Washington telegraph., 1850-04-24
From the National IntelIigencer
LETTER FROM r. w. JOHNSON
WASHINGTON. March "a, 1850.

WASHINGTON, MATCH Et, AOCV.
To the Editors of tie National Iatelligencer:
NV attention has been called to the
fact that some time since you gave Pu''I-
c,,ion to extracts from some of the Ar.
kansas papers. to show the state of public
oninion in Arkansas IN reference to the
slavery question, the acquired territory
and the Union. | also see that you con-
Time the same course Of publication. ex-
t,ract;ng articles from various southern
sraoers. to show the condition OF the
southern pulse upon these grave and vital
topics. :.
The unqualified and high respect in
which have always held the Editors OF
the IuteIligencer. teaches me to know
that what they thus shadow forth, 10y
their southern quotations. as pubiic opin-
ion a, the Sou,E, they must bei'eve TO be
a true reflection | know that they are
gentlemen incapable OF urging aught ior
truth which they may know TO be errone-
'ous and that they cannot thus wantoniy
seek to depress aud destroy the spirit OF
the people OF the South ip their defence
of absolutely vital lights.
am satisfied, too. that you cannot wish
TO mislead the North as to the true feeling
-, ,h. South. and cannot thus seek TO
g.. .e,,n tbe., ., agg1essive course OF
action, so unfair. SO destructive. and SO
degrading to the South. You do not
wish 10 underrate to the minds of your
readers the measure of our difficult and
importance of the issues
Now, gentlemen, any sentiment which
proclaims this Union more valuable to the
people of any section of it than their rights
under the constitution, is not correct.
Any publication which proClaims that the
value of this Union cannot he estimated.
'or from which it may be inferred that the
people of the South, or any other enlight-
'ened people will worship the Uuion after
it shall have become an engine for their
destruction, immediate or remote, instead
of guaranty and security. presents a
fiat absurdlty.
Almost all the extracts you publish go
TO show that the southern people do not
feel that this is the crisis of their fate,
and that they do not sustain southern
Representatives in the view they have
':aken and declared of the dangers and
the shame, immediate and remote, which
hang over their constituents. This is
sad error. The North will he confirmed
in wrong course by this error. when
perhaps it is too late A feeling danger
ou> ~ public tranquility advances daily
with giant strides; aud we are bound TO
estimate, not only what that feeling now
is, but what, under its present impetus, it
will become in six months more.
Your extracts from Arkansas papers
misrepresen:s public opiuion there. as |
have every reason to believe. having
access 10 all the papers OF the State, aud
being in daily receipt Of letters from all
its parts Thus, gentlemen, for Que. |
fnd myself. by means of your Journal.
paced in the attitude throughout the
Union of one who mlsrepresents his
people aud violates his trust. This, l
Know, you never intended.
The only one of those extracts which [
saw. was from the Democrat. published
at Little Rock. Upon the Democrat,
however, on this question, reliance can
not at present he placed. But yet | am
no. sure that you will not find :his paper
in shor, time moved 10y public sentiment
10 become as strongly southern as amy
other.
The Misrepresentation of the opinion of
my constituency. and its bearing upon
me, should not notice at all, II 1t were
upon ordinary party topics. But am
informed, by several members. that sim!-
lar errors have been promulgated as the
sentiments of their constituents: and as
k.,l, ko oC
be the alternative of the loss Of our rig hts.
and the preventive cure tor the conse-
quent insecurity and ultimate overthrow
of the South: and "a ] know III my heart
thai | sincerely desire the continuance
5t this Union, II our people can he pro-
tected; and a. | am satisfied that error
thus propogaied III the North, as to the
public opiniDn OF their sister southern
States, will tend to confirm them in their
of just and amicable settlement. L shall
discharge my duty by declaring to you
that your extracts, as far as they relate
to Arkansas, are no fair rejae1 Of publsc
opinion there.
l assure you too, that. in my humble
opinion. drawn from observation, that the
attachment of the intelligence OF the South
for the Union is not SO strong, by vast
deal, as it was five years ago.
l will say further. that in its place
there exists. widely spread. pervading
and gloomy apprehension of the ultimate
effect of this Union upon the South. and
that this feeling is exceeded only by the
fervehcy. ardor, and confidence of the
northern assailantS
And 1 will say further, that ! know a
number Of instances (and in no instance
do refer TO an ignorant or uninteiliye"t
mind,) in which actual dread Ut the
Union has taken the place of an undoubt-
ing confidence, love, reverence, and devo-