The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-12-07

The following letter was addressed by the
Hon. REvERDY JOHNSON to the Union mass
meeting held in New Orleans on the 9th ult.:
"sr. CHARLES HOTEL,
"NEw ORLEANS, Nov. u, 1850.
"GENTLEMEN: 1t would crafty me exceedingly
10 avail myself Of the invitation with which you
have honored met TO be present at the Union mass
meeting, TO be held this evening at the ST. Charles
theatre, but shall be prevented by indispostion,
from which | have not yet sufficiently recovered.
Under any circumstances, opportunity Of being
in the midst Of many of the citizens of this great
Southern emporium, as the occasion will no doubt
present. could not fail to afford me pleasure; but
in this instance II would be greatly enhanced by
the patriotic object which them 10 assemble:
the pledgng Of their devotion the free and happy
form of Government under which we live, and
their determination to maintain the Union which
il created, and has since, with such unexam-
pied happiness to us as people, so firmly con-
tinued As Southern man, and sharing, as |
trust do, in every proper Southern feeling, and in
a firm purpose to vndicate true Southern honor,
say with perfect sincerity that am at a loss to
imagine how IL possible 10 in the recent legis
laton Of Congress any. the slightest, violation Of
Southern rights. Misguided zealots at the North,
raving fanatics in that section, there may be, in
and out Of Congress, who would madly trampe, if
they codd all that lie dear TO us, but they have
80 far, never succeeded, and never cans for ! have
an abiding confidence in the good sonsc and ster-
ling patriotism Of the mass Of our Northern breth-
rem to be fully satisfied that real danger to the
South IL TO be dreaded from them.
"et tho South be stcedisst herself tn all her
sdtutonal obligations let her not impede,
threaten 10 impede the laws OF the United States,
but faithfully obey thorn-let her not attempt Sc
cetsion that wildcft 81 oil political herescs moro
ridiculous, in my judgment, than the now dead
nullfcaiion-let not one, or few Southern States,
disgust thcir fellows, by such unconstitutional alb
surditts, but all unite in standing by the Consitu
ton, and performing all lie clearly defined and
absolute duties, and che j., in my opinion, as safe
from actual danger she is sure Of the continued
flowing Of her own mighty rivers and the per-
manence Of her mountains. She may then proud
ly defy all who may asssil her or here, and,
pointing to the Constitution, and to that glorious
flag that protected amidst the throes Of the Rev
olution, and has since fioated over many and many
a battlefield as the proud emblem Of Union,
our yaor, and our freedom, bid defiance 20 all her
foce. The Constitution as il IL, the Union Il IL,
s the true and surost guaranty Of Southern rights.
Destroy them, break up into withered and shat
tered fragments of empire and our history, in all
that is grand and noble, will be at end and all,
sll-south End North-bc not only in danger but
in ruin. An ardent imagination, excited by
wish-fathcr, perhaps TO the thought-may fancy
some proud southern republic TO rise out Of the
ashes. Vain hope, and especially vain If looked 10
az security for that peculiar southern interest,
the cause Of the present sensation. Almost each
revolving year would be found breaking up such
confederaoy. The laws Of population and Of eli
mate could but inevitably lead to that result. No
fugitive slave could meet the exigency Of that
condition.
The frontier States, as certain ms the laws
forred TO arc uniform, would become free
States and sccede, or continue and sgitate. No,
gentlemen, true interests, IL is the clear duty
Of the South, is TO stand by the Constitution
fathers gave IL TO Let contend for our rights
under it, instead of gnobly abandoning II; let us
fight for them If we must fight for them, under it's
holy guardianship, and il will not fail us; yield
ing obedience TO It ourselves, let US exact ODE,