Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-03-18
srIcY CORRESPONDENCE.

will sneak for and will be found tart ana Inter
es,ng and well worth reading. Gen. Hamitons letter.
December 1850 we have already luc!isHea "eh MUS
toms reply of the Slh March, 10 Gen. Hamions OF Il!
Pend February gave rise in the Senate On Tile Jun harci
m excited discussion which Messrs iet anu butte
charged Gen. Houston with incorporating the municp'
regulations OF South Carolina:
GEN. SAM. HoUSToN'S LETTER.
WAsnlS6ToS, JAN. 1iih lS3l
Az H., p ,r,.r. i;u. youfor your -vors reccr!
" received and reply must assure you tlial teaAe u
the suc,ude that You could expect me 10 co W lcla?
The pesent ure c our national well as gu. sectlona
In connection with these have recently sccn in the pub
10 na,crs letter from Gen. james Hamilton, OF South Va
rnno dated Retrieve CIcxas) Dec $780, and addressed It
Hon. Lanadon Clcves containing some suggestions AM
sentiments in which cannot coincide THESE aie n's 9
nreod auitaun and of deep and earnest feeling on TIL
mari o many of our fellow citizens and sucn ideas as tnos
EXPRESSED in the following extracts from the letter oil Gen
Hamilton likely 10 be productive oil evil
ior 70 the pubc the most ardent and active OF TIT
champions of south Carolina in the times OF nulhcation
and his tc concatory admontons have invested ms opn
ors with increased influence among the moderate and nj
rona friends the country These Suggestions therefore
or hasty should not be allowed 10 pass unno
tced The object have in view IS not TO engage IN an!
contest with The General but merely to intimate
10 vol, and some other friends al Richmond that as he pa
ces virginia in The vanguard in his contemplated movement
il prope that steps should be taken there NANTES
her dissent from the high honor proposed lhese are W
extracts which desire especay To invite your atlInon
In many other portions Of the letter. opinions are thrown
out which also deem Justly obnoxious to CRITICISM bu
as these are essential will conhne my ooserva
tons TO them only , oc CO.,
Carolina likewise asserted broadly that was unnecessary
for the South incur the moral responsibility OF lssoVnt
the non that the fanatics, aboltioniss and proisae De
mapopes Of the slavehodng States would save then
the troubles that events were travelling quite last enough
towards tina, consummaton. Have been false prophet
They have iourneyed with unantcipated velocity since
nv letter was written has Vermont, within her limits
repeaed the Fugitive Slave Lawl and has not Massachi
de dcto nnnulled it! May MOI e e0sus DC W s
she not call Convention of all The Southern States to nee
at Richmond? Will not each and all OF them resono 10 INT
invocation Of this great and renowned comGonwe mo-
thcr OF The many States believe as believe IN my OWL
existence that If Virginia moves she will save not dissolve
the Union believe will lead 10 convention OF all thu
S,es and if possblc 70 fresh understanding Of the bar
gain and that may obtain fresh guarantees for the pro
lection OF slave institutions by an inhibition OF the
slavery discussion of Congress- and also amendments
Of he Constitution restricting the taxing and approprane
mower within due bounds. But may the trial Of these
sources and these truths be put to the test May V
eina in wdca in all her dignity and gravity which be-
long 10 that commonwealth, summon all the slve-holdine
States 10 NEE, Richmond for the purpose OF saving il
possible the Union by referring the Interior solution OF this
mighty question convention oil ali the States. Ii they
decide that they give US no security Tor our domestic In
stituons-that they cannot live in the sumo Union with
those no huvc The blight and plague spot OF slavery on
their hands-et part in peace and endcavor to live in the
cultivation OF It's charities however hopeless, from the in
te,yenlon Of human passion may be the effort.
The first point be noticed is the alleged fact that the
dcmapocues and abolition fanatics Of the North pressing
ON the with fearful veocy-that Vermont has null
lifted the Fugitive Slave Law and that Massachusetts, has
de acio annued ,hat the oeeris has arisen; and
ne appeals TO Virginia To move forward Now II must be
very obvious that the sources OF Gen Hamiitons ntei
pencc are net very trustworthy for nothing is clearer
those the and Judge Tor themselves than
that the slavery agitation in the free States Is IN great
measure s5idng that the demagogues VINO are participating
in il are dpserting its ranks and that il ia fast falling into
the exclusive hands Of the hreadbae white fanatics Ike
Garrison and Gerrt Smith and those OF inc negroes who
belong Tho Fred. Douglass order OF runaway patriots
The agitation that prevailed has been productive
OF one of The most sauioy results and that is 10 the
popular attention Of the SOBER quiet patriotic masses Of the
free States TO the character and danger of these abolition
machinclions The moment they arrested public notice,
that moment they destined 10 be- crushed We The
process daily going the Union movement heavns up
society from It's greatest depth Of feeling and abolition IA
naciem 10 vanishing before liz mighty power as clla Is
driven before the whrwind. The action OF Vermont took
place during the violence Of tie aatca fever in her
legislative bodies; and II the act passed by
fraudulent trick and since s exposure, hns excited in the
breasts Of the people the most determined hoetily. Il is
believed will hasten 10 repeal H. and 10 wipe out the
disgrace has entailcd the State SO far as Massachn-
concerned only single case has occurred there TO
warrant Gen. lamons renars and no well informed clti-
zen 81 hers believes tina, II will soon be followed by
other OF Ike nature There three other points in these
extracts deserving Of consideration Gen Hamilton thinks
Virginia should lead off in favor of Southern Con-
ycuiion be held nj Rchmond that convention OF all the
States woud be fruit Of this movements; and that the
Federal Constitution should be amended to
guarantees Tor the rights oil tho South, and fresh under
standing OF the bargain.
they are totally unnecessary This Southern Convention is
the bantlng of the abotvc Nashville Convention and could
secure good end hut 10 poiract agitation and furnish
for overcharged patriots OF South Carolina
and Mississippi lei oil their extra gas ms Gun be Just
as well done the meetings, legislative assemblies,
Fourth of Jolly oratons AMI on other suitable occasions for
these pyroechnc displays IL Southern convention should
be held Richmond elsewhere IT would be likely 10 con-
tain large portion OF the violent and active ntrasts OF the
Southern States for they would DO visan ana INDUSTRIOUS
and would seek place its members for the
nent opportunity would afford them 10 create Disturb
anccs pledge the people in advance 10 such extreme
sures ana organize body of co-operaofs, who might
control the legislative assemblies and their respective con.
dnifcs. and watch pcrdn for moment when tney could
Give the Union .ts blow. This Is Tier only hope
his s their real design. And shouid Convention OF 81
the Stacs afterwards assemble what could 1t accomplish
II could meet with valuable purposes IN view but 10
amend The Federal Constitution. And now lei NE candidy
and seriously ask any man his Senses il lie believes ee
neral convention could be assembled IN these times OF tur-
moi and excitement Of sectional jealousy and luminosity,
from which any real good could be expected IT, In The DAYS
of fathers, when our territory was comparatively small
our condition distracted and anachca our confederation
loose and ra league observed or volaeo "a interest or
preludice dictated there much difficulty In iu!il-
| inr constitution by convention presided over by
Washington, and composed of many of the most illus.
trous and patriots OF the revolution what could
We hope for now, when every cause Of repnlslon and
antagonsm has been augmented thousand fold! But IN
addition this, the South needs neither new guarantees
nor "recognons of the bargain. The constitution Is am
pie for her rights already and stands in need Of
neither new readings sancticaon This great pal
adum of freedom and the rights OF every State anu OF every
citizen the Union cannot be itered away by special plead
ing nor overthrow by open force Both means have been
tried and both have ANONYMOUSLY failed It's eternal and
immutabe principles up with renewed vigor after every
assau and they condemned and denounced by
fanatics denagogues the dearc do they become 10
nniriots heart What wrong can be inflicted the South
ern States without equally wounding the constitution =
None-absoluey And what necessity can there be
for mcndng provsions BY seeking TO do this the South
abandons strong grounds OF constitutional safeguard and
impedy mt least comedies that the constitution does a.
ready protect her rights. Is any wise statesman of the
South ready TO admit that the federal constitution is the
very aec Of his sectional rights and privileges, well
those OF the free Staiesl should regard such lii
tic less than dcmenied. Why, then, bToach the idea OF
amending that glorious instrument, which is as perec
ton now as human make in If it lie abused
violated amendment Viii prevent that for il is TO
abuse or violate the amendment the original instrument
| itself
tits impossible close eyes to the conspicuous figure
South Carolina is cndeavoring 10 cut in this emergency
She coquet,ed with Mississippi ana produced that unueky
nondescrip the Nashville Convention. She coured Geo
oa and offered the lead in the great enterprise her but
that noble contemptuously rejected H. She is now
coaxinc the Old Dominion join her mad scheme, and offer
ing as an inducement pncc in her giant hands the ors
ma flame of dsunion. viii Virginia accept or refuse The
protrred ensign of treason? believe she will spurn II
with dsdan The Union and the Federal Constitution are