Southern shield., 1850-04-06
Sensible Remarks.

The subIOned extracts are from letter writ ten by an intelligent gentleman of this State, and published in the Arkansas Democrat, in reply to one written by Col R. w. Johnson, expressing a wish that he would attend the pro- posed Southern Convention. Speaking of the Convention, the author very justly remarks
 Such gatherings, I fear, can only tend to make inc matter worse. Men smar.ing under wrongs grow more and more angry by convers- ing about them, and the fire of excitement wid- ems and extends like fire in the prairie gaIlop- ing before the wind
 They may take such steps as to render re- treat impossible with honor, and dsunion inevitable. And by aohat authority? I think this thing of transferring the most important powers of government into the hands of few men, selected by small squads of politicians, or even by legislatures. has gone far enough. II is neither whiggery, democracy, nor republic anism.
 1 1 claim, on behalf of the people of this State because claim on behalf of myself, who am one of them, as far as a whig whose vote never counts, can be one-l claim on behalf of the SOvereign People of Arkansas, who voluntarily entered this Union, and who are still represent. ed in the National Councils by their Senators and Representative, and who believe desire to remain in the Union and will never pardon | those who put them out Of 1t, that before any person goes rom tnIs .otatc I.IiNy i. ap,- body of men, at Nashville or elsewhere, for he purpose of adopting measures that may tend to the dissolution of the Union, the People shall have vote in the selection of such persons. In the name of the People, deny the right of the l ~ IL | Delegates to any such Convention, for any such purpose; much less of any meeting of citizens, got up for the purpose and only partially repre- senting public sentiment. The People have delegated no such power to any man or set of men. They have surely as yet reserved to themselves the poor privilege of voting, with all the solemnitv and under all the forms of gen eral election, for those whose action may endan- ger the existence of the Union, and plunge this State into gulf of despair and horror darker and deeper than any that ever opened since the world began.
 | When the evil becomes intolerable, let the Le- gislature so declare. Let them then by law provide for holding State Convention, of mem bers to be elected at general election, held throughout the State. Let that Convention, knowing intimately the popular will, take such steps as they may be empowered to take, and appoint Delegates to Southern Convention, if other States take the same course 10. have the public will manifested and spoken manfuly out.
 When that is done, shall abide the fortune of my State. Here is all l have or love on earth. Here my children have been born and some buried, and here, for veal or woe, shall take my chances under the Flag of the State and when her will is fully and fairly and all l thoritively made known, to whatever post she calls me, l shall obey, and that most cheerlully.
 But, knowing that l should have no power to speak for Arkansas noa0 in Convention-and, moreover believing such Convention unneces- sary and that its effects will be injurious in the extreme, 1 cannot consent to go there, as you desire. By far the greater part of the evils that encompass us have been produced by the fiery harsh and vindictive speeches of Northern and Southern hot-heads in Congress, who have seemed to care but little, if at all, what the re- suit might be, so that they might temporarily gain popularity at home-and many of them seem now to delight in tauntng, defying and exasperating each other: and to act with as lit tie good sense as the Irishman who at Donny- brook drags his coat on the ground and dares any one to tread on 1t.