The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-17
tire South is ready without ainching, to discharge
those duties
Most respectfully,
Your obedient servant.
JAMES CHESTNUT, JR. q
To he Edilors Of The southern Pres.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES

GA
To the Editors Of the Southern Press.
House OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
WASHINGTON, August Is, 1850
On the l4th instant, | was Informed that on the
previous day, the Hon. Sam Houston, senator
from the State of Texas, introduced my name in
debate in the Senate, in conqexon with that of
Mr.. Calhoun for the pnposepf creating the i'm
preston that the conventlorfAheld at Jackson,
Mississippi, in October last, and the Nashville
Convention which followed, were gotten up by an
Influence exterior to the State of Mississippi and
that Mr.. Calhoun and myself, as his agent, had
been the means by which that extraneous tnlln-
ence had been brought to bear upon the public
mipd in that State.
4 AUpsA thcTeceipt Of this niorsaation, addressed
a note 70 that senator, which was delivered Ia him
by Senator Butler, of South Carolina, Of which
1.-THE following is copy.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, u. s.,
WAsHNGToN, August IA, 1850.
/ Sin: am this moment informed, that you in
troduced my name in debate in the Senate yester
day, in connexions with that of Mr.. Calhoun,
with the apparent purpose of creating the impress
| sion, that attended the convention at Jackson,
Mississippi, in October last, as the agent OF Mr..
Calhoun, with the view to influence that body to
call convention Of the Southern States.
An explicit contradiction OF this groundless
charge, was extensively published in the month
Of May or June last, over my proper signature,
| in many Southern papers, including the National
| lnteigencer of this city.
Ihave 10 express my surprise, that you should
think proper, in your official character as sena-
tor, to revive this groundless rumor, after it had
| been thus explicitly cOnradicted.
| But as you have thought proper to do SO, have
to request, that you will upon the receipt of this
note, furnish me with written statement OF what
you did say upon the subject yesterday, in your
place in the Senate, that may in justice to my
| self, as well as to the memory of Mr.. Calhoun,
| make such response as the nature OF the case may
seem to demand.
Waiting your early reply, have the honor to
be your obedient servant,
! Hon. SAM HoUsroN, Washington, d. c.
| To the above note, soon after received the fol-
lowing reply o-o
"SEEATE CHAMBER, 18th August, 1850.
/ SIR have just received your note of this morn
ing, by the Hon. Mr.. Butler. In reply, can as
sure you, that did not use your name, nor the
/ name Of Mr.. Call oun, nor the name OF any gen.
tleman with disrespect, in the debate of yesterday
I Not having received the notes of my remarks
from the reporter, cannot furnish you with a
statement of them this time, but so soon rs they
are published, viii be happy to comply with
your request.
!, have the honor to be your obedient servant
SAM HOUSTON,
!, Hon. d. WALLACE, Washington City, ID. C.. ,
| have not received from the senator himself
the report of his remarks upon the subject referred
to- as indicated in the above note, but find in the
columns of the Washington Union of this morn
ing, the following report Of his speech. have
not the senator's own authority Cor saying that
this is correct report, but The prodscticn bears
upon its face iDherent evidence of us paternity
! The g suess3 propensity which it exhibits, the
dark insinuations and inuendoes by which it is
marked, stamp it with the unmist,kable impress
! Of its author. ! shall then, treat this report OF
the senator's remurks, for the want of a more au
4 thoritative one, az genuine:
4" Mr. HOUSTON. Well, then, it appears
Mr. President, that a few individuals gave the inn
pulse to all this excitement in Mississippi, and
other States also. That this the cannot be
doubted, and that was leading individuals who did
n il. IL was under this impression, that the people
had, originally, nothing 20 do with il, that SAID
sfIwoud guarantee their fidelity, and that, if there
RI was no nfraction Of their constitutional rights
u theywould be found to be quiet and unobtrusive
81 and attached TO the institutions of the country If
had not been for the efforts of leading politicians
the people would never have taken up this n sol
emu question of debate, and have undertaken, witt
reference TO it, TO calculate the value Of the Union
That is what / say, MIR. President. IL was tina
I which was denied III the liule controversy which
took place betu cen the Senator from Mississippi
and myself. 1t was also denied that any one for
: eign to Mississippi had any thing TO do with tn
, matter. Sir, recent Observation-Disclosures sub
sequent TO that conroversy-haye proved tina
there was master-spirit operating upon that con
vention, and that the course was suggested from
foreign State. was right, then, sir, even Will
did not know u. | was asserting the truth
though guessed at it, A master-spirit was gov
ernng the proceeding. The eagle seeks pre-
from distance it does not take il from about il
} own eyry ! unprecedented that there was a mas
ter-spirit, and met it by such opposition-feebl
as il is--as | was able To make against it,
knew the odds were fearful was moved by N
spirit Of resentment but STILL for one at least,
as far as the State which | represent was con
cernes, | felt il my duty to place my veto upo
the principles which it was attempted TO dissent
> nate, and in pursuance Of which the Nashvill
Convention was called speak not for other gen
{ tlemen. Their duties are their own. ! have m
; constituency, to whom am accountable for tn
faithful performance of my duties, not only as
senator, but as a citizen, which is far highe
l distinction. | am not in favor, sir, Of strikin
down the rights Of this government Of The States
, nor of any single man. But do not wish To sc
the people hoodwinked into acting upon principle
which they do not really hold; and therefore
e will do what can to prevent IL.
e "Mr. DAVIS, Of MissiSppi. ] am sorry 4
continue this coIloquy butthe senntors remark
compel me to do so. When he FIRST commenced
5 this debate, read ~ him the first in a series o
: resolutions adopted in that Mississippi convention
which resolution If the senator wanted to confirm
the attachment ct the people 10 the consttuHona
, Union under which we i've would have enebet
him TO do so, That resolution ! will, for his IN
formation, read again
+" The honorable senator here read the resolu
dom
THAT, sir, is a declaration that the people vii
adhere to The Union as far as the Constitution u
, observed. Sir, do these resolutions tend to any
thing else, or, as have stated before, affirm ~
which the senator himself affrms in other words
But, sir upon former occasion stated that tbt
action of the people Of Mississippi arose fromtht
people themselves. state 1t again. ISLANDER
which has been put forth, that the action Of that
State arose from the dictation Of the lamented
Calhoun, has been nailed to the wall. IL never
rested upon any better foundation than a letter OF
that grent statesmen, which was written pc ste.
ror 10 the action Of the convention. Ii followed
il. Ii might be contended that the action of the
people Of Mississippi had some influence over the
letter, but not that the letter had any iaAuenct
over the convention. All this, sir, has been
called forth in the papers OF Mississippi. The
letter itself has been published, togette, with the
date and the npme Of the man TO WHOM MAS adj
dressed. Che same misrepresentation has been
favored by the fact that citizen Of South Caro-.
lima descended the Mississippi river and visited
Jackson about the time of eeonventon, although
he had not seen the distinguished statesman of his
own State, and although he war, believe, en-.