Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-09-26
NO. 5.
nothing eytenua'c,
Nor SET down aught in malice-


SIR: I am about to relieve YOU from my in
trusivc addresses, and at parting have only a
word to add
The humility ofmy position, rs well as of my
cndowrents, might well have deferred me from
entering upon the task Of exhibiting what ap.
prared to me to be the ir:econcilcahlc incon-
,;stences in which Your short, but by no means
unattractvc, public career ahounds; and con
sidcrIug the very extraordinary advantages OF
social relations, wealth, connections, and abl.
tics. of which You are possessed, and all OF
which, in my best Judgment, | thought saw
were about to he suddenl ) and unexpectedly
lost to glorious cause, nothing could have
indnccd me to employ my pen rs have in ad.
dressing 10 you, and through you TO the public.
my previous communications, except strong
and overmastering impulse OF duty. Irankly
confess to Won that your divergence from that
line of policy, which your countrymen had eve
ry ground to believe You had firmly adopted at
the present perilous and all important juncture
ofpublic affairs, previous TO the appearance of
your i'll. omcned Barnwell letter, was SO mani
fest. and at the same time SO alarming, that
thought that even one as little fitted us myself
might easily expose it, and thereby avert in
some degree its threatened mischief.
If have succeeded, have real canse for
rejoicing, as seek no other reward for my la
Dor than the appreciation Of my fellow.cltlzens
and Of my own conscience; and if have fail.
ed, the superior intelligence Of the former will
infalibIy supply the deficiencies Of my argu.
mcnt, so that you cannot finally escape from
Just rctribulion. 1t would be in vain for you
to attempt to yindicatc your consistency, for
the array of evidence against you is commands
ing and overwhelming; it stands invulnerable
and inr!faceabe in the solidity of the record :;
it is found in Il force and power which defy
overthrow in your public writing, public speak
ing. and public aciing--in the whole tenor and
spirit of your private conferences, consultations.
and conversations, up to Il certain period al
ready designated Until the advent Of yodr
Bamwel letter, by the undisg'rised and lofty
toned committa Of all these, you were re-
cognised se;essionist, standing on the platform
of your December speech, on the platform
of the resolution of the Richland Southern
Rights Association of the 22d of March last,
and finally on the platform assumed for you,
and teyond all disputation, sanctioned by you,
in the card of "A Srcessionist and Member OF
the Legislature" of the 22l of May last, nomi-
mating you as deputy to the Southern Con.
gress. This body of evidence you can neither
overleap nor undermine. Its stability puts at
defiance alike the ingenuity and desperation OF
attack, and has carried conviction to all minds
of all partics-co operationsts, submissionsts,
and cessionists-which no appeals, no tropes
or figures, no promises, prot"s,atons, or soph's.
try can in the least disturb The celebrated
Juuius, on one occasion, justl, remarked, that
"a question once decided was no longer open
for argument;" and in this light the question oI
your consistency must be regarded by just
and enlightened public opinion.
It's to be sincerely re- retted, therefore, that
you made the question Of your consistency at
all before your fellow. citizens in your late cor
respondence. A far higher aud more indepen'
dent ground was open for your occupancy, as
! am sure, on reflection, you will at once per-