Washington telegraph., 1855-03-21
..4.be Devn not so Black as he is Painted


election of HESRx WILsos to the United States
senate bv the so-cslled Auow Nothing Legisla-
ture of Massachusetts The partisan press OI the
South have asserted that lie was originally
Freesoier and Aboliii5nist sss.l from this have
drawn two desperately strained Conclusions: lst,
that the American iaT,r %; tne Norm Is wholly
AboIjtionized- and 81. that hls. wilson havlas
been FreesoteT, vail turn out 70 Re al Abolition
Senator, and wage an incessaat Vvar ',,i 'ne Ce'-
stitutioraI rights of the S9rsti- We think expo
rience will prove one OF these eonciuSious, II net
botb- somewhat incorrect. This Southern Dem
ocratic argument proves TOO much Ii lhe eIec-
ton of Mr. Wilson AbolItIonizes to Northern
Know Nothiugs- the election with tue eo-cpera-
tion and cordial support OF Democrats, of Senators
Chase and SIMMER. -Abolitionized" the Demo-
cratic marty of the North several years sinceI-
Their IS no escape from this position What is
sance for the goose IS sauce for the gander-" The
rule works both ways
Rut a truce TO DEPRESSION Mr. Wilson is no
t.rorite of ours as Is we'll known We deeply re-
yrstted his election Still, however we are al
ways willing to Judge OF tree BY its fruits. in
Stead of induIains in advance in IndlscrImInate
Remuneration What IS exceedingly Gnpromising
sometimes turns O1t quite we'll 1t Eldy be 50
With the Massachusetts, Senator. although we ad-
NIT we entertain 10 very saHsuine hopes
And we have evidence that ne is mot so black
as he Is pa:ntedr by Southern artists. before
We find in the Washington Organ. OF the 10Th
ult a CORRESPONDENCE between the Senator and
Vespasian Ellis ESD. editor of the OrSGn. the sub
stance OF which we subjoin- Mr. Ellis writes
der date Of the 18th, and propOunds the annexed
searching InteTTOgatIOns-
DO YOU or not recognize the doctrine of State
rights: so far as TO permit the several States to
regulate the question OF slavery their mode
within their State limits1 Do you or do YOU not
entertain the opinion that Congress has power to
interfere with slavery in the States7 Do you or
not recognize that -higher-law' doctrine which
permits YOU as a Senator to disregard the binding
obligations OF the constitutions Does the Amer
lean organization in Massachusetts embrace the
question of slavery amongst these for the regula-
tion of which that organization was foTInedH'
The editor requested an early reply His re-
quest was couTteOusly and promptly complied
with. in letter dated the 18th As the answer
is interesting If not very important, we have con-
cluded to publish It entire:
SENATE CHAMBER, Feb. %. 1855.
Dear Sir My answer to your inquiries will be
brief and explicit
l. fully recognize the doctrine o: State rights
in its application 10 slavery, as well as to any
other matter of public concern
The Virginia and Kentucky resolutions of 179S,
in the main as | think, correctly set forth that
doctrine
The whole subject of slavery within State lin
its should be left absolutely 20 State legislation.
, MY response to your second question is in
cluGed in my answer TO your first | DO not en-
tertain the opinion that Congress has any power
% interfere with slavery it exists under State
laws
3. Every man who believes in God must neces-
sarily believe that there is a law paramount TO
all human law and that this law is TO he obeyed
by men in public and private life rather than any
human law IN cOHtficf rrifh IT, But see nothing
in the Constitution of the United States. as IN
terstand the Constitution Of the United States
which requires me- as Senator from Massachu-
setts TO DO anything in conflict with the law OF
God Ii thought otherwise | would not take
an oath to support the Constitution OF the United
States
/ The American Organization in MassaciigI-
setts does not embrace the question of slavery
among those foF the regulation OF which II was
formed.
The people of Massachusetts, have fixed opin-
ions. in which most OF the members OF that or
ganizstioa fully cOncur- against the support or al
lowauce Of slavery by rational legislation
They entertain the most pro'Ount conviction
that the harmony and re2Ose ct the country and
tie highest Interests OF the master and slave de-
rnant that the national government should be re-
iieved frou ali connection with responsibility
for slavery aud that this disturbing question should
Re left to tae s1r5e OF ts States where 1t exists
While they DO not -e-a -o impose these couvic-
lions and cpiu.Gls upon ;..eiF fellow citizens OF
other States OF IL prescribe them iCE lot fully
concuTrin ~ those COM lotions and opinions they
Will submit 10 dic.atIOl or prescription from
any body OF aIsn- section of the ccuat-y-
|, as a Senator from Massachusetts shall claim
for the opinions Os her people, al the iIeecnm Of
utterance aud all the iuluence upon the action of
Congress and the administration OF the govern
Inent which Senator from Virginia can claim
for the opinions OF the people of the Ancient Do
rnInon- Yours truly HENRY WILSON
VEsPAsIAN ELLIS, Esq
1t strikes US that the heading CT our articles is
peculiarly truthful and appropriate Notwith-
standing the hiteOUs pDTtEaItHTes OF Senator VIII
son. with winch the Democratic portion of the
Southern press has teemed ever since his election
we can see nothing remarkably Objectionable in
the above letter which may te regarded we pre-
sumo, as the Senatorial platform upon which he
has planted himself
The Senator Acknowledges the doctrine of State
Rights and stands up TO the resolutions of'9S: he
leaves the subject OF slavery to the States abso-
lutely: he nothing in the Constitution of tne
United States ke cannot suppOrt-if he bad, ne
would not have taken the required OATH the
American Organization in Massachusetts, lalias
Know NothIngs7-l does not embrace the queS-
ton of slavery among those for the regulation of
which it is forInei-' lStick pin here,I The
people of Massachusetts are opposed 10 the sup
port or allowance OF slavery by national legiSa-
tion'' We of the South don't want Congress to
support" OF allow" slavery We want Con-
gress and all outsiders to let as aLOne-that-s all
We say hands off to every bodyJ The last three
paragraphs contain nothing that Southern stcn1-
ach need revolt at
Let the merest cavileT say what be can against
the foregoing letter, there is no -Gieeiyisin," !"
Higher Lawism-" and very little Abolitionism
In it. On the whole, it is liberal. and rather pa
trlotIc. coming from representative OF Massa-
chusetts in the Senate
We hope the Courier, and kindred prints, viii
notice Mr. Wilson's emphatic statement that -the
question of slavery" is absolutely ignored by the
Know Nothing organization OF the Old Bay State
~ o. BuiLefin
VOLCANIC REPEATING PIsToL-We have seen
ane hred pistol, recently invented and patented
which bids fair to excel evervthino in that line
that has yet been offered to the public attention
1t seems to combine all that could be desired in