Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-06-22
MR.. WEBSTER'S MAINE LETTER.

NIT. w MAINE LETTER.
WASHINGTON June II, 1850.
GENTLEMEN: four friendly and acceptable letter of
April received
1t is true, gentlemen that have made an effort in the
Senate to aay the spirit OF sectional strife, which has
threatened the destruction of Union ;; and such eff
forts shall continue 10 make, earnestly, and with what
ability possess under deep conviction that that
spirit of sectional stte il checked will long
drive the country into amentable and disastrous
don 1t is exceedingly to be regretted that any part
ofthe public press in the State in which you reside or
elsewhere should discourage, and as it often Does de-
nounce all attempts at reconciliation and peace, and
should contribute by its daily illusions, to promote i'll
will, resentment and angry between the North
and South. That all this is done by portion of the
press both North and South is but too true The
ductors OF these presses would seem to have lost all
sense OF common country, all sentiments of patrio-
tsm unless there may be patriotism those local feel
ngs, in which the Great Father OF his Country SO af
tectonatey admonished us never to indulge, That the
conductors OF these presses mistake the opinions of the
people, to very considerable extent doubt not but
while they active and Jealous, who tell
how far, or how fast, their sentiments may spread!
1t is no longer to be doubted that there are per-
sons both in the North and in the South who are op-
posed to the existence of the present Constitution of the
United States, and would gladly it brought to an
emo. Some in both extremes openly avow this WISH
and Others conceal it under very thin DISCUSSES Never
theless the great body of the People, North and South
are firmly attached to the Unon their hearts for it,
and with it, and they will defend it against all open at
tempts for its overthrow This is my decided opinion
The Union, therefore, may hope, will not be rudey
broken up but this spirit of sectional strife, if be not
efecually rebuked, will produce infinite mischies, by
embarrassing the Government, tiiwarting and defeating
useful legislation, and increasing, and feel
ings OF discord and alienation. Who does not see, al
eady, the alarming consequences provoked and pro-
duced by these discussions! We are now in the Sc
venth month of the session OF Congress, and what has
been dopel Even the ordinary annual appropriation
bills have not been brought forward, advanced sim
gle stage. They at least four months behind the
proper time 1t has at last become ndispensaby neces-
that OF and intelligence
who really lovers OF their country and its Union,
should open their eyes to the state of things There
will be, there be in the of things that
there should be, shock, cessation in the
movement OF the Government, some disreputable ire
gularty, not tar ahead, unless the good of the
country all its parts, will rouse themselves to the per-
Torrance of the duties which the exigencv 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 so 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 actual grievance,
such as could justify in any reasonable mans opinion,
the most distant idea OF dsunion. For the most
part these mutual complaints general indeterm-
nate, uttered in angry terms, but placed specific
ground. In the speech to which your letter refers,
have mentioned what think to be real ground of mu-
tua or reciprocal complaint; but beyond all these there
iskept up general cry Of party against the other
that its rights are invaded its honor nsued, its charac
Ter assalled, and Its Just participation in political
power denied. Sagacious men cannot but suspect,
from all this, that more is intended than is avowed;
and that there lies at the bottom purpose OF the sepa
ration the States for reasons avowed or disavowed
ortor grievances redressed or unredressed This pur
pose, be it remembered do not consider pervadng
large masses but of its existence among the Ertrem-
istS, on both sides cannot entertain question.
In the speech to which you refer, it my purpose
among other things, to show that peaceable seces-
sion of some States from the rest, or peaceabe
separation of them all, was among the most improba
Bile OF Imaginable events; that Nature, the seas, the
guts the lakes, and the rivers, bound together by
ties nearly impossible to be broken that man could
make any plan OF secession or separation satisfactory
to others and than ALL that no man could dis
Germ any thing likely to arise TO any State from Sc
cesslon or separation, not traught with political
evil OF every description, and every degree And
withstandng the influence and the opinions of which
nave spoken, believe that the sentiments OF the great
mass OF Southern men concur with my own. Many
have contemplated separation as a probable result ;
some certainly have desired, and do desire it; but
rectly home to the People, Notwithstanding whatever
certain Presses and certain politicians say to the
trary the People OF the South are still Tor the Union,
by immense malorities.
Wherever there is a truly American heart the love of
the UNION is entwined in its nmost hbres. 1t our
duty TO encourage and applaud this popular feeling
respect ii ourselves, and to take that by denial
OF justice, by unnecessary discussion OF exciting but
abstract questions, by no threat menace to interfere
,rith eohat does not belong TO as, do weaken
that attachment the Union which so indispensable
to the happiness of all. And what is the duty OF the
North in this respect isequay the duty of the South
All sides are led to exercise far greater degree of
lorDearance and moderation, II we mean to transmit to
the next generation the blessings enjoyed by this.
shall do all can to warn the country against the
dangers of this intestine strife call both the South
and the North back to of their true duties and
their true interests. And it l cannot allay the evil,
shall at least do nothing to promote it. shall do moth
ing to jealousy, hear-burning, and amnesty,
among those whose country is one whose interests
one, and whose destiny, whatever any of them may
think OF it, is in my opinion, one one now and one
hereafter
Gentlemen one of the exciting questions of the pre-
sent respects the necessity of excluding slavery
by law, from the Territories lately acquired from Mex
If | believed in any such necessity, should OF
course support such law. could not do otherwise,
consistently with opinions very many times expressed,
and which opinions have inclination to change and
shall not change But do not believe in any such ne
cessity. | have studied the geography OF New Mexico
diligently, having read all that could find in print, and
inquired OF many intelligent persons who have been in
the country, traversed it, and become familiar with it.
New Mexico may be considered as divided into two
parts lying the East side OF the Rio Grande
below the Paso del Norte; this is claimed by Texas
the other extends along the river, both sides from
Paso del Nore the forty second degree of North la
tude the boundary Of Oregon. OF this part also,
that which lies the eastern side of the river claim
ed by Texas. The whole extent of both parts hard
ly be less than thousand miles, and by the winnings
of the river much The southern part is far less
mountainous than the northern it has nevertheless
msnntan peaks and mountain ridges From San Antonio
de Bexar, which is hundred miles North OF the Gull
OF Mexico, and near the line OF the actual set
Elements in Texas, it is five hundred and seventy miles
keeping East OF the Rio del Norte and South of the
Guadalupe mountains the general direction OF which
road is West by North This whole country is OF very
little value. The mountains are barren, and great
portion OF the level country is mere desert of
rocks and sand Sometimes praires are met with pro
urcoc I'M h,tt iaI DAHL