The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1851-01-24
LETTER OF MR.. PoINsETT.

Tho Charleston Mercury published q
latter Of little more than column.
length, from Mr.. Poinseti, member OF
| ML4Van 'Burens Cabinet; which shows
that there ig; at least, ono man in South
Carolina not stark mad. lie gives reas.
for departing from tho rules he had laid
down for himself, Of absiaining from party
politics, that he has recently been north,
and has had an opportunity Of knowing
the sentiments Of northern people, which
are entirely misunderstood in South
Carolina. lie than proceeds TO review
the alleged grievances Of the south;
which are invoked as an excuse for Sc.
cession, which, Re says, means "revolu-
tiou." He begins with The admission Of
Ca!iiornin, represented TO be- the worst
Of their wrongs, and says:
"The exclusion of slavery in California
IS generally attributed, In the south, III.
the irppropei interference of government,
whereaa il arose from the spontaneous
feelings Of the people there. The miss.
ion of Mr.. Butler King, whatever we're
the instructions he bore, was Of no use
whatever. There, as every where in
this country, the people would have re-
vol,ed a, the uncalled for Interference Of
the general government.
81 have seen and conversed with re-
,urGel cmigrants from that state, some
successful beyond their most sanSune
expectations, whilo others were disap.
pointed and poor. They al, both rich
and poor, concurred in the opinion that
the exclusion of slavery from California
was owing TO the unwillngness Of the
white man to work side by side with the
negro, a feeling so universal at the north,
that havs never seen negroes employed
in their great work shops; and upon
asking the season, was informed by the
proprie,ors that if they ate upied TO in
troduce negro laborers into their works,
the whites whuld leave them.
"This feeling governed the vote on
this question in California. 1t is a great
mistake 10 suppose that, at the period of
the adoption Of the constitution, that
territory consisted only Of squatters and
If the simple and ignorant conquered
people. California was peopled with
unexnmpl4d rapidily, and the emlgran's
were from among our most industrious
and eu,erprising citizens. They were
neither few in pMnber nor disqualified IN
character, 10 frame constitution for
themselves; indeed, their ord erly conduct
while abandoned by their legitimate gov
er ,lnen', was dwelt upon with pride by
Us, an excited the admiration Of the civil.
lied world. We may complain with some
Justice of the admission OF California
with the exclusion Of slavery, bu, if we
had depopulated South Carolina Of our
negtoes, and taken them TO California, |
firmly believe they would have been ex-
PEELED from the state at the first meeting
Of its Legislature, for know full we'll that
the people there were de,rmined not to
admit them.-. -..,,..-. .
"The next great outrage complained
of is the adjustment Of the boundary Of
Texas. | will no, prolong this paper AMI
| occupy your time by arguing the question
Of the validity of the boundary claimed
| by Texas; but content myself with stating
nv belief thar if Mr.. Madison had been
captured by tho British at Bladensburgh
and under terror Of his life, had signed a
treaty ceding the theu territory of Maine
Congress, and we, the people, would have
denied tina, Great Britain had thereby
acquired little to that portion Of odI
country. The object oi offering ten Mill.
ions 10 Texas was not what it has been
represented; but to prevent a civil war.
otherwise inevitable; war. in the course
which New Mexico would have been
crushed by tho superior forces Of Texas
or Government have interlered to protect
tha. territory alternatives to be deprecated
by every American who respects the con
sii,ution and loves Justice. There was nc
| dic,ation in the offer made 10 Texas. Il
was no, made by the President, but by
law Of Congress, and ifTexas volun
,arily chooses 10 compound doubtful
lille. and 10 accept the Offer made her
surely there is no cause for Ceiling heI
hard names, and applying 10 such
pcoplo abusive epi,hets.
y "The next subject complained OF is
the abolition of The slave trade in The
District Of Columbia, and this measure
is characterized as advancing abolition
For my own part, think the scenes we
have SO often witnessed in Washington
and so often heard severely blamed b!
both northern and southern mon, tended
much more to advance abolition than the
passage Of the law.
"lt is certainly to DO lamented that the
balance ofpowcr between the slave and
free states could not have been main.
tanned in The Senate. We have struggled
for i, in vain. 1t is with stutes as with
=. individuaIs--equali,y Of strength or o.
fortune cannot be mintained by either
but this is no legitimate cause Of strife o.
revolution. And yet wc are told that The