Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-10-16


last addressed to Judge Moore. He says moth
ing about Pierce or Scott, though the wings have
been claiming that he is Scott man:
RocKIHGHAM, NEAR CLARKvILLE, GEo.l
September, 9th 1852.
SIR: The last mail brought to me your letter of
the Esd August, which having been directed to
Savannah, has been forwarded to me here The
duplicate of which you advise me, as having been
directed to this place, has not yet been received.
y on inform me that your convention was to as
semble on the first Monday of this month They
must therefore have acted without any communi-
cation from me, and will not | trust have adopted
your suggestion My opinions and feelings on the
subject of the Constitutional rights of the South
these were declared and expressed in the SEN
ate of the United States, remain unchanged. Re
Election has only served to confirm my conviction
of the correctness of the former, and time and in
creasing age have not chilled the latter. believe
moreover that the time has been, when the umited
effort of the South, under the guidance of temper
ate counses, would have secured those rights
and that their allowance would have awakened
and perpetuated paternal feeling, better cal
culated than anything which the wit of man can
devise to give permanence to the Union. To aid
in accomplishing this Union of the South, in the
firm, temperate, and constitutional assertion of
their rights, was the object my efforts in the
Senate. l held it to be the undoubted privilege
Of the people of each State, to participate in all
the benefits and securities which the Constitution
was intended to afford-and as indispensable to
this, AS primary and involable, the privilege of
enjoying and exercising all those rights, whether
OF person or properly, which possessed when they
adopted it, which they had not surrendered by
that instrument, and OF which they had not been
Invested by the legislation of Retrospective States.
asserted their title to the full enjoyment ofthese
rights, not merely without let or hindrance, from,
but by the aid also Of federal legislation. whenever
an occasion should arise which required Its inter-
fpostion.
The effort failed by the intemperance Of some,
by the self ,hnesS of others, by the hesitation and
alarm of the great body of the people and the
sequel has been that at period since the torma-
ion of The Government, have the people of the
Southern States been utterly distracted and di-
vided into cliques and factions, as at the moment
in which | write
You do not tell me, and am greatly at a loss
10 conceive, how, in what manner, the measure
which you propose, could have any, the slightest
endency to alleviate this state OF things 10 reu-
mite the Southern people. This would be an OBJ
ject worthy OF the ambition of any man, but am
not SO blinded by self esteem not to see that
such effort on my part, would be perfectly illu-
sory more especially, Il bootlesS task, hopeless
enterprise in the midst of an exciting canvass,
when The reckless pursuit of the spoils which be-
long to the victor, men rushing the very brink
of the precipice which overhangs the guilt of dis
union.
| Apart however from these considerations, can.
not consent to occupy the position which you pro
prose to me- that of the nominee of your conven
ton. An overwhelming domestic calamity, moi
only units me for political strife but makes retire
mcnt from it Indispensable to me.
Thankful for the favorable opinion Of my public
conduct, Of which you assure me.
l am respectfully yours,
JNO. MACPHERSON BERRIEN.
S. D. J. Moore, Esq, Hayneville Alabama.