The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-01-18
From the Charleston Courier
Letter to Hon. Langdon Cheyes,
RETRIEVE, OYsrER CREEK, (Texas,) !
DECEMBER, 18th, 1850.


RETRIEVE, OrsrER CREEK, (Texas,)
DECEMBER, 18th, 1850.
To LangdOa Cheres, Esq. y M va. sisohiyi 4
MY DEAR STA: On my return from Austin TO
this place, m y son, knowing how highly appre-
ciate every thing coming from yourself, placed 10
my hands your speech delivered al the Nashville
Convention.
Our friendship has been too long matured and
dates too far back; il has been cemented bv too
much generous sympathy and support on your
part in the hour of misfortune--by too much per-
sonal devotion and attachment on mine--not 10
exempt me from the imputation of INDUCING in
aattery IN the first instance, or dsrespect in the
last, IN very briefly considering and discussing
that great essay, the product at once Of your in
telIeclual power and anxious patriotism. fs
You VIII permit me to say and | say it with
the most perfect sincerity il is the greatest of ali
your eiorts--as distinguished as YOU were in The
war OF Congress Of 1911 and 'l2, you exhibited
even then, IN the palmy days of your manhood
nothing comparable TO the radiant power of this
essay OF your old age--ifa man can be said to be
old who retains your physical and moral energy.
whist pay to your friendship the tribute of a
grateful heart pay to this exhibition of your ge-
mus, my profound homage ,1d'l
Az the risk OF the charge Of egotism, in appear
ing too often before the public, am induced TO
address you, from this spot Of comparative Sc
c'usion, when many very important events NAV
occur at nome, OF which am ignorant, and which
now to express. But l feel too sensibly for the
honor and interests Of the gallant and high spirit
Gu STATE OF which we are both natives not TO give
utterance to some Of the reflections and feelings
your mastery effort has excited. T'T F.
In the hrst place, let me say it is source of UNI
speahaole graefcaiion to me, that infer from
your speech, that you are as much opposed 10 the
separate and isolated action of South Carolina il,
her proposed secession from the Union at the
present moment, as am; whilst | am free TO con-
Tess that am equslly impressed with yourself,
WIN the indispensable necessity and pre-eminent
policy otour securing the adhesion, co-oreration.
and support of the other Southern States, or Mt
leasta portion of them, essential preliminary
to effective action. In the effort to procure this
concert Of action, will 60 as far as you or any
man at the South, within the humble sphere Of
my influence, because believe the salvation of
the South, the p eservatiOn OF the Union, and the
peace and public liberty of the whole country de-
pend upon il. Because believe, moreover. that if
the spirit OF fanatcism goes on unchecked in the
free States IN It's insanity and crime and the legis-
lItion OF Congress continues to progress in the
same career OF injustice, inequality, and extrava-
gance, The Union will end-but it will set in dark
ness and in blood.
am fully aware, my dear sir, that you will
think that did not adopt the very best measures
in the world to produce this confederate harmony
on the part OF the Southern States, in my late let
ter to the people Of South Carolina, by referring
",
admit little belonged to the gravity of the occa.
sion. can only say that If, in that good hui
mored railery, in which there was more of mirth
than malice, harmless and certainly uninAuental
| wounded the feelings of the humbIest man in
single State this side Of Mason and Dixon s line,
who is prepared to stand up for the rights of the
South, deeply regret--an offence alien to my
own heart as to yours To those who are pre-
pared TO abandon these rights, | have no apologies
TO make. ..r
expressed the strongest opposition to the sep
arate action and secession of South Carolina in
my letter to her people, because was entirely
satisfied that it would defeat, not promote the CO.
hesion and union ofthe other Southern States, if
there were five grains of common sense in the
heads of the President and his Cabinet.
In the event Of the solitary secession Of South
Carolina, so far from coercion, it scarcely admits
of a question, that the Government of the United
States would act entirely on the defensive. They
would not be worthy to aspire to the repute Of
discretion enough to conduct the concerns Of a
Pari yestry, if they drew one drop of blood
south Of Mason and Dixon's line, EXCEPT in self
defence. fthey did, this Union would instantly
be snapped like pack-hread. No: they would
play safer card than this-we should be left
very much to ourselves, except that the customs
would be collected outside of our Bar by a formi
dable naval force, which South Carolina would
have no immediate power to defeat remove. j
fear this state of things would lead to a serious
diversion Of our trade 10 the commercial cities in
our neighborhood, and under unworthy panic
to an extensive emigration from the upper dis
tricts of our State to this new and astonishngly
fertile country. IL the position in which South
Carolina would thus be placed, would at once
produce the assembly of Southern convention
headed by Virginia, should regard il with all its
risks as cbeaply purchased. But how stands il,
if against their automatically declared opinions, we
are not only suspected, but known to place our
in this nprt N fhe,n IN D.
rescue D. Mr.. WOODWARD; a member of Congress
from South Carolina, gentleman for whom | en-
terrain all due respect, declared in letter or
speech to his constituents that 1t was wise policy
for South Carolina to place herself in this atti-
tude, because we ''nouid drag Virginia aud North
Carolina into support" MIR. WoopwARp's
candor is certainly commendabe. The ancients
had, in their mythology, an image of Wisdom
which was represented with her finger on her
lips-Mr. WOODWARD adheres to the much more
christian precept of deceiving neither friends
nor our enemies Yet when we have the moral
option of being silent, ] should be hard to con-
vince, that it is the best policy all occasions to
speak oui even if it be the truth, and nothing but
the truth.
But suppose, my good sir, that the other South
ern States seeing that we had come to no harm;
that not drop OF blood had been shed; that we
were merely under the restraints, however strin-
gent, of revenue blockade, should leave us to
ourselves scribbed and cabined in, as we should
be- between the capes of North Carolina and Ty-
bee The possibility Of such contingency shows
the indispensable policy Of acting in entire harmo
ny and concert, at least with majority of the
other Southern States. ON
To show both the peril and nbsurdiiy OF isola-
ted secession, would take the caseofM ississippi
whether she secedes alone with more States,
provided Louisiana does not join the new confed-
eracy, which apprehend she would only do in
the event Of the united secession Of all the other
Southern States, the result would unquestonably
be this that Mississippi would have to pay du-
,y of two cents per pound, in the event Of peace,
on her cotton nj the Custom House at New Or
lears, and in the event Of war with the old United
States, her products would be liable to con6sca-
ton in descending the Mississippi. How long,
under these circumstances, would she stand be-
ing a member Of the new confederacy? Her de-
population by emigration would be enormously
portenous. tits now going on by process the
most exhaustIng and disastrous. One third Of
the wagons | met, in journey from Austin to
deiston, with negroes as well aswhte emIgranis,
reported themselves fromM Mississippi. Whether the
exhaustauon OF her soil, the fear Of the future
burdens OF her public debt produced this dis.