The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-10-24
Letter from Ex-Speaker Orr.

The following excellent letter from the lat
distinguished Speaker f tho House of Rep
rasentatives, who is regarded as a conservative
and discreet statesman, is worthy of attention
Ec- Speaker Orr to lion. Aaaos KendaH
ANDERSON, Is c. AUGUST 16, 1860.
My DEAR SIR: Il have received your favol
o. the 9th instant Your age, experience, and
ability entitle your opinions to great weight
on every rejecting mind, and | regret to learn
| from your letter that you dissent from my
recommendation that the honor and safety ol
the South require its prompt secession from
| the Union, in the event of the election of a
| Black Republican to the Presidency.
| You say your mind is clear that the South
! has long had peaceful remedy within her
own reach, and has it still, though impaired
| by the recent conduct of some of her sons y
You would greatly oblige me by a full expo
! sition Of your opinions upon that point as
well as the remedy to be resorted TO by US,
should the Government in November pass
| into the hands of party whose declared pur-
pose is to destroy our property, amounting in
| value at the present time to not less than
three billions one hundred and fifty millions
of dollars. Can it be prudent, safe, or manly
| in the South to submit to the domination of
party whose declared purpose is to destroy
| such an amount Of property and subvert our
whole social and industrial policy?
In glancing at the evil and remedy, | invite
specially your attention.
| l. To the persistent refusal of many of the
| free States, and to large bodies of men in all
OF them to execute the fuguitive slave law.
2. To the untiring efforts of fanatics, who
come to the slave States under the guise Of
preachers, teachers, &c, in inyeigling away
| our slaves, ard to The general sympathy with
their nefarious purposes eyinced by the facili-
ties furnished them by the underground
railroad in spiriting away our slaves beyond
the reach of their owners.
8. To the raid of John Brown and the
sympathy which his well-merited execution
evoked.
4. To the recent insurreCtionary movements
in Texas-projt cted and carried out by
Abolition emissaries, where the incendiary
torch of the slave, lighted by abolition traitors
has reduced to ashes one million OF dollars
worth Of property, and where the timely dis
covery Of the hellish scheme alone saved the
lives of thousands Of men, women, and
children.
These are the natural and necessary results
of the teachings Of Black Republicanism !;
and if we have such developments under an
Administration which processes to guard our
constitutional rights, in the name Of Heaven,
what may We not expect when great party
takes the Government and its machinery
under its control ayowing openly its purpose
to be the eXtripation Of African slavery
wherever it exists?
Is it wise, if we do not mean to submit to
such consequences to allow a Black Republi-
csn President to be inaugurated, and put him
in possession of the army, the navy, the
treasury, the armories and arsenals, the pub
lie property-in fact, the whole machinery Of
the Government, with its appendants and
appurtenances If the South should think
upon this subject as | do, no Black Republi-
can President would ever execute any law
within her borders, unless at the point Of the
bayonet, and over the dead bodies of her slain
sons.
In your letter you say that you have not
taken me to be of that class of men in the
South who for years past have been making
and seeking pretexts for destr 1ying the Union.
You have not misiudged me nor my designs.
l have profound and abiding affection for
the Union of our fathers, and deeply deplore
tending to its destruction During the whole
of my Congressional career sought to tran.
quill ze sectional strife. When | first entered
the House the abolition patty, headed by
Giddings and Wilmot, numbered eight. Ten
years have rolled away, and now that party
is majority Of the whole House. Is it not
time that the South should begin to look to
her safety and independence?
| trust that the impending storm may be
averted that our rights and thu Union may
be saved that fraternal regard may be re-
stored and that our country may 20 on in
the highway of prosperity that it has so sue
cessfnlly trod for the last seventy years. This
is the aspiration of my heart, and yet, l am
painfully impressed with the conviction that
it will never be realized.
am, very truly,
Your friend ond ob't serv't,
JAMES L. ORR.
Hon. AMOS KENDALL, Washington.