Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-12-12
Letter from Hon. John NJ.
-=lzz Bolts.
RIcHNoNn. Nov. 27..laGn.

RICHMOND NOV. u, 1861
Ny Dear Siy:-I have been endeavoring
to make an opportunity for some days past
toanswer your friendly and seductiue let
ter, but my whole time, day and night,
has been so constantly occupied with mat
ters thatcould not be postponed, that un-
tul5the present, have been compelled to
defer it--=and even now; Imust be brief
lzspeak OF yuor letter as being scduc-
tive; refer, of course, to those portions
which1 hold out promises ofsfuture great
ness, If will l"seize upon the present occa-
SION with nervous grasp, and guide the
movement in favor of seceSsion," which
you think is fixed and inevitable; and ma
ny charming woman has sacrificed her
honor and her reputation to the insidious
ftempter, under far less imposing circum.
stances than those youpresent for my con-
sidcration: but it was only because they
hnd not tue tirmness to say, as do now
say to you, in the language of our Suvi-
our" Get thee behind ne, Saton."
i do not concur with you in opinion,
that the dissolution of the Union is inevit-
able; the sky looks threatening I grant
you, but so it hns done before, and yet the
clearest sunshine has succeeded, without a
shower of rain or a peal of thunder-so I
trust it will be again But if it should be
United States is to be ovcrthrown, no part
of the folly, the tvickedness, or the crime,
shall be charged upon me, either by the
wise and good men of the.present age, or
of generations yet to come.
True, South Carolina hasrushed on with.
head-long impetuosity, wholly unsuited
to the gravity of tue occasion, as if she
were afraid to trust herself with time for
calm deliberation, relying more upon the
passion than the wisdom of her people;
and it may be, that under ridiculous,
and false idea of becoming pride, and
true greatness, she may involve herself
in very serious difficulty; she may even
declare herself out of the Union; she did
so by Ordinance in Convention in 1888;
but still the Union was not rent asunder,
nor willFit now be, g think: no other
State is likely to go with her, and what is
best, aud surest OF all, Virginia certainly
scilLzot in her present, Estate of mind.
i'll could sec the least semblance of
justification in the attitude South Carolina
has assumed, would sympnthize with her
but cannot, for reasons already given
in my speech, which you say YOU have
just read. sec no1hinp in that position
hut plain, bold, daring, ttut footed rebellion,
against, aud treason to the rest of SIZE
States and cannot, under any contingrn-
#cy he induced totlke sides with her5ln her
disl0ytlty and treachery. WHO can ask 1t
of me when her own most trusted aud
active leader, Mr.. Tuuccy, in his Mont
gomcry speech. stid:
IF. understood my distinguished friend flpm
Virginia. (llr rry"r0 the electionof Black RePnl-
can Fresi'lcn would be nm issue for dsunnn. llTl-
derstand my learned colleague (r. Itlliur tn say
that upon that issue he would lie ready dissolve
tho Union. say with all Difference to my colleagues
here. that no more inferior issue could be tenlcreto
the Sorth. upon which son dissolve the Union
than the loss of 0lI election. When am asked to
tho forms of law and the Constitution Fam asEsd
10 do dn thing according to tile Con-
stitution as it now exists I am asked to put myself
in the postiOnof RsnEL, Of a TRAITOR in posi-
tion, where If the government should sncceel and
put down the rer0lHtion. an,l my friends c,n be
arraigncd before the Supreme Court of the United
States, and THERE BE sTSrEScED TO BE HANGED. Pon
VIOLATING TUE CONSTITUTIONS AND LAWS OF MI coUN.