The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-27
From the Georgia Telegraph

q. H.
LETTER FROM GEN. LAMAR.-The reader will
ind IN our colums this morning a letter written
by Gen. Is. Lamar, Ex- President of Texas, in re-
ply to an invitation to attend the Southern
Rights meeting held in this city on the 22d ult
This letter is written with great ability. 1t is
bold, perspicuous, and to the point. Its mastery
and merciless review of the bride and sham
policy OF the Clay Compromise should be axami-
ned, IN the calm and dispassionate spirit which
seems to have prompted the writer We like to
read the honest thoughts of such men, and it
will be q dark day for the South when the writ
ings of such patriots as General Lamar shall pass
UNDECIDED or cease to be heard in the din and
shout OF party managers, who not only find
safety in the ranks of our foes, sbut also for
tune and promotion Gold for the bastard and
station for the traitor.
The Mobile Tribune says with as much force
as truth, that within the last twelve months
nothing is more obvious than the progress of q
disposition in the South, to weigh the value OF
the Union" Ihoughtiess men, may, like Tn,
ostrich when in danger shut their eyes and fame,
mental darkness to be security; but that vii
not furnish remedies against the danger or pro
vide protection when it comes Men are count
ing the cost of the Union, and counting it with
out passion, and with determination and fixed
resolution. This disposition is in the thoughts
OF thousands and thousands, and it needs not
much more provocation than has already been
given to convert it into action. We hold the
Union to be Of great value--a value hardly cal
culable-and we believe most men so hold it,
but there are worse things in their estimation
than d;sunion. They believe that the Union is
not essential to the life and happiness, while
they see very plainly that both life and happi-
ness must inevitably be perilled if there be nc
check to he encroachments Of the national le
gislation, which, under the control of the anti
slavery feeling, is now bending every thing al
its will in Washington. Since the world began
no free nation or part of a nation has sunk from
equality to degradation by single bound; it is
a journey of degrees. It is a fact even more
important that no usurpaton which has driver
men to violence has been without multitudes OF
partizans the stronger the power, the greater
the number of its sycophants. Murmurs of dis
content, these men have construed to mean trea-
son---submission to wrong, they have made tests
of patriotism; and the result has almost invari-
ably been that great revolutions have had their
origin in minorties, for if majorities were honest
and patriotic, reforms could be accomplished
without revolutions. The simple fact that there
| is disli'ection in all of the South among the
most Intelligent and patriotic citizens is a sigr
almost as ominous as open revolution, The
Union must, in its nature be union of choice
and affection, and whenever it shall cease to b.
less than this, we do not see how it can endure
| The idea that an Independent State can be coer
ced into obedience to the federal laws is prepos
ferrous.