Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-02-17

puhic IN ary manner connected WIN these ihdtiefs'
aGoyerned by this feelings you are aware that, dur
; III. lat. rrea, contest between the Wing and Demo
cra,c partes attended no political or log cabin meet
n,. and irom the love OF privacy and peace, neither
mad ror listened TO any log cabin speeches, except
upon ,,yo occasions, when Mr. webster was IN n'ch'
mopd. when heard h.n Tor the first time
Won may imagine, then, with what reluctance j
CONNIE viii your request seeing the haZald IGn OF
bsvin6 th;l privacy and oaiet III which have 50 long
;ninlgrd DISTURBED and broken in upon.
s.p,,, ho,inr carefully considered line matter. notwh-
Standing Inc lcpusnaicc which feel think am bound
in iI;c, 10 yoa 10 give lie information which you re-
ones, sceingihc embarrassing position III which YOU may
c place,if Judge Upshnr should not recollect the eX
preston ofihc opinions attributed 10 nun y you
,h;a il dua 10 Justice ami truth, and that have no
i IN, morally u withhold il, any more Than should nc
leall, were You and Judge Upshur al issue upon your
civil rights before Of justice, and was called on
10 give evidence between you upon the trial.
.n reply 10 your letter, then, have 10 say tnal
have distinct recollection of the conversation or dis
cus.ion between Judge Upshur, Judge Barbour and
voorself al the time and upon the occasion TO whlch
Won refer and Of the opinions then expressed by Judge
rpshur upon the bect Of the dissolution Of the Union
of the States.
81 had. on more occasions than one, before, heard
I,doe IIpshur express the same opinions openly un
reseryedly, and with great holiness and freedom OF
manner These circumstances have the more deeply
upon my recollection the opinions expressed
by him upon the subject, at the time and upon The &C.
casion to which you have alluded.
.The first of these occasions was at Williamsburg,
when the Judge was holding one of his courts. He
there SAID in conversation not at all private, or con-
6dental that the Union Of The States sooner or later
must be dissolved; he believed 1t TO be unavoidable,
and in his opinion, the sooner il occurred or was
brouu ht about the better for Virginia and the South
ern States or saveholdng States; that IN the iorma
ten of Tie Union, the Northern and Eastern States
had obtained great advantages over The Southern; or
to use the Judges phrase the South, in the formation
e 1f,.n had paIa baH
administration Of the Government had made It worse
TINT the policy Of the Government and imposition
of tariff had produced the Impeachment and
would ultimately ruin the Southern States that
the Southern people would be the mere he"ers
of wood and drawers Of water, The slaves OF tho
Eastern and Northern; that the latter States had al
ready acquired the ascendency in the councils OF The
nation that the rapid increase of the population OF
these States the non-slavehoding States, would rem
der this state Of things permanent, il the Union CONT
nued that in consequence of these advantages and The
greater cani,a of the Northern and Eastern States,
they had already monpolzed large portion OF the pro-
per trade Of the South, and every year would render II
worse The Judge endeavored to enforce and illustrate
these opinions by reference 10 great many facts and
by much reasoning.
.sThe bold and open manner in which these opinions
wereexpressed, by one who held high judicial station
in Virgina-one of character and talents entitled to
great weight and Influence in sociey-nade deep i'm
preston upon my mind at the time My attention was
ed because | endeavored TO controvert them in the
best manner could. This occurred during the first
year of MIR. Van Burens Administration-perhap the
second for do not mean TO be precise III regard to
dates am, though, pretty confident IT was IN the
Spring of the year preceding the conversation on board
the steamboat 10 which you allude and at which, we
were present
| IN The month ofNoyember following, think Judge
Upshur and myself We're travelling from New York tc
i Williamsburg together in some private conveyance
Ttyiey
subject of the dissolution Of The Union, expressing the
same opinions III very much The same language support
ing his opinions by the course oi reasoning and by
reference 10 the same facts. was al the time unwell
and endearored al first ciyil waive the subject bu
the Indge continuing his remarks, engaged in dis
cussion which very became too warm 10 be agreea
bic and finding ii likely 10 become more So suggested
10 The Judge the propriey OF closing The conversation
upon the subject which he readily did on pcTceigine
il unpleasant 10 me, ana We separated upon the uS'
| al terms Of respect and ciriiy. The Judge came
to Williamsburg for the purpose Of holding his
court; | for The purpose OF attending IT, ~ The
close of it, the judge and myself set ont together
for the purpose Of going 10 Norfolk by way Of the
steamboat which expected 10 board at James town;
upon reaching which place. we found according to my
recollection, some four five PERSONS none of whom
knew, but from the appearance Of some Of them,
took them 10 be students of the college The Judge
spoke to one or more ofihem though he knew them
Having wait at the landing for the boa; some time
the Judge, after while fell into conversation with
these gentlemen and after time, broaced the sub
ect of the dissolution Of the Union in nearly the same
terms and language have already mentioned. After
listening to him for time, and determining to take
no part in the conversations left the place and walked
apar, the bank Of the river until the steamboat reach
ed the landing place
/ Upon boarding the boat we found il much crowded
and among the passengers were Judge Barbour, Maj
Christian, Marshal Ct the Eastern District of Virginia
Mr.. Robert G. Nicholas, District Attorney ofthe Uni
led States for the same District, and yourself. The
two last named gentlemen and Judge Barbour 60
ing TO Norfolk for the purpose of holding court AT
ter having dined, the company went generally upon
deck We had not long reached IT before, in passing
among the crowd, | heard Judge Upshur, Judge Bar.
bour, and yourself engaged in earnest and animated
conversation, surrounded by the crowd.
q" listened for time, and found the subject of dis
cussion the dissolution of the Union the propriety and
Justice of which, in regard to the interests and welfare
of the Southern States Judge Upshur maintaining
with great warmth and vehemence, in almost the same
language had before heard and have mentioned above
do not recolect that Judge Upshur used the word
mediate applied 10 the time of the dissolution, but
he certainly said and repeated that it must come-in
his opiaion il inevitable; and the sooner, the bet
ter. heard any qualifications, conditions, OF
reservations, Of any kind annexed to this opinion, as
above declared. will not undertake 10 say that the
Judge never made any such any time all that NEAR
10 say is, that upon the occasions mentioned by me,
never heard any uttered by him.
81 listened TO this discussion Tor some time. deter
mined 10 take no part in it, and after time, retired
to different part of the boat, out Of the crowd In
about hreequurtcrs of an hour, hour after, was
joined by Judge Barbour who had left the discussion &c
Judge UPshur and yourself How long it continued
afterwards do not ecollect il certainly did for con
siderable tme and believe until most Of the company
became sick oft. When Judge Barbour joined me,
was sitting alone on the deck; and he, speaking upar
with me, expressed the greatest annzement ut the OPT
Mons he had just heard avowed By Judge Upshur spoke
of them in terms Of the most marked disapprobaiion
and also Of the ndiscfeton of the Judge; The
pecally SO, he high officer of the Government
of Virginia, and one whose station and talents gave hin
great influence in society. Judge Barbour and myse
usually occupied the same chamber at The hotel in Nor
folk Upon retiring TO our room, Judge Barbour again
adverted to this subject tseemed tohave made deer
impression his mind lie deplored i, because he
the danger 10 which the Union exposedby the pub
lie expression of such opinions by persons holding The
rank in society and the station in the Government thn
Judge Upshur did, that if he really entertained sucI
opinions he ought not 10 express them in such open
public manner.