Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-11-25
Govc-gor Letcher.s Letter,

One Mr.. J. S. BsIsBN, who purports to be Penn
syIvaran, has recently written 70 Gov. LETcHER, of
Virginia, informing him that two hundred Virgin
ians have rendered him their command to aid in
whipping in the seeding Safes. Gov. LETCHER
gives Mr.. BRrsBlN a very tart reply from which we
make the following extracts:
In your haste to assail your Southern fellow-cit-
liens you seem to have forgotten that your own
State IS to extent at least responsible for the
present alarming crisis in public affairs If / am
not greatly mistaken, Pennsylvania is of the
eleven of the nOn-savehOlding States, which have
passed statutes in full force and effect, design
ed to Obstruct the execution of the Fugitive Slave
"a Law. This is one of the grievances the Southern
people have complained of for years, and although
earnest and repeated appeals have been address
to you 70 remove this cause of irritation and COM
plant, these appeals have passed UNDECIDED
The South asks only for the fair and faithful exc
cutOn Of the laws passed for the recovery and pro-
lection Of her property-that you will cease to en-
barrass and lend your aid to effect their execution,
according their letter and splrit-that If her prop
erty shall escape and be found in the nOn-sayehold-
ing States YOU will see that it is promptly re-
stored to the rghtful owner Surely there is patri-
otism enough in Pennsylvania and the other non
saveholding States to grant what the law has decar-
ed to be our due, especially when the preservation
of the Union depends upon it. In concluding this
branch Of the subject, permit me to add, that if the
North will respect and uphold the rights of the
States the Union will be perpetual our country
will continue to grow in power, and influence, the
people of all sections will have secured to them the
blessings of peace quiet and order and prosperity,
such as has been known or appreciated in our
past history, will be the necessary result
You assure me that "two hundred Virgnians +"
have agreed to place themselves under our com
mand in the event Of disunOn," and that you are at
my service and await my orders. Nirglnlans
owe allegiance to this Commonwealth, and have
too mucu respect for my fellow citizens of all
parties, TO suppose that 1.-TWO hundred" Of them in
any part Of the State wiling TO go to Pennsyl-
vania for commander, even If they had determln-
ed to aid in the ungracioUs work of reducing
Southern sister State. 30 the abjcct condition Of
conquered province of the Federal Government. All
true Yirginians, will, l am sure, recognize their
Obligations to the State and will hold themselves IN
readiness TO respond to the call Of her constituted
authorities We now have in Virginia duly and le-
gally organized lightweight thousand troops OF cav
airy, twentv-six companies of artillery, one hundred
and nine companies of infantry and one hundred
and ten companies of rihemen uniformed and well
prepared for service. Think you. my dear sir, IN
der these circumstances. that any 1.-TWO hundred
men in Virginia. would seriously propose TO import
a commander from Pennsylvania! No! No! You
have been cruelty hOaxed by some wag. who desired
20 play off a good Joke at your expense.
You have no right TO come into Virginia to raise
troops for any purpose whatsoever; and take the
occasion TO say To you, IN the kndest spirit naglha
bic that such course, will be taken at your peril.
Ii made my duty to that the laws are executed
and in the contingency referred to- they will be ex
ecuted to the letter If you desire to march against
Southern State, for the purpose mentioned in your
letter raise your troops at home and present them
TO the sons of the South as food for gunpOwder.'
We have other and better uses for Nirginians