The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-11-26

Mitchell's letter :l-Hampshire Gazette.
will proceed to contrast the statements
which | have made with your positions.
You say in your letter, al deny that any
proposition was ever submitted TO the dele
cation of South Carolina that the members
should Immediately abandon their seats,
return home, and thereby end all further
political connexion with the Government"
And will you deny, Sir, that, after all the |
Southern delegations Except Georglal had
positively refused to unite with us IN such
protest as was thought effectual by you and
others, that proposition was made by one
OF our members, that we should iormally Sc
cede from Congress-return homeland say
to our constituents, that our services were
no longer of any use? That when this prep
osition was made, it was Immediately OPP
posed by Col. Drayton, who at once deciar-
ed that he would not concur, as the act mus
performed would be Unconstitutional, and
would not he sanctioned lay his constituents
The proposition excited feelings too strong
to be forgotten. thought, if 1t were adopt
ed, that should be placed in the most try
ing of all situations, To remaln alone at
Washington, in opposition to the views OF
the whole delegation, would he assuming "A
fearful responsibility to shrink from that
responsibility, and yield to their views IN
opposition to my own, would be contempt
Bile weakness Besides, what was to resIlt
from it: What was to he the fate of the
people whom we represented? Imagination
shuddered at the prospect. These we're my
| feeIings-tkeSe were the ideas which the
proposition called FORTH And have never
in nv life been more relieved than when il
was Immediately put down by Col. Drayton.
Again, Sir, in your letter you deny that
| any determination was ever made that the
members. on their return home, should visit
! their constituents generally, and make every
effort to inculcate among them such doc
trines and principles, as would induce the
( people to agree to, and advocate IA separa-
! ton from the States" And will yon deny,
! Sir, that proposition was made, that ice
| should, on our return home, communicate by
letter, or otherwise, icifh the principal men Of
our respective districts, on the subject Of the
IdiF-erptdin to them the fatal Effects on
their trade aud agricuIture-dnd ats aggreS-
SION on the sovereignty ofthe State ? Further,
that ii ,caS proposed, that zoe should, during
! the summer, communicate to each other, byIet-
ter, the state Of feeling ,rkich ,ce discovered an
our r. Spectire districts .4nd, finally, that the
! delegation should meri at Columbia an Octo-
Der or November, for the purpose Of deriSiag
and maturing some plan 0t action for the
State Government? DO you not remember,
that one gentleman MIR. M'Duffiel did say,
that, in his opinion, there was no other rem
edy for the evil than separation of the
State from the Union-that temporizng
measures would prove unavailing-and that
ho raH to- oil Ion nc
and, when it was remarked that his constltu-
ents might not approve such measure, did
he not reply, with an exclamation, that he
would not then represent them: that he
considered his services i'll Congress as an
obligation conferred on them, and that
whenever they failed to support his great
views on the affairs of the Union, he would
abandon them. To this did you not reply,
that others were as ready to make saeri-
fees as he could be ? Further, when it was
observed that Mr.. M'Dufie's plan was Ill
advised, because the United States Govern
ment would force the State to submission,
lshe, single handed, not having the power to
resist J did you not ask. where were the
means of the General Government to CO.
cree the State That the standing army
was no more than a handful of men-nothing
could he feared from it:-that, with regard
to the militia, no Southern militia, if called
out by the President, would take arms
against our People, and that the Northern
militia would not he permitted by Virginia
and North Carolina to pass through their
territories, for the purpose of suhiectlng
South Carolina? Finally, after all attempts
TO obtain cooperation of the Southern del
egations had failed-after one of our most
influential members Mr.. Senator Smith
had peremptorily refused to attend-and
unanimity was not found to exist even among
those who were present, was it not then that
| you proposed TO abandon all the foregoing
plans, lest any increase of excitement in
| South Carolina might prove injurious to the
election of Gen. jackson?
On the adjournment Of the meeting,
| called on Senator Smith, (being in the hab-
its of intimacy and confidential communica-
ton with him. related what had transpired
and remarked that the delegation had been
saved by the wisdom and frmness of Col.
Drayton.
With regard to the views of Yourself and
others. | could say nothing. Having never
respected either the principles or course of
the Calhoun party, was not in your conf
dence, and was, therefore, left to mere CON
lecture as to what your motives were, and
what your Interior projects might be. In
this public development, | have not volun-
teered-you have forced me TO it.
| am, Sir, with due respect, your obedient
servant, THO'S. r. MITCHELL.
Georgetown, Nov. 3, 1923.
Since the above appeared, Mr.. Hayne has
published defence, accompanied by statements
from Col Drayton, Major Hamilton, VIM. d.
Martin, and John Carter, of the South Carroll
ma delegation in Congress the amount of all
which is denial that any proposition for DIS
solution of the Union was formally discussed at
the meeting alluded to, but il is not denied that
such conversation was held as is alleged above
OF his own oninions. Mr. Havna snoaLa q. CT