Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-11-14
HIGHLY INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT.
PROM TIE wrsrAw 70. c,) isrEIIIsrxcrn.
TO The Honorable Robert Y Hume:

SIR: IL IS with great reluo lance that I eve,
appear in the public prints; and / am sure nc
motive Can be assigned for nv wishing unne
eessdrny to Interfere between you and the writes
under the signature Of 'Union.' Who ,har
writer is, know not. The communication ap.
peared in the Winyaw paper, when I was one
hundred miles distant; l did not read il un,il
long after It's appesrarce-and, although i,
called Gil the members Of the dele gaiion 10 ex-
plain our proceedings at your house in the City
Of Washington, l did not feel myself in any
wise bound 10 obey. I was perfectly willing
that others, il they thought proper, should pub.
li,h what l did aud said. I knew tna, The most
malignant SANDER, unprincipled as it is, could
distorl no act OF mine into a sentiment hostile
to The Union. or alien TO tina, re,ereace for the
Constitution, which l have ever regarded as es-
sentlal 10 the character Of good citizen more
especially Of one, honored with such high trusts
as we are. Under this impression, de'ermin-
fore YER unanswered by me.
But on reading your letter in the Intelligen-
Ger Of Wedns sday last, l feel myself called on
10 address you in public, because some Of your
positions, ana the whole character and air Of
The composition, appear to impugn statements
which l have made in respect to the proceed
ings OF the meeting referred to statements
which l know 10 be true, and which &! conlDu-
nica.ed TO a few Of the most enlightened AID
confidential of my cons.ituents-not with a
view to criminate others, (still less that thew
should be punlished) but simply as part Of
that political Information which it was my du
ty and my pie AsUre 10 give.
| will therefore proceed 10 contrast he state.
ments which have made, with your positions.
You say in your letter, ~ deny ,ha; any propo-
sition was ever submitted to the delegation OF
South Carolina tina, he members should i'm.
media,ely abandon their seats, return home,
and thereby end all further political connexion
with the Government" And will you cenv,
Sir, that, after all the Southern delegations (ex-
cr2t Georgia. had positively refused 10 unit
| with Us in such d protest as was thought ef-
~teclual Nv you and Others, tina, a proposition
wa m,de by on Of our members, that we
should formally secede from Congress-return
home-and say TO our constituents, that our
services were no longer of any use. That when
this proposition wa, made, it was Immediately
opposed Ivy Col. DRAYToN, who at once declar
ed, tina, he would not concui, as the act ,hus
perfo; med would he Unconstitutional, and
would not be- sanctioned by his cousti,uen,s?-
/ Canrot, sii, be mis-. ken in this siale rnept.-
The proposition excited feelings toe s!rong to
be- forgotten. ! thought, il it were adcp,sd,
that | should be placed in the most trying Of
all situations. 10 remain alone at ashlng,on
in opposition to the vie VS. Of the whole deiega
ton, would De assuming a fearful responsibility
ty-Io shrink from that responsibility, and
yield 10 their view in opposition 10 my own,
would BE- contemplate weakness. Besides,
chat was TO result from II? Wnat was to be
he fate Of the Peopls whom we repri sented'
lmaginatio" sbuIderrG at the prospect. These
were nv feelings-ihes were the idta as which
the proposition called forth. Aud / have never
in nv life been more relieved 'haa when 1t was
Immediately put do IN by Colonsl DaAYT N
Again. SIR. in your letter you deny tina; ANY
"derei minalion was ever made 'ha, the mrm-
ncrs on their return home should visit their
constituents generally, aud make every effort to
in ulcaie among them such doctrines and pin
ciples as would induce the People to agree 10,
and advocate a separation from the S'a'es.'-
And will you deny, SIR, thai a proposition Was
made. that zoe should, on Il return home,
communicate BY letter, or otherwise, w'th
he principal M nofour re.pectire districts
on the subject of The iar!f-eaploin TO them
lis Eai al effects ON their trade g. agrscuHa re,
and its aggression on the sovereignty OF me
Sfoie!? Further, that IL Was proposed,
that zoe should during The Summer, com
mnn,cate to each other By letter, the St"te
efEeehng which zoe discovered in !" res,
pecfiue districts? ind, finally, that the
delegation should meet at Columbia in nc,
tober or November, Jor the purpose oj de-
uising and maturing some plan 0 action
for the State Government? Do you not
remcmbrr, that one gentl' man Mr. M'DuFFlE
aid say that, in his opinion, there was no Other
rem, dy for the evil 'hsn a separation OF the
State from the Union-ihat 'empo"izing mea-
sures would prove una, ailing land tina, he
himself, was prepared TO 81 all iengths:-and
when it was remarked that his constituents
might not approve such a measure, did he not
reply, with an exclamation, that he. would not
ltken represent them: .ha, he considered his SER
vices in Congress as an obligation conferred on
hem, and ,ha. whenever they failed 10 support
his great view on the affairs Of the Union, he
would abandon them. To This did you not re-
ply that others were as ready 10 make sacrifices
as he could BE-? Further, when ii was obscrv-