Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-03-03
Gen. James Hamilton,

This mentally and bodily erratic parsonage.
who recently sounded an alarm to the Union from
the shadows of "Oyster Creek, Texas has pub
lished, in the New York Herald, letter to Gen.
Sam Houston, dated "Boston, Feb. god, in reply
to one which the General not long since address,
ed to his dear relative" Mr.. John Letcher, of the
Virginia Convention. In that epistle the pseudo
hero of San Jacinto made it his principal object
to protest and reason against Gen. Hamilton's ap-
peal to the State of Virginia to call a new South
ern Convention at Richmond, and he took occa-
sion to criticize quite harshly the course of South
Carolina. Gen. Hamilton finds it convenient to
reply, on the birthday of Washington, from the
| city of notions and slave harbourers The staple
of the epstle consists ola running account of the
credits, seven in number, to which South Carroll
ma is entitled as member of the Union. The
first Of these is her noble blood, which, Gen. Ham
ilton says, is cross of the French Huguenot and
English Cavalier; and as Gen. Houston "grew
up In horse racing country" his correspondent
expects him to appreciate this consideration. The
argument is that people of such excellent blood
cannot be stigmattzed as doing or meaning any,
thing improper. The mettle of their ancestors
is thus illustrated in the writer's characteristic
way:
When the old colony of Massachusetts Bay and
Sagadahock mediated revolution where did she send
ner youthful, her chvalrous and her gifted missionary
Josiah Quincy, STRIPPING of %? To South Carolina
Yes, old Massachusetts sent her favored to South
Carolina, TO know if she would back her in stern and
resolved resistance British tyranny 1t s perhaps
remarkable fact that Mr.. Quincy's arrival in Char
lesion, where he received with open arms the most
influential men in the then colony him at the house
OF Miles Bruon, who was the largest merchant in South
Carolina, engaged in the african slaue trade than
whom more sterling patriot the American Revolution
never produced. Here, in the hosptabe abode of this
gentleman was held the first tederave conc lave Of rebel
iIon Here, South Carolina, without interest OF her
own touched by the mother country, oppression to
complain Of through her chiefs threw down the gage of
battle and told young Quincy TO go back and tell John
Hancock, Samuel Adams John Adams, and the whole
reunne OF the patriots OF Massachusetts that South
Carolina would stand by her in the peril and the desoa
ton OF the coming Storm Let me pause tor an instant,
to ask what has become OF the descendants of these
men They surely cannot be among those who seek
now to lire the temple OF concord in this happy
Union.
This Gen. Houston the first item to the credit of
South Carolina in the history OF this confederacy.
One of the credits is the high federalism of the
South Carolina delegates in the Convention that
framed the Federal Constitution the next is that
| she supported Thomas Jefferson against the Fed
| eral party. But her highest pretenson, according
| to Gen. Hamilton, is founded upon her victorious
resistance to the tariff
To come to the present "crisis,'' the General
expresses belief that South Carolina will be as
peaceful as a dove and return to her old loyalty to
the Union, provided Congress shall stop debating
about slavery Ga condition which her own represent
tatves will take care shall never be fulilled) abb
stain from violating the compromise tariff of 1882
(long ago defunct) and cease making donations of
the public lands (Which Mr.. Calhoun himself con-
coded might sometimes be done) Gen. Hamilton
pays high compliment to Mr.. Webster, and con-
ciudes his letter thus
|, is time General. that should have done. have
| inflicted an numerically long epstle on your pa
tience and perhaps that OF those who NAV be less
willing to bear it, could not have very we'll sa id less
in defence OF State which you have thought proper to
assault in assoc laton with my name wish she had
| found among her sons more gifted champion than
myself
There she stands, how ever without fear; and trust
in the end, will stand without reproach. have no ap-
prehension either for her honor of her courage. If the
salies OF hlghapubc spirit, and the keen instincts OF
pride, which hers by inheritance have thrown her
in advance OF her coniederates hope, as we'll as be-
lieve, under their friendly counses she will in the end
retire gracefully and with all the dignity that belong to
her courage to the line that they for the present occu-
py. But, depend upon it. she will retire armed and
without single standard lowered. She will give
the Union peace and her devoted loyalty, if the Union
will give her justice But whilst she will ask nothing
more, she IS resolved to take nothing less.
In no spirit, certainly, Of hostility, even ofunknd-
ness, subscribe myself, Genera,
Respectfully,
Your obedent servant.
]. HAMILTON,