The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-02-24

least twice year, and from a week to ~ DAYS
During this time, and particularly within the st
eight or nine years, | have, upon very many occa-
sions, both public and private, heard you express
your opinions openly, freely and tearlessly in rea-
ton to the subjects OF federal politics. and, although
have heard you in excited conversations, particu-
larly upon the subjects Of notification and the abo
ton of slavery, never heard you express wish for
disunon, any opinion that the Union ought to be
dissolved as an Independent matter unconnected with
some results which you thought worse than dsunion
For instance | have heard you say that the Con-
stitution the bond of Union and the protection
of the States and People from acts OF aggression on
the part OF the Federal Government and that wher-
ever the acts of Congress in open land papable
violation of the Constitutions it the duty OF the
People to resist, and that notification the right
full remedy; but that it ought be reorted to
except in extreme cases and that upon such
sions you would maintain the principle at the hazard
| of the Union. have also heard you maintain the
opinion that the Union should be dissolved rather
than submit any of Congress abolishing slave
| ry in the States. At time have ! heard you
express the opinion that the Union ought to be dis
| solved, except alternative for some measure
which you thought would be perverson of the prin-
| ciples of the Constitution and oppressive On the
contrary, in all that heard from you the sub
ject you have always expressed high regard for the
Union and deprecated any act the part of the Ge-
neral Government calculated TO bring 1t in jeopardy,
and contended that yours were the true conservative
advance have said before openly and fearlessly;
| and am that my neighbois, who were IN the
habit of visiting you al my house, have heard the
same.
| With sentiments of high regard, am your obedi-
| ent servant,
JOS. MAYO.
To the Hon. Judge UpsHuR.
RICHMOND February IL, 1912.
DEAR S,R: have just received your letter of tho
Orb ,pCta NH nokY in vofnr IN he
pending issue between Mr. Bolts and yourself to say
what opportunities have had of knowing your OPT
Mons in regard to the value of our Union and what
understand them to be.
My acquaintance with you began, believe, about
the year 1880. You then of the judges of
the General Court Of Virginia, and young men,
Der of the Bar of this city resided at the time and
continued to do for five years afterwards, in the
| family of gentleman with whom you were upon
terms of great intimacy and friendship and at whose
house you always stad when you came to Richmond to
attend the General Court which sat here twice year.
| During this period occasionally attended the Court
of Charles City, and recently that of Williams
burg in both Of which you presided. Upon these
occasions intercourse was free and familiar
natural between persons of different ages and
| situations in life. have frequently heard you ex
press youl opinions upon subjects of federal politics.
and have been present upon many occasions when
the doctrine of notification, secession, abolition and
other exciting topics of the day were the subjects of
| your conversation with others. Upon of these
| occasions
Others of them was merely silent auditor of what
was said | cannot pretend to detail with accuracy
| what said by you in any one of these converse
lions; but of this feel confident, that nothing
said which induced me to believe for a moment that
you in favor of an immediate and unconditional
dissolution of the Union. Had such sentiment
been uttered by you in my presence, or indeed any
thing which bore the slightest affinity to such senti
ment, am sure should not have forgotten it for,
having always entertained the opinion myself that the
essential liberties of 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 fool madman who could en-
terrain the opinion that any state of things had yet
arisen in the progress of the Government which could
make it desirable expedent to dissolve it. 1t is
true, always considered you what is called State
rights of the very strctest sect and have some
times heard you in the heat of discussion push the
doctrines of State sovereignty and State interposton
beyond what | believed to be their true limits
| well recoect that, in the controversy which arose
between the General Government and South Carroll
upon the subject of the tariff laws, you took sides
with the latter and have strong impression that
have heard you declare, upon more occasions than
one, that rather than see the principles OF General
Jacksons proclamation carried into practice, and be-
come the established and recognised principles ofthe
Government you would the Union dissolved.
But did understand you entertaining the OPT
MON that these principles had become or ever would
become the principles of the Government; and the
declaration seemed to TO be made merely TO evince
the strength of your conviction of their dangerous
character and tendency. Generally, however, when
have heard you conversing upon the subject of the
South Carolina controversy, you were combating the
idea, which then frequently advanced that multi
ication, if practically applied would soon produce
dissolution of the Union, by rendering its govern
ment powerless and its laws imperative. You main
tanned, on the contrary that the principles of nulf
cation were the only conservative principles Of the Go
vernment and that to establish any other would be to
build up splendid central Government, from whose
expressions there would be escape for the people, but
| in instruction and civil
! Very respectfully, your obedent servant,
| HENRY l.. BROOKE
P. S. Upon the subject of Abolition am not aware
that your op ions at all at variance with those
entertained by nineenths of the people of Virginia.
as far as have ever heard them expressed.
II. l.. B.
| ITO be continual \