Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-06-22
Reply of Mr.. Websfer.


GENTLEMEN Your friendly and acceptable letter
of April was received. ..".
1t is true gentlemen, that | have made an effort in
the Senate " to allay the spirit of sectional strife,
which has threatened the destruction of our Union;"
and such efforts shall continue to make earnestly,
and with whatever ability possess, under deep con-
vcton that that spirit of sectional strife" if not
checked viii long drive the country into lam
entable and disastrous condition 1t IS exceedingly to
be regretted, that any part OF the Public Press In
the State in which you reside, or elsewhere, should
discourage and it often does, denou2ce ali attempts
at reconciliation and peace and should contribute, by
its daily etfuslons to promote lll-w, resentment and
angry contests, between the North and South. That
all this is done by portion of the Press both North
and South, is but too The conductors Of these
Presses would seem to have lost all sense of COM
mon country, all sentiments OF patriotism unless there
NAV be patriotism those local feelings which the
Great Father of his country afectonately admon-
ished US never tC indulge. That the conductors OF
these Presses mistake the opinions of the People to
very considerable extent doubt not; but while they
are active and Jealous, who tell how far, or
how fast, their sentiments may spread?
1t is longer to be doubted that there persons
both in the North and in the South who opposed to
the existence of the present Constitution OF the United
States and would gladly it broug bit to end. Some
in both extremes openly this WISH and others con-
ceal it under very thin DISCUSSES Nevertheless, the
great body of the People North and South firmly
attached to the Unon their hearts for it, and with
it, and they will defend it against all open attempts
us overthrow. Ills Is my ueClueu OpHlioH lue
Union, therefore we may hope will not be rudely
broken up; but this spirit Of sectional strife If 1t be
not effectuay rebuked will produce infinite mschies
by embarrassing the Government, thwarting and de-
feating useful legislation. and increasing, more and
more, feelings of dscord and alienation. Who does
not see already the alarming consequences provoked
and produced by these discussions? We are now in
the seventh month of the session OF Congress, and
what has been done? Even the ordinary annual APP
preparation bills have not been brought forward, or
advanced single stage They al least four months
behind the proper time 1t has at last become lndls
pensaby necessary it seems to me- that men OF sense
and intelligence who are really lovers OF their coun-
try and its Union should open their eyes to the state
of things. There will be, there must be- it is in the
nature of things that there should be, some shock
some cessation in the movement OF the Government
disreputabe irregularlty now not Tar ahead un
less the good men of the country In all It's parts, will
rouse themselves to the performance OF the duties
which the exigency demands
While so many persons and so many Presses IN the
North maintain such loud and bitter complaints
against the South. and while so many persons and SC
many Presses in the South utter complaints equally
loud and bitter against the North neither the North
nor the South states definitely and precisely any
tual grievance such could justify in any reasona-
BILE mans opinion. the most distant idea OF dlsunlon
For the part these mutual complaints are gene
ra indeterminate uttered in angry TERMS but placed
on no specific ground In the speech to which your
letter refers have mentioned what think to be real
ground Of mutual or reciprocal complaint but beyond
THESE, tnere kept Seueldl CRY vi oAe pal "
against the other that its rights invaded lis honor
insulted its character assaed and its Just partcipa-
ton in political power denied Sagacious men can
not but suspect from all this that more is intended
than is avowed and that there lies at the bottom
purpose Of the separation Of the States for reasons
avowed or disavowed, for grievances redressed or
unredressed This purpose, be it remembered, dc
not consider peryading large masses but Of its eX-
istence among the EXTREMISTS on both sides. cannot
entertain question. 's..
In the speech to which you refer, it was my
purpose among other things, Ito show that peaceabe
secession of States from the rest peaceabe
separation of them all, among the most mproba-
BILE of imaginable events; that Nature, the seas the
CULTS the lakes and the rivers bound together by
ties nearly impossible to be broken; that could
make any plan of secession separation satisfactory
TO others and more than all, that man could dis
Germ any thing likely to arise to any State from
cession or separation, not fraught with political evil
of every description and every degree. And notwih-
standing the influence and the opinions of which
have snoken believe that the sentiments oil the great
mass of Southern men concur with my own. Many
have contemplated separation as probable result
some certainly have desired and do desire it; but
far as have observed, when the question is put di
rectly home to the People, notwithstanding whatever
certain Presses and certain politicians say to the con
trary the People of the South still Tor the UNION
by immense maiorities. Wherever there is truly
American heart the love of the UNION Is entwned IN
Its Utmost fbres. 1t is our duty TO encourage and ap
paud this popular feeling; to respect It ourselves ana
take that by denial of justice by no unne-
cessary discussion of exciting but abstract questions
by no threat or menace TO interfere rah Whdt does
not belong TO u.s. we do not weaken that attachment
to the Union which is indispensable to the happi-