Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1851-01-04
From fhes Matches Courier.
letter to Governor QnitmaE.
lgERvILLE.

Or. ! nave THIS Day fecsIVeq youi
message to the Tngielattirs of Mississippi,
ain extraordinary session. IhaveIr read
ii with much care and attention, and l
now propose noticing a few out OF the
NAM objectionable features that it contains
assuring you at the same time that do
not question your "slBcerity OF purpose
in expressing the solemn convictions OF
your mind y for / believe that the people
of your own, as well as those OF other
States, are fully satisfied that IN all your
strange movements and political changes,
for the last twenty-five years, you have
been sincere in your convictions, and
honest in your purposes. | thought yon
SO twenty years ago, when you were sup
porting a party known to be in opposition
to the best interests Of the country, as ! did
in 1882, when you declared it to be your
opinion, that the people of Mississippi were
not capable of self government, and EVIL
denced that sincerity by recording your
vote against their exercising a right, which
belongs only to frcemen. That you seem
still to entertain and cherish this opinion,
is shown by your apparent nnwllllngness
to trust them to select their own delegates,
or t 0 send none at all, as they might
| choose, to the so-called Southern Con-
| v%cntion, assuming to yourself the right
| to act for them; but especially do you
reveal your opinions, when yourecommend
that q committee be appointed or selected
with powers absolute or contingent, which
.x-. 60 ,1aa-,l ~ rI., sta az, n f'nfnnttftGo
of Safety, and which, when once formed,
you say, "would Of course possess plenary
powers, uncontrolled by any instructions or
restrictions, which the Legislature might
impose"
Now, can it be possible that such senti-
merits, officially promulgated by the Gov
ernor of one Of the most patriotic States
in the Union, will be permitted to go unre-
buked Who, but Governor Qnitman,
would dare to ask the brave defenders OF
| New Orleans, and their gallant sons who
poured ont their blood like water upon the
glorious field Of Bnena Vista, to establish
upon frecnen's chosen soil an aristrocratlc
form of Governmental Government
which, as the author avows in advance, Is
to be independent Of and above the Will OF
the people. Now, sir, you have MOTTO learn,
that to effect the dissolution OF this Union,
the veil of secession must be cautiously
and gently withdrawn from before the
eyes of the people, for if the repulsive
features of disunion, or the despicable
glare of a crown, were placed before them
without first preparing them to embrace
the one or submit to the other, you would
arouse a spirit that would hurl destruction
upon the mistaken mortal, who dared tc
offer such itgnorable terms, as a remedy ioi
evils. Had the Emperor Napoleon attemp.
ted to usurp the crown, and establish him.
self upon the throne Of France, without
FIRST preparing the people for such an event
it would have cost him his head. Lie
therefore recommended that three Consu!s
should be chosen, taking special care, low
ever, that he Should be first and by this
political move, he arrested all suspicion
and was enabled to effect indirectly whaI
he knew could not have been accomplish
cd directly. Nor did he effect his objec
more surely than you will, through you
Committee of Safety, "a dissolution Q
the Union" and the establishment, npoi
q portion Of its ruins, Of a strong centra
yet ! have no doubt Of the honesty Of You
purposes and the purity of your intentions
But where do You find the evidence tt
Justify you in charging yonr w country
men with crime most foul, and in placing
the institution Of slavery in the South, Il
which we are all attached by edncatioi
and interests, at the point Of irretrievablt
ruin, as we'll as annihilating the onl,
Government upon earth that is worth pre-
serving-a Government that secures equa
rights and privileges to all?
You tell lis that the North has waget
war against the institutions of the South
Now, this is an assertion the truth 0
which I do not admit. The time was
however, when this was good politica
coin, and afforded a fine theme to thu
political aspirants of the day, to excite
favor in the South, anil especially Vss d
held abouc payaeitb those gentlemen acht
emigruted hitler from the North. Blu
we have now at orr command such ample
testimony furnished by our countrynlen @
the Northern States, that our constitution
al rights shall be maintained, that none
but those who are resolved to oppose every
conservative measure, can doubt the
sincerity Of their fidelity to the Union. ]
know there are Fanatics at the North.
who, would gladly exterminate slavery as
it exists, but their numbers are few, and
their consequence as Insignificant as is that
of the Disunionists OF the South. In proof
of the correctness of this opinion, ] refer
you to the last Presidential canvass. You
may not have forgotten that the Wings,
Democrats, and fanatics, had then each
a candidate before the people the last
named party, if it deserves that appellation,
selected for It's candidate Mr.. Van Buren,,
-a a Northern man with Southern prin.
ciples '-once the exponent Of democracy,
and ex-President Of the United States.
Iiere was a fine opening to test the
strength Of the abolitionists whom You
seem so mtlcll to fear. And what did il
prove? Why, that they were unable to
secure a single electoral vote for their can
didate in the United States. Docs this
look asif the people Of the North were
disposed to wage wal with the South p
Look at the present administration. Mr.
Fillmore, who 50 ably fills the chair but
lately vacated blythe death Of. one of the
purest patriots that ever defended his
country, is like yourself a Northern MAJ
BY birth and education. But he is the
President Of the whole country. He points
the North to his home, his fireside, and to
the high Offices he has filed as evidences
Of fidelity to it. To the South he gives
assurances that the laws which protect the
| institution of slavery. shall be faithfully