The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-02
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2sth, 1852.


ut was written. You and have been something
more than ordinary friends, and it would not be-
come either of US TO withhold from the other
any opinions we may entertain. You say that
| have been appointed an eector for the State
Mt large bv the Union convention recently held
in Montgomery and ask if this was done with
INV consent | never heard of any such purpose
until after it had been executed, and doubt If
anv member of the convention had thought of
It preyious to the meeting in Montgomery. You
ask also il intend to accept It, lanswer, that
demands upon circumstances. | have not seen
the resolutions, and do not know what kind Of
nlatform they have erected. Moreover, it is i'm
nossible to tell at this time what course clrcum-
stances will render it proper for the Union men
in Alabama to pursue. To be effective, what
ever we do should be done in conjunction with
Georgia and Mississippi. United, these three
States can control the Presidential election and
doubt not this fact will soon become so appa
rent as to induce attempts to effect an organiza-
ton upon common basis We will then bein
a position to secure any just demand made by
the South. without war, without bloodshed, and
without disunion; for no party dare nominate a
candidate with the certainty of having our votes
cast against him. In that case shall certainly
ACCENT the nomination for eector, and devote
whatever energy possess to the cause.
There are other contingencies in which you
will wish TO know what my action VIII be. II
General Cass. or any other Democrat untarnish
ad bv freesoi or secession hereses, receives the
nomination at Baltimore, shall support hun;
and so, believe will the Union Wings OF the
South, unless, indeed, they have presented to
them man of their own party equally unob-
jectionable. II any man who owes his selection
TO freesoil or secession Influences, is nominated,
shall not support him, no matter what personal
sacrifice it may entail.
have now stated to you my position freely
and frankly. Let me refer as frankly to your
own You are an old Jackson Democrat-a
believer in the doctrines OF his proclamatlon-a
warm adnrer of his farewell address has II
not occurred to you that you have recently been
found in strange company!
In the resolutions of the so'called Democratic
convention, especial pains were taken to omit
all mention even of the name Of The Sage of the
Hermitage Not one OF his ACES Is mentioned
with app1obation: not one Of his opinions is en-
6orsed If YOU should be at aNy loss to account
for the omission, you have only to look to the
constitution Of the body Of which, to my regret,
Won were member. In the first district they
selected as a Democratic eector gentleman
who opposed the removal CT the depostes, OPP
nosed the sub-treasnry and at the last election
refused to vote for General Cass.
OF the three elegates to the National Con
venton all are believers in the right OF seces
a,on In the second district secesslonlst IS
mad, eIector, and three seeessionists are the
delegates In the third district the same thing
has been done. in the fourth district a seces-
sionists is an eIector, two OF The delegates are
secessionsts; and so believe s the other, but
do not know his opinions Ia thu sixth dis
t,;ct tbere is one secession delegate. In the
saventh district the eeetor and all the delegates
are secessionists When use the worl seces-
sionist, | mean believer in the right 0. secea
sion-a right which you and deny and when
all the sages of the republic have Denied before
us. 1t is not Surprising that such poay Snouia
have avoided all mention OF the name OF An
drew Jackson with as much care as they would
avoid the fangs of the raitesnnke observe
also that you were not WITHOUT shia'i 'eaych
of whiouery-secession Wings of course--that
being the only mantle which, in the opinion of
the convention, was broad enough to cover eve
nv sin. Admirable opponents these OF Jackson
democracy :.
have no wish to deny that the convention
contained many good and true Democrats, as
vol ~ warm and decided friends of the Union;
Init they were in lean minority, and gave no
color to its proceedings. 1t was Eever intended
thew should. The thing originated under seces
sion auspices, and its, fruits are such as might
have been conjectured.
Won saw that the Democratic parry is now
completely reorganized. did not know thai
the Democratic party proper had been disorgan-
lied, few restless spirits during the last sum
mer set up false gods, and tried to compel the
rest of us to worship them. When the August
elections dissipated the mental mist by which
they were surrounded, they found 1t to their IN
tercst to indulge in lamentations over the dts
trocted state of the Democratic party, and tried
to obtain credit for patriotism by loud proies.
sions of anxiety for the welfare OF party which
M one had Injured but themselves. II was thus
that YOU and Others were drawn into this reor
gon;zation scheme, which means, in plain Eng.
I;sb giviur the control of the State to the seces.
s;onists The action of that convention has
done more to destroy the Democratic party than
all other causes combined. The people were
not representcd. Its action does not reflect the
popular u Ill and when an appeal is taken to
them os il will and shall be, the cObweb bands
woven bv the small wire-pullers about Mont
oomery will be snapped into thousand pieces.
Do YOU doubt this! Take your own csse, and
Let me ask you, in all kindness, what right did
Won have to pledge Madison county TO, abide the
action of such body? None. 4ou did not
reflect the sentiments of one fifth of your con
sttuepts am willing 10 believe--l do believe
that YOU and other Union men acted from the
best motives know you sought only the good
of the party to which you are attached tut,
take my word for you will soon find you have,
only given strength to desperate faction, and
warmed viper in your bosom. For appearance
sake. few of you have been placed III respon.
sible positions, but they have retained the con
troll of everything in their own hands and The
time is coming when YOU must either abandon
your cherish principles, submit to be ostra-
cised by the very men you have saved from
present political death.
should regret it, Majo'-how deeply need
not say-if. after long years Of the kindest in
tercourse. it should become necessary for you
and me TO part but there can be no peace be
tween me and that faction which sought to des-
olate the land with civil war. If ] were mean
enough to seek reconciliation they would re-
iect it. had no nconsiderable agency in de-
featine their reasonable schemes, and they hate