The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-25
LETTER FROM CHIEF JUSTICE sHARKEY.


LETTER FROM CHIEF JUSTICE sHARKEY.
JACKSON, Mas. April 4. 1850
Editors Of the National Iatsligsn
GENTLEMEN, Your number OF the l4h Of March contains
article headed "The Proposed Remedy for the Evil Of
the Day Examined" which does gross Injustice The
members Of the convention which in this place in 90
ober last The part which Il was fortune TO take 10
cnaton. and appear before the public repe unbound
ed caumny THAI article Is but the sequel Of several
owes the country 10 deal candidy and fairly with the
conduct OF others, and In departing from this duty he ike
swt Witness he betrays his Partially at the cost Of his
Your article lengthy and shall myself with
most prominent point OF view Your lille seemed give
promise Of dscasso but yoer essay begins ana enas
ever which may have not been generally known-an
lire identity in feeling with hs North, in s high claims Of
will doubtless feel aied yonr devotion e their favor
ite measure but they wiz not De much enghsnea ~
regard you as ne ut,a am not willing lhai ne conven
s. II aaia p s. On
and inerences not found in or warranted by is own dec
motives have been ascrbcd to the members which they
Your aluson 10 the Hartford Convention i an arfce
which requires show It's object LIS history
10 given at length, and you conclude from the mode o.
more deserving Of odinm. This is condemning prema
turely assumed grounds The convention has not met
Known lie objects are just what The convention Of Mssis
sippi expressed them to be- When men have openly and
motives which they did mol express The charge
be sustained conclusive evidence. My purpose
sy by L :. You have ,oWaras the Marol
vlndication would have been required Inc history OF
is given length but not 50 with the other The
Hartford Convention is pronounced innocent affair on
the strength OF the declarations contained ia It's proceed
ings but the Mississippi Convention is not Judged by me
same rule its declarations dsegarded, and motives
ascnbed it which were not expressed oae SAT with
time when we We're 4, war with powerful foreign enemy
which had been opposed and the justice OF which had
By the journal Of is The other
with DOORS published Its proceedings TO the world
and invited dscussion yet Is condemned on what did
You mex. alude the Mississippi Convention, and after
setting resolutions, "These resolutions, GER
ainy, upon sufficient ground in their avermens the
sena Of which CONTAINED in the second esoution
but political fanatics tand hardly they) would be
found dispute, but family outline the purpose Of which
late discussions in and oa Of Congress hardly leave doubt
through the fundamentally Of the proposed convention to
unsee the foundstions Of the government Of the United
States They set Out, indeed with protesting deyotsd
question: Of asgsssio~ By The savAodiag States, in
s ss ss ss
charge OF design unsetle the foundations of the
% ssSsd ns sA j s
Convention had such object in yiew and Is assorted
that every member there assembled 10 friend 70 the
Union The great the leading object in calling IL was TO
preserve the Union is asserted by that the resoa
lions but family outline the purpose @ unsete the onnda
of the government but the picture flied out by the
aid Of perverted Imagination, on the evidences furnished
BY discussions IN and out q Congress Why did yca MOI
Of Congress- The Mississippi Convention also asks 10
be Judged BY its own acts and by It's own acts only
essential part OF the resolutions Is contained In the second
y Osl moi us The d
is far important denies Congress the power
or 10 pohG .he slave trade b.,wsen Ss
States prohibit the introduction OF slavery In the Ter
dispute and vet Is passed over as Of no
This is the controvered question OF right asserted one
he has ar he cOay isl
charged win having begged me Question ?. aggression
your language for this is the Immediate the quar-
rel We con:cientousy believed. and still believe, the
he subject 81 .sv.1s u the Tesops. ,hs eomuoo psoo
ery OF all the States We believe that the exercise OF such
iastrophe II have begged the qaestIon |
OF aggression, we shall continne In thai category We
Union believe The whole South !. attached 60 IT, and that
designs entertained against II In that quarter
sss s 40 % e ws
doe: not BY trying 70 build up consolidated fabric
a. Sns 5ns ruins o. sss soyssga ana o. the T.
PEELED depore the ruin OF the government and 70 trace
us cause you and your class OF politicians wi stand con-
spcuous in the foreground the canvass which shall rep
But your CREATES, alarm for the safety Of the Union has
arisen from portion OF the address prepared under the d.
ection OF the Convention. That Is regarded by
S . development q The oIss-a southern sop,sas%sy
popular convention OF the southern States, with the view
ns o ~ ss ss
demanding, and action the convention OF Mississippi
ges the possible alternate resort tho call by the egis
aures Of the assaiIed States of st solemn conyen
os such should be regularly elected by the people OF
these State deliberate, speak, and act with ali the
ereign power OF the people. Should. ia the result such
conventions be called and meet, they may lead 10 like
vide, resort their separate welfare, by
formation Of compact and union that will afford pro-
lection 70 their liberties and their rights This you call
me project Of southern confederacy ENTHUSIASTICALLY
ana appsrenuy without compnncuon aro1fd and cooiy
10 The consideration Of the southern states
'lhis Is al unfair The secondary made the
primary proposition The accident made the Substance
tne alternative the primary object The contingency on
which southern coniederacy alluded has been
ureiy ovcriooked-kept OF II spoken Of IN
he address only as last In tho OF failure In
ne hope Of afestlng the The address
ala not auhorze you that southern coniederscy
was the object; avows attacinc the Union did
every expression OF the convention do the whole
people Of Mississippi No live who desire the
they have il onnpared But they believed with
me entire south that the North had been pre- and
would again endeayor 70 press, the exercise OF power not
oeeged 70 Congress by the constitution and they believed
was to avert the evil by timely declaration rights
but that should fail, IL natural look conse
quences and TO provide for them The convention did not
you say, 'act under the influence feeling
et ne soemnity OF the In surveying the whole
ground, was but natural-it prudent-that they
shoud ook 70 the possibility OF failure in their foudest
nope And was only that contingency that single
thought was turned a southern compact as OF
secuF not oil choice. epeat that desire southern
soneoefscywe desire the pefpcuiy Union
can only be preserved by keeping every department
" e government within constitutional limits. And
your assertion IL without proof M
q.o'e further from your animation" You ut
longer matter OF Inference. There exists disafec
posed, engendeng designs against which the and
oov 81 the people Of the South Itls of as we