The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-02-26
From the Federal Union.
LETTER FROM GOV LUMPKIN, OF
GEORGIA

| In the present alarming crisis of the
country, what should be done to beat back
the aggressions of anti-slavery fanaticism
and if possible to prevent dissolution o.
! the Union Allow me to answer this i'm.
| Portant question. The friends of the Con.
| stitution everywhere, and especially the
| friends Of the constitutional rights of the
! Southern States, should unite. as with the
voice Of one man, forgetting all former party
| issues, and let our enemies see and know
how vain and delusive are their hopes of
keeping Us warning upon each other, upon
exploded and insignificant issues. Let us
regard the man who would continue such
divisions among ourselves at this time, as
our open enemy-as an emissary Of the I'M
| holy Alliance of the New England, Old
England, and French Aholitionists. At a
time like this, no true patriot will be found
labOring to keep alive the foul demon of
party strife at the South. Nor will he be
| found taking sides with the negro theories
of the North, in denouncing and weakening
the hands Of President Pierce, for throwing
himself nobly and periodically into the
scale OF the Constitutional rights of the
States. His only alleged offence is, his
mastery vindicatiOn of the Constitutional
rights and equality of the slaveholding
States. The platform on which President
Pierce has taken his stand, in all of his i'm
portant State papers. and more especially
in oil n.
his special Message on Kansas affairs, con-
tain my sentiments politically, morally and
constitutionally. l endorse them with my
whole heart. And how can any Southern
man do otherwise! How can Southern
statesman any longer give the cold shoulder
to President Pierce's administration We
owe 1t to ourselves, as well as to our noble,
generous, patriotic friends in the non-siave-
holding States, to be united among our
selves, in their support; and to repudiate,
as traitors to Southern rights, all who wish
to divide us upon the subject of the slave
question.
Standing on the platform which I do,
will not stop to inquire whether a man who
is sound on the slave question is Wing or
Democrat, native born or a naturalized
citizen. All l ask is, loyalty to the Con-
stituticn and the rights of the South I am
unalterably opposed to dissolution of the
Federal Union, until it is proved beyond all
doubt, that the Constitutional rights of the
States cannot be maintained in the Union.
And if our Union is to be saved, the South
must not allow themselves to be divided, but
combine all their efforts, in one compact
host, and present an unbroken front in de-
fence of their constitutional rights, and un-
finching opposition to Northern aggression, !
The fanatics of the North have already
driven US to the brink of the precipice.
Nothing bnt the aid of Northern patriotism
and intelligence can save the rights of the
South, and perpetuate the Union. And
now let every Southern man. of every party
and every name, march up and take his |
stand on the platform erected by President |,
Pierce, and with such leader and standard |
bearer, the country will be rescued from !
the hand of tho spoiler.
WILSON LUMPKIN. |
Athens, Georgia, Feb. 18th, 1856.