Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-07-19
From the Charleston Mercury.

| From the Charleston Mercury
| The subjoined letter from Mr.. Calhoun, il
is stated BY one of our exchanges, has been
given to the public within the past few days.
Anything from his pen will be acceptable to
our readers. 1t is on the subject of retalia-
ton by tie South for the wrongs and indigni-
ties heaped upon her by the Abolition States
FoRra HILL, October %, ls47.
! My Dear Sir: u
Bnt to come TO the subject of your letter. I
am much gratitied with its tone and views.
and concur entirely in the opinion you ex-
press, that, instead of stunning we ought to
court the issue with The North on the slavery
question. l would even 60 one step further,
and add that it is our duty, due to ourselves,
to the Union and our political institutions, TO
force the issue on the North. We are now
stronger relatively than we shall be hereafter
politically and morally. Un,ess we bring on
the issue, delay 10 us will be dangerous in.
deed
1t is the true policy CT those enemies who
sees our destruction. Its effects are, have
been and will be, to weaken us politically
and morally, and to strengthen them Such
has been my opinion from the first. Had the
South, or even my own State, backed me,
would have forced the issue on the North in
1885, when the spirit of abolitionism first de-
veloped itself to any considerable extent. 1t
Is true maxim to meet danger on the frontier
in politics as well as war.
Thus thinking, ain of the impression that
if the South act as it ought, the Wilmot pro-
viso, instead of proving to be the means of
successfully assaiing us and our peculiar in
sttutons, may be made the occasion of sue
cessfully asserting our equality and rights,
be enabling us to force the issue on the North.
Something Of the kind was indispensable to
rouse and unite the South. On the contrary
it we should not meet 1t as we ought, fear,
greatly fear, our doom will be fixed. Itwould
prove that we either have moi the ser Sc or
spirit to defend ourselves and our institutions.
But in making up the issue, we must look
far beyond the provisa. 1t is but one of many
acts of aggression, and, in my opinion, by no
means the most dangerous or degrading,
though more striking and palpabe.
regard the recent act of Pennsylvania,
and laws of that description passed by other
States, intended to prevent or embarrass the
reclamation Of fugitive slave or to lberate
oul domestics when travelling with them in
non slayeholding States, as unconstitutional.
Insulting as |! is, 1t is even more dangerous.
60 further, and hold that if we had right
to hold our slave we have right to hold
them in peace and quiet, and that the tolera-
ton in the non-slaveholding States of the
establishment of societies and presses and
the delivery of lectures with the express in
tention of calling in question our right to our
slaves, and of seducng and abducting them
from the service of their masters, and finally
overthrowng the institution itself, is not only
violation of international laws, but also CT
the Federal compact. | hold also, that we
cannot acquiesce in such wrongs without the
certain destruction Of the relation of master
and slave without the ruin of the South.
With this impression, would -egard any
compromise or adjustment OF the proviso, or
even its defeat, without meeting the danger
in its whole length and breadth, as very un-
fortunate for US. 1t would lull us to sleep
again without removing the danger or materi-
ally demolishing it.
This brings up the question. how can 1t be
SO met without resorting to the dissolution of
the Union! say without its dissolution, for
in my opinion high and sacred regard for
the constitution, as well as the dictates Of
wisdom, make it our duty in this case, as we'll
as all others, not to resort to, or even to look
to, that extreme remedy until all others have
failed, and then only in defence of our liber-
T ty and safety.
There is, in my opinion, but one way in
which it can be met, and that is the one in
dicated in my letter TO MIR. -, ard to which
you aludc in your letter to me, viz, by retail.
lation,
Why think 81 shall now proceed 10 ex.