The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-26
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
1shlnptnn Feb II lS42

M
instant and hasten to reply so far as | can, to the
questions propounded in relation to the movements
OF the notification party of South Carolina and
to the charges brought against you by Mr. Ed w
Johnston.
Az the time these transactions took place. was
an actor upon the political stage and cannot claim to
myself the honor of having been conversant with the
private views of many OF the leading men of that par
w. or of having taking very active part IN the poll
tics Of that day, although was not an IDLE spectator
or an inactive observer of passing events claim to
be of that party, and did what could to sustain what
| conceived to be its true principles But, in doing
So it certainly never struck my mind that was aiding
the designs Of men, of party, who were In favor
of dissolution of the Union. thought then, as |
do now that that party was vindicaling the true prn
cples of the Constitution that those principles were
conservative, and not destructive of the Union; and
that the Union itself second in Importance only
to constitutional liberty. If this is the doctrine of
disunion then, perhaps, may be termed disunion-
ist But was then and would be noac, very unwilling
TO Weld in my attachment TO the Union to Mr. john
son or any other person. have not the certlhcate
of Mr. Johnston at this time before me, and shall
therefore undertake to say any thing to hsgeneral
statements having read it only once but shall con-
fine myself to some of the charges, as set forth IN
your letter
You state that he says, in effect, "that (you) was
in the habit of nterchanging opinions with the multi
fcalion party of South Carolina, Or this fact
know nothing never having heard it alleged before.
have heard il alleged that you defended our prncl-
ples before the people of Virginia, upon the true
grounds, as conceived that they were conservative
Of and not destructive TO, the Union.
Az to the charge, shat when your services were
desired as writer for the Southern Review, 1t was
reported among your close friends in South Carolina,
that YOU went beyond notification, and was dis
unonist determined to devote your future life to that
cause" can only say that never heard it, or any
thing else that would give the least confirmation TO
any such report or ruinor
As 10 the claim you say Mr.. Johnston sets up OF
having been ''your (our) confidential organ" | will
only remark that this claim is new to and simply
add that if he was the confidential organ of any par
ty which was in favor of dissolution ofthe Union,
il was not of the party to which belonged did
ever understand disunion to be the doctrine Of any
portion of the notification party, as party in South
Carolina.
Yours respectfully,
P. C. CALDWELL
Hon A. P. UPsHUR.
WAsHNGToN, Feb l6 1912
DEAR Sir; In reply to your letter. | have no hes'
aton in asserting that the principles of nullliicaton
were conservative. The object OF notification was tc
preserve the Constitution Of the United States by the
iveto of q sovereign State upon an unconstt utona
act Of Congress" The intention was to preserve the
Constitution, and by preserving it conserve the
Union, which rested upon it. One reason why the
null6ers were unwilling to call convention of all
the Southern States that complained Of the oppression
of The General Government was the apprehension
that The united counses Of a whole section Of the
Union might result in sectional action, destructive Of
the Union; and whenever the Union party charged
us as being disunionsts we repealed the charge with
INDIGNATION. and endeavored TO convince them thai
nui6caton was the only remedy for the evils which
were rapidly destroying the harmony OF the states
n,J ~ M no the Union