The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1850-05-08
From Ii. /" National In,slligencer."
LETTER FROM CHIEF JUSTICE sHAR
KEY, or MISSISSIPPI.

fttu ttis thtcth6thtsts
LETTER FROM CHIEF JUSTICE sHAR-
KEY. or MISSISSIPPI.
Through The hands Of one of the Rep
ressnialiyes in Congress from Mississippi,
We have received. in printed form, cut
from the columns OF "The Mississip-
pian-" the following Letter. addressed. as
the reader will perceive, 10 the Editors Of
this paper:
jackson, Mississippi, April 4, 1850.
Editors cffls National Inteiigne~.
GENTLEMEN: Your number of the l4ih
Of March contains an article headed " The
Proposed Remedy for the Evil OF The Day
Examined" which does groes injustice
10 the members of the Convention which
met in this place in October last. The
part which il was nv fortune 10 take in
that Convention makes il necessary that !
should forcgn inclination. and appear be-
fore the public TO repel an unlounded ca
lumny. Tha, article is bu, the sequel Of
several which preceded il, OF less bold.
ness. The public journalist owes il to
the country 10 deal candidly and fairly
with the conduct Of others. and in depart.
ing from This duty he is like swift wit.
ness: he betrays his parlialiiy q. the cost
Of his integrity.
Your article is lengthy, and shall con.
tent myself with noticing such portions oil
i, as place the Convention in the most
prominent point Of view. Your title
seemed to give promise Of discussion. bul
your essay begins and ends in assertion
and denunciation. You prove one thing
however, which may have no, been gene
rally known-an entire identity in feeling
with the North. 10 its high claims Of pow
or ON the subject slavery. Your North
ern readers will doubtless feel graitied a
your devotion 10 their favori,e measure
bu, they will not be much enlightened by
your argument. Your Southern country
men can no longer regard You as neutral
am not willing that the Convention shall
be Judged BY the open enemies Of tht
Soolh, and still less willing that il shal
be condemned on evidence and inference
not found in. or warranted by, its own de
clarations and assert, in The most so
Tenn manner. that motives have been as
cribed to the members which they di'
not entertain.
/ Your allusion TO the Hartford Conven
lion is an arlifce which requires no com
ment to show its object. Its history j
given al length. and you conclude. from
4 the mode of composition and the oh
iects," the Nashville Convention is NOR
deserving of odium. This is condemn
| ing i, prematurely on assumed grounds
The Convention has not met; its compo
siiions cannot be known, or At least bu
, partially known. LIS objects are just wha
the Convention Of Mississippi expressed
| them to be. When men have openly ant
fairly declared their object, il isunjust t.
ascribe To them motives which they die
moi express, unless the charge can be sus
tanned on more conclusive evidence. Ny
purpose is with ihe Mississippi Conven
lion; and If you had dealt as fairly by i
Is you have by the Hartford Convention
no vindication would have been required
! The history of one isgiven al length; bu
not so with the other. The Hartford Ton
venlion is pronounced an innocent affair
on the strength Of the declarations con
tanned in its proceedings; but the Missis
sippi Convention is not judged by the
same rule; its declarations are disregard
ed, and motives ascubed 10 il which were
not expressed. One sat with closed doors
and its proceedings were kept secret. al
a ting when We were at war with pow
egful foreign enemy, which had been oP.