty and new appearance. It will now be a convenient as well as a handsome residence, and is creditable to the congregation thus to comfortably situate their new pastor.

We are gratified to notice various improvements going on in different parts of our beautiful town. It is an evidence that the building spirit was not exhausted last year by the unusually large number of fine structures that were erected by our citizens.

D. K. WUNDERLICH, Esq., is now engaged in the excavation of a cellar preparatory to the erection of a very fine two-storied dwelling on Second street, near the M. E. Church. Judging from the plan of the front, (which we had the pleasure of seeing a few days ago,) it will be the most beautiful building, for a private residence in the town. The front will be pressed brick--the window and door sills, the sides of the door, as well as the range work, all to be of red sandstone, with double steps to the front entrance, to be surmounted with iron railing. The whole improvement will be very creditable to the taste and enterprise of our worthy townsman.

We understand that Mr. JAMES KING will, in the course of the season, enlarge and remodel the front of his present dwelling, located on East Queen street. It is his purpose to re-build the front with pressed brick, and to use red sandstone for range work, and the entire door frame, as well as window sills of the same material, ornamented. With Mr. KING's known skill as a stonecutter, we have no doubt but that he will make his residence assume a very attractive appearance.

MESSRS MYERS & BRAND are also now making arrangements for the building of a large two-storied addition to the rear end of the property which they recently purchased--late part of the estate of Judge Thompson, dec'd. This additional building is intended as an extension of the Store Room, which the above named gentlemen are going to occupy next spring for their Hardware business. It will thus be made one of the largest and finest Store Rooms in the Borough. They also intend, we believe, to let the floor of the front building down to a level with the pavement, and to modernize the front.

For four weeks there has been a revival of Religion going on in the church of the United Brethren in Christ, in this place. During that time some twenty five persons have given hopeful evidence of conversion. The Rev. Z. A. COLDSTOCK is the Preacher in charge, and is a most excellent and faithful pastor. May he have many souls for his hire.

Contributions to the Ladies Mount Vernon Association, for the month of April, 1860, in Franklin County:

Chambersburg......................$53.62 1/2

Strasburg.........................10.00

Fannettsburg......................2.00

Orrstown..........................5.00

Waynesboro........................10.00

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Total.............................$80.62 1/2

Manager for Franklin County, of the Ladies Mount Vernon Association.

At a meeting of the People's Party of the Borough of Chambersburg convened at the Public House of Mrs. R. Fisher, on the evening of the 26th ult., for the purpose of nominating candidates for Burgess, School Directors, &c., prior to adjourning, the following resolution was adopted:

Resolved, That when this meeting adjourns, it will adjourn to meet at the Public House of Jacob S. Brown, Esq., on Friday Evening, May 11th, 1860, for the purpose of forming a CENTRAL CLUB, of the People's Party of Chambersburg, and that all friends to the formation of such a Club be invited to attend.

JACOB HENNINGER, Pres't.

G. H. MERKLEIN, Sec'y.

In accordance with the foregoing resolution, a meeting of all friendly to the formation of a Central Club of the People's Party of the Borough of Chambersburg, will be held at the Public House of Jacob S. Brown, Esq.

On Friday Evening next, May 11.

The friends of Freedom, the Constitution and the Union are cordially invited to be present. The young men--especially--our country's hope--will please attend.

Mr. Hickman (A. L. Dem., Pa.) said that sectionalism had been nursed and animated until it had become the fruitful and commanding parent of all our afflictions. It is not the sectionalism of the North but of the South--not springiug [sic] from the few who understand the Constitution in all its bearings, but from the many, who, feeling their weakness, have united for strength--a sectionalism not created in the atmosphere which cools the laborer's brow, but in the fetid atmosphere of rice swamps and cotton fields--a sectionalism now mild and pursuasive [sic], then fierce and persistent, it is the emblem on the shield of Alcibiades, as a child harmless, but we give it the thunderbolt and make it fierce and destructive. He wished to impress this truth on the public mind, namely, that it is the determination of the South to extend rather than to reduce the limits of Slavery. This arrays the different parts of the country in hostility, and in this connection he spoke of the cringing Buchanan in contrast with the inflexible immovable Jackson. The North will endeavor to preserve the Federal compact in its integrity, and they were fast forming the determination of preventing others from intracting [sic] it. The spoke of the humiliating concessions to the South in the compromise of 1850, including the Fugitive Slave Law, which compels men to leave their fields and shops to run after the fleeing negro while the North are denied equality in the Union. The present Executive has not rendered himself more notorious by his partiality than he has by the disgusting subserviency in his rule.--His deception as a candidate was equalled only by his cynical demeanor to his true friends, and he felt the flattery of sycophants beyond the honest report of disinterested friends. He spoke of the departure from the doctrine of popular sovereignty as enunciated in 1856, because it failed to give Kansas to Slavery. Those who opposed the President's demands had been branded with treason, and trodden down under the iron heel of a fierce tyranny. Certain members of the XXXIIId Congress sowed the harvest, the fruit of which has been reaped at Charleston. In all the bloody history of Kansas the people found the President could be as false as any other man. He spoke of the absurdity of the South in their efforts to preserve not only the territory they now possess, but to acquire Mexico, Cuba, and Central America, as they say, for an outlet to their surplus labor. The South want and strive for unlimited Slavery Extension and the subjection of the North. They would fire this temple; but the North had the ability and power to save both it and them. He proved, he said, the accuser guilty, and sectionalism the accusation.