Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-03-06

c'otC NCINGutICu 10 SGOb W GC uCIu'-
In Charleston and the neighbori0g dis,
tricts candidates have been nominated
The annexed letter Of Bishop Capers
on the all engrossing subject will be
matter Of serious consideration to the
secessionists, and it presents few facts
Of more weight than the millions of
"squibs" that have been fired at them
for some time past:
From the Charleston Mercury.
TO MY FELLOW. CITIZENS OF
SOUTH CAROLINA.
l take the liberty Of addressing you,
through the newspa pers, on subject of
different character from what has
hitherto employed me, and | do SO the
more readily, as my life guarantees my
sincerity-and, on your part, personal
good will. 1t is the first time have
ever felt it my duty TO express publicly
an opinion on any matter Of State poll.
cy. Once, indeed, during the extreme
excitement which prevailed in Charles
ton, on the sub jeCt of nu!lfyinga law
Of Congress, | met with the clergy cf
the city apart, at the instance Of some
venerable citizens, to consider whether
there was any thing which we might
possibly do, in our sacred character, TO
promote peace. But it resulted in moth.
ing; we found nothing in our power, but
our prayers for the people. Ministers
ofreIigion have little 10 do, al any time,
with matters Of the State, more than to
pray for Gods guidance and blessing
on the people. Nevertheless, ministers
are men-are citizens; and it may be
expcdient, once in life Of three score
years and more, for a minister 10 ap
pear in his charac cier as citizen, and
not as q minister. Suffer me then, for
this one time, TO assert my citizenship,
and commune with you, freely, on the
state Of public affairs. | lam citizen
a son Of a ciizen-born on the soil Of
South Carolina, not long after il had
been won, in prat, by the sword Of my
father.
After an absence Of about five
months, on my sacred duties, in Ten
nessec, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alaba'
ma, and Georgia, | cannot express how
/ painfully il has shocked me TO be told,
on my return home, that the great State
measures now on foot, look solely to
secession from the United States, by
this State alone; that the Convention
shortly to be held is in order 10 this; and
that the only question to be open there
is one of time; whether TO seccde Al
once, or wait the issue of the Southern
Congress, and then secede.
To scccde at once, or at future
time, alone, must be TO secede from The
Southern States no less than from The
Northern. Ii must be putting Of lh'
other Southern states in faalt-a sort o
branding them as deficient in knowl
= edge, or courage, o" patriotism, or a
, these together. They are involved il
all respects as we are, touching the in
e Justice Of the late acts Of Congress, =
e We may not hold ourselves wiser no
) better than they are, but as equals only
e and they are many, while we are com
: paratively few. And what, in sue
; circumstances will be the probabl
n judgment of mankind, respecting on
l, action, should we secedel
e If may place any reliance on who
Il has come under my observation, durin
) my long journey through five of lh
e principal Southern States, is moi pr,
y bable that a Southern Congress, repre-
J. senting the Southern people, can |
" had, that it would do much, if an
: thing more than the Georgia Convel
d ton did. As to secession, | have r
ID doubt that three-fourths Of the peop
I'd would oppose it at the present time
he The reason of this opposition, ha'