The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-09

- Another voios from Alabama
! From the Mobile Tribune We take the follow
ing urasterly reply Of PERCY WALKER, Esq, O
Mobile, TO the circular Of the Union COMMITTEE,
Of New York. The purport Of the latter docu
msnt will be sufficiently apparent from Mr.
Walkers reply:
MosrLr, Dec. 26, 1850.
| GEsrLEMEN:--By Yesterday 3 mail, was hon
ored with the above letter OF the I'd inst. As il
deals with matters Of public concern, and as am
personally unknown to you, must be pardoned
for answering it through the medium Of the press
have less hesitancy in doing so, because it is
evidently circular, and has been doubtless adj.
dressed to many others in every section of the
| country. sr
| While will not question your solicitude 10
preserve the Union, cannot but admire the ski
with which you divide your censure between the
Aboltionists, and those Of the South who are
forced TO look TO secession the only means of
escaping nom complete and utter ruin. The cool
ness, too, with which you charge the Southern
people with making the "agressions which have
been committed upon the constitutional rights"
an "erctse for advocating secession, is certainly
worthy Of note And not less so, is your asser-
ton that "each demonstration made by the Abo-
litioniss against the supremacy Of the law, is tn e
signal for renewed assaults upon the Union party
Of the sIavehoding States
But you cap the climax, when you allege that
'ihe Abolitionsts, following the example thus set
them, make the intemperate language Of their
Southern allies, the pretext for another onslaught
upon the conservatives Of the North"
Really, gentlemen, the sang tfoid with which
you falsify history, is not little remarkable
One would infer from your letter that the South
is answerable for the assaults upon her rights, and
that the Abolitonsts have committed no greater
sin than that of following our bad "exampie.'
You exhibit want Of candor and frankness, well
calculated to awaken doubt in our minds as TO
your fitness for the office you have assumed, viz
TO preserve the Union by correcting and develop
ing public opinion, and ''re-establshing that pa
ternal love, which once prevailed through the
confederacy."
To do this you must learn to be just, and your
whole letter gives unmistakabe evidence that you
not in that mood.
That you in favor Of the Union, have no
question, for you are too well aware Of its advan-
tages to your section to be otherwise; but in the
face of the wrongs and outrages committed by
Northern Abolitionists and Freesoilers upon the
South, it is expecting rather too much OF US to
suppose that we should particularly desire to up
hold Union that has ceased to render US any
protection.
To gentlemen so well informed as you are, ait
is unnecessary TO specify the aggressions which
have been committed upon the constitutional
rights ofthe South by Northern fanatcism.' But
would ask what have you done to prevent these
aggressions
You are all inflential men in your State, and yet
what have you done to prevent her from assum-
ing hostile attitude towards the South upon the
slavery question: Did you make any effort to ef-
feet the repeal of the resolutions passed by your
legislature on the 9th February, IS47, insisting
upon the application Of the Wilmot Proviso to the
territoriesi Did you endeavor to prevent the
adoption of Mr.. Raymond's anti-slavery resolu-
n at at thar ~
given any evidence of determination to uphold
the rights of the SOUTH 1t is true that one of
your number, Mr. George Wood, presided over
the late Union meeting" so called, held in New
York, but did he not vote for Mr.. Hunt for gov
ernor, who, during the canvass, expressed his re-
greet at the passage of the Fugitive slave BILL and
declared that it must be essentially modified, Is
it not notorious that Mr.. Wood is a.Federast
Of the old school--the advocate Of Il strong gov
eminent, and the questioner Of State-rightsi
Mr.. Brady, If ! mistake not, aso participated
in the Union meeting; but we are ignorant OF his
having at any time signalized himself in the advo-
cacy ofthe " constitutional rights of the South"
We are not apt TO forget Northern man, who
may have the boldness to proclaim his determine
ton to stand by the South in her efforts to main
tain those rights, and can recall no act Of Mr..
Brady's that should awaken our gratitude since
l843, when he was, believe, a warm friend and
admirer Of Mr.. Calhoun, and the most promine nt
advocate in New York of his political principles
His present associations go far to authorize the
presumption that he has repudiated those princi-
Piles, and has coaesced with those who withhold
from the South her just rights.
would ask if Mr.. Brady has ever insisted that
the Fugitive slave bill is just and equitable Or
does he Think with Governor Hunt, that it ought
to be so emasculated as to make il less obnoxious
to the Abotionists'
And what are the opinions Of Mr. Ketchum,
who now very kindly advises Southern men to
cultivate fraternal regard for the NORTH This
gentleman made himself quite famous in the late
Utica Convention. His speech before that body
was certainly not very pregnant with evidences
Of goodwill and respect towards the South. Hear
him upon that occasion:
81 will make no boast, but should like 10 see
the man who has done more, from his earliest
manhood to the present moment, in advocating
the principles OF abolition, than the humble indi
vidual who now addresses you; and my principles
are unchanged, entirely unchanged" Mark his
extreme modesty, and at the same time the firm
ness Of his attachment TO his principles He then
goes on to point out the advantages Of the Union
TO the Northern States, and addressing himself to
the Southern people, vety complacently says to
them: "Your forms OF COVE nment in your States
differ from ours; we have advanced farther than
you. as we think clearer than you; but, as
was well remarked by friend who preceded me,
the darkness was once upon u.s." How cody
does he assume superiority us, and with
what air does he inform MS Of IL. But 20 great
is his detestaon Of slavery that he is not content
with recounting his services as above, in the
cause of abolition, but must again revert to ii, and
speaks as follows: "There here in this
assembly, / doubt not, who remember the time
when slavery existed here. ! remember that ]
was in at its death, and that was associated with
band Of men to bring about the destruction Of
that evil"
True, he says that he would not interfere with
slavery in the States in which il exist by law, but
in the next breath he speaks as follows :"There
now only six hundred slaves in the District Of
Columbia, and this number is daily diminishing.
With these, we have right to interfere" Mr..
Keichum knows full well that the South has al
ways denied the right Of Congress to interfere
with slavery in the District and has repeatedly
declared in the most soIem form that it will regard
its abolition there just cause Of withdrawal
from the Union. And yet this gentleman now
assumes the Office Of advising Southern men as
to the course they should pursue, and graveIy
urges them to form "Union Safety Committees. >
word more to Mr.. Ketchum, and | am don,
with him. Did he not also vote for Governor
Hunt, and he not so panied because doub
entertained the subject, that after the cleo
II