Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-03-24
Letter Of Gen. Houston on The Union
- - - and Slavery - : ss.ls !.
Washinoton- Ian Q.

Nh Dear sRelatire:, | thauk you for YOU
fayors recently, received, and in reply,y
N ust assure. YOU that Ifeel all the solicitudt
That you could expect me to do in relation
ito the present attitude Of our national a.
Hyell as our sectional affairs ,sg, 49,,
Ia connection with, these, Ighaye recently
seen in the public papers letter from Gen
James Hamilton, of South Carolina, dated
Retrieve, Texas. Dec. 1850, and. address
ed to L.angdopa sCheeyes, copta ming somt
suggestions and sentiments in which I can
ndtszcoincide. These are. lines Of wid' wisd9'
spread agitation, and Of deep and and earres
feeling on the part Of many of : nr fellow
citizens, ,and such IDEAS as, those sexpressee
in the following extracts from The Letter o
Gem Hamilton are likely TO be productive q
evil consequences, however well meant Gls
ihirnfl His name has long been familiar t.
the public IS one Ct the most ardent and ac-
stiyesof the champions, Of South Carolina in
the times Of fynulli6cation, and bis late, con:
ciliatery .admonitions haze 1ayested, bis o
pinions with increased influence among The
moderate and raiionalfriends Of the scountry,
These Suggestions therefore IF erroneous
eor hasty, should not be allowed 10 pass ":
noticed. The subjectI have in, view Is ss,no moi
to epgagein any newspaper, contest with The
General, but swerely to sintimate 70 YOU and and
some. other friends, at Richmoad, That as
he places Virginia in. the vanguard in his
movement, it appears, proper
that steps should be taken there to manifest
her dissent from The high honor proposed,
These are the extracts to WHICH desire es.
pecially y to; invite your attention. 10 many
other portions Of the letter, opinions are
throwns out, which, + also deem, Justly. Oh.
noxious to criticism, but as these are sfhe
most essential, I will coming, nse,,,n my observa.
'tions 10 them only :,ss - 5ssss "a h,sn ~,
: aInthe; letter which, addressedsto the people
of South Carolina, likewise asserted broadly
that it was unnecessary for the South to incur
the moral responsibility of disselving the Unien;
that the efauatcs, 70 abolitionists ands profig
demags gues Of the non -sa Estates would
save them the treubleathat events were, trayel-
ing quite fast enough towards that donsumma.
.tion. Have been false prophetF They have
journeyed WIFI m ,lnanticipe veioety. Since
my letter was sTltfens sbasenet Vermont, within
,heraimits, ,srepeated the Fagiti We Slave. LAW
And has not Massachusetts, de ,faefe aupulled il!
May 1.-THE; eagsgs federis be sud now t. have
not cali a Convention Of MI the soutdefns States
to meet ut Rlchsnondaa ~ i'll snot eaeh9 and ell
ofthemrespond to the invocation nfetbe great
aud reno wned common wealth, mother Of 50 many
States. i believe as i believe in my own exist
ence that if Virginia moves she win save not dis
solve efhe Onion II belieyes ft wiiFIeatl TO aeon
yeftion ofslallthe States, and ifipessibe stoFa
fresh understanding ofthe bargain, and that we
may obtain fresh1guaranrees fur the protection
Of our slave institutions by an inhibition Of the
slavery discussion oe Congress; and also secure
amendments Of TIE Constitution restricting the
taxing sand nppropriating power gwithintdue
bounds n1Bnt may tie trial Of these sresources
and these truths be uever put TO the test May
Virgins. in her. wisdom, iii all her dignity
and gravity which belong TO that COM
monw ealth. summon an the slavesholding States
to meet at Richmond for the purpose of saving.
Impossible, the Union, by referring the terror
solution ofthis mighty question to conys4tlon
of ali the States ,Ifthey decide that they, can
give us no security Of our domestic institutions
that they cannot live ins the same Union with
those who havethe blight and plague spot Of sla-
very on. their tauds-llet .us part in peace, and
endeavor to live in the cultivation of its chari;
ties, however hopeless. from the intervention OF
human passion, may be the cffort"i q, Sss' s's
Til. firrstl point 70 be noticed IS the alleg-
ed fact that the dems gogtles and abolition
fanatics Of the North are pressing aon the
contest with great velocity Vermont
has nullifed 'the fugitive. slave law, and
tha Massachusetts, has ds .facto annulled
it-that .the. cattsus fteaeris has arisen;
and be applies to Virginia to move forward.
Now Il must be very obvious that the sour
ces os Of Ger. Hamilton 8 intelligence are not
very trustworthy; for nothing is CLEARER to
those who are on the spot, and can Judge
for themselves. that tia e the anti -alavery
agitation In EtiIe free STATS is IN asgscat
-fr