Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-02-24


YOU thought worse than disunion. For instance.
have heard you say that the Constitution was the
bond OF Union, and the proteelion oil the Siaesa
People from acts OF eggrcs>son on the part OF me
Federal Government; and that wherever the acts
of Congress were in open and ,lpabe violation oil
the Constitution, i WAS the duty OF the People 10
resist, and that nullhcaIon was the tghuul remo'
dy; but thai never ought TO be resorted 10 except
in extreme cases; and that, upon such occasions.
you would maintain the principle at the hazard o,
The Union. have also heard you maintain the
opinion that the Union should be dissolved rather
than submit TO any act OF Congress abeish'ng sia.
very in the States. AT no time have ever heard
you express the opinion that the Union ought TO
be dissolved except as alternative Tor some mea-
sure which you thought would be pcTversion OF
the prin :ipes Of the Constitution, aud oppressive.
On the contrary, in all that ever heard from 20
ON the SUSPECT. YOU have always expressed high
regard for the Union, and deprecated any act on
the part Of the General Government calculated TO
bring Il in jeopardy, and contcnded that yours were
the true conservative principles. These opinions l
nave often heard you advance, as l have said be-
tore, openly and fearlcssly; and am sure that my
neishbors, who were in the habit Of visiting you at
NY house, have heard the same.
With sediments Of high regard am y your SSsdi-
To the Hon. Judge UrsHuR.
RIcpnoSp. Feb. II, lsi2.
DEAR SIR:-I have just received your letter of
the S,h instant, in which you ask me- IN reference 10
the pending issue between Mr. Bolts and yourself,
TO say what opportunities l have had OF knowing
your opinions in regard TO the value Of our Union,
and wha, | understand them to he.
NV acquaintance with you began, | believe,
about the year 1880. You were then one of the
Judges of the General Court of Virginia, and | a
young member OF the Bar Of this city. resided of
the time, and continued to do for 1--WE years al
forwards, in the family OF a gentleman with whom
you were upon terms OF great intimacy and friend
ship, and at whose house you always said when
you came TO Richmond 10 attend the General Court,
which sat here twice n year. During this period
Occasionally attended the Court Of Charles City,
and more recently that OF Williamsburg, IN both of
which you presided. Upon these occasions our in
tercourse was free, and familiar was natural
between persons OF as different ages and situations
IN life. have frequently heard you express your
opneus upon subjects of federal politics, and have
been present upon many occasions when the doc
trine OF notification, secession, abolition, and other
exciting topics :the day were the subjects of your
conversation with Others. Upon some of Ithese oc-
casions myself took part IN the conversation;
others OF them | merely a sen, auditor of
what was said. cannot pretend to detail with ac-
curacy what was said by you in any ore OF these
Conversations; out OF this feel confident that no.
thing was said which induced me to believe for mo-
ment that you were IN favor OF an immediate and
unconditional dissolution OF the Union. Had such
sentiment, ever been uttered by you in my pre-
sence or indeed any thing which bore the slightest
affinity 10 such a sentiment, l am sure should not
have forgotten; for, having always enter;nined the
opinion myself that the essential liberties CT this
people depended more upon the preservation of the
union OF the States than upon any earthly thing,
should have Regarded that man little better than
a tcol or medman, who could entertain the OPT
MON that any state OF things had yet arisen in toe
progress Of the Government which could make i,
desirable or expedient 10 dissolve it. /, is true, |
always considered you what is called Stale Rights
man OF the very srctest sect and have sometimes
heard you, IN the heat Of discussion push the doc.
irines OF Stale sovereignty and State interposi,ion
beyond what believe TO be their true limits I
well recolleet that, in the controversy which arose
between the General Government and South Caro-
hna upon the subj ct Of the tariff laws, voa took
sGss with the latter; and have 4 strong Impression
thdti have heard YOU declare, upon more occasions
ihan one, that rather than see the PRINCIPLES of
General Jaeksons PROCLAMATION carried into practice
and become the established and recognised princi
pies OF the Government, you would see the Union
dissolved. But did no; understand vor rs enter.
tanning the oplnion that these principles had become
or ever would become the principles Of the Cover.
men'; and the declaration seemed TO mo 10 be mtds
merely to evInee the sttsnsih OF your conviction Of
The r dangerous character and tendency. Generally
however, when have heard you conversiny unon
the SUBJECT OF the South Carolina controversy. YOU
were combating the idea, which was then freouent-
ly advances, that notification fpracticaliv appieI
would soon produce dissolution Of The Union, Nv
rendering lis government powerless and lis avs in
operative. You maintained. on the contrary. In,
the principles OF notification were the only cons-r
vaiiye principles Of the Government, ard tha, 20
estaoi s. any o;hsr vo1ld be TO build up splendid
central Government, from whose expressions ,hcie
ton and civil war.
Very respectfully, your obsieui servant,
HENRY L. BROOKE.
=. :. Upon the subjec; Of abolition. | am no,
aware that your opinions are AZ all variance with
those entertained oy nine Tennis of the people Of
Virginia, ns far a. have ever heard them expressed
II. L. B.