Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-06-28
WHOLE NO. 5ll.

me serene and unimpassioned wisdom vas bv
sesotA consent, appealed to both at the North
ana ~ the South, as the living oracle of the corr
sutuuon. can, Of course, mean no other than
.sou, ~ 30 happens that In his noble
and dlgnihed retirement, two or three ve.-~ 49,.
he had closed his great public career and 4. ~
very crisis Of the Missouri agitation. which he
looked upon with the solicitude Of a Statesmen
whose patriotism ever embraced the whole TTnic,,
he was applied to by Mr.. Walsh, of PhiladeInhia'
for his opinions on the various constitutional ones
tons involved in that memorable discussion.
he answered the inquiries propounded TO linn
fully and thoroughly, passing in successive review
AL those clauses OF the Constitution from which
Inc power 10 question was claimed and on each
one OF them arriving at negative conclusion. Cor
uhed py q clearness OF statement and q simpiicity
and force OF logic not TO speak OF the weight az
his personal testimony, which appeared to me IN
be absolutely Irresistible. am not aware that
these opinions Of Mr. Madison have ever vet been
given to the public. ] therefore enclose copy Of
them for your perusa, well knowing that they will
receive from you that religious attention and re-
spect which IL IL hoped they will obtain, at some
future day, from the whole country.
sincerely hope, my dear SIR, that in the further
progress and final dec sion Of these painful contro
versies there win be on all sides more of that ami
rit Of moderation and forbearance, Of mutual cour
tesy and respect which you have 80 properly in
voked, and which can alone lead to happy solu.
tion of questions 40 dekcate. We have been of
late rapidly and fearfully drifting into that geo
graphical antagonism of parties which all good and
wise men have so earnestly deprecated; and In
which, when 1t shall have been consummated what
Mr. Madison impressively asks, is to control
those great rcpulsive masses from awful shocks
against each other ~ Passing events have given
q solemnity TO this prophetic warning which II is
no longer possible to disregard, and which calls
upon patriotic und rejecting men every where TO
unite in a strenuous and determined effort TO err
cude from the arena Of national politics question
so fruitful of sectional strife, and to delegate It
henceforward to those independent local sovereign
ties which alone have the rightfu cognizance Of IT,
This effort, trust, may yet be made in the spirit
OF peace OF ancient brotherhood of hereditary def
erence and Cancellation derived from the example
and conduct of our fathers. Above all, let us, In
the words of sreat statesman of ndred land
endeavor $50 to be patriots as not to forget we
are gentlemen" May we not hope, also, that the
press which in this country exercises so potent an
influence for good or evil, will prove itself worthy
of its high ministry by abstaining from language
calculated to foment and inflame those unnatural
pr judices and animosties which array one section
of the Union against another, and gradually de-
stroy all its moral ties have thus. nv dear
sir private citizen, aspiring to no office or pub
lie distinction Of any kind, but solictous as shall
be content to see my country happy and glorious,
under whatsoever auspices may direct her desti-
nes, ventured, upon your encouragement, to give
you these my humble thoughts and prayers for her
welfare, at moment which seems full of uncer-
tainty and peril.
remain, most truly and faithfully, your friend,
w. G. R1VES
Hon. RoBERr G. WISTHRop, Boston.