Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-12-16
senator nrasOn,s Letter.
SELMA, FREDERICK COUNTY, VIRGINIA,


November %, 1860
| NATHANIEL TYLER, ESQ., Editor of The Richmond En-
quiTer:
DEAR SIR I received. by the last mail only your
letter of the 18th instant. and at once reply. You
ask for my opinions the condition of the country
and more especially in regard to the expedency of
the call of Convention of the people of Virginia
to consider what it may become the State to do in
the crisis which is upon us and with a view to
their publication.
Whilst disinclined at all times to volunteer my
opinions, have not the slightest iadsposition to
express them, when they are asked, Should you
think them worthy of publication, the act is
yours.
/ 1 rave observed, with great satisfaction thai
! the Governor has called the Legislature to meet
at early day, and deeply impressed with the
| disOrdered condition Of the country, from causes
| far beyond the reach of legislation have taken it
for granted their first act will be to order cleo
| tons for general Convention Of the State
The questions now forced upon tie country are
vital in their solution. to the peace the honor, and
the safety of the Southern States. Virginia. wheth
eP in Territory, in population in position. GER
tainly takes inferior rank in the South; and it
is of the last importance to her, it is to them
that the matured sense of her people should be
expressed in elaboration these grave questions;
and. II necessary. carried into execution, in the
| solemn forms of her sovereign authority.
All that has happened and much that has yet
to come, was foreseen and predicted by those not
claiming to wise beyond their generation as tie
legitimate and inevitable fruits of the ascendency of
| the Abolition party in the North How could il be
| otherwise? The election just over has established
in the seats of Federal authority and by oyerwhem
ing majoritIes in the nonslavehoding States great
| political power, whose open and avowed mission is
to break up and destroy interests in property and
in society and IN all the slavehoding States which
| when effected must reduce their lands to deserts
and throw their people outcasts upon The world
| The public voice Ordaining this atrocous wrong
comes from people who have part or lot in the
great interest recklesy assailed for 1t will stand
! as recorded fact that not single Electoral vote
! will be cast in support of this power to any State
| where this interest pertains.
Who does not and feel then that when the States
of the South, subjected to this dominion they will
be brOught against their will, under a government
to which they not parties. and over which they
hold not the slightest check This is not the form of
government which our ancestors gave US nor is it
government which our people will endure The
people Of the North in thus acting have separated
themselves from the people of the South. and the
Government they thus Inaugurate will be to us the
government of foreign power. We shall stand to
such power as Italy to Austria ard Poland to Rus
STA. 1t will be one people governed by another peo-
pie Who can wonder. then, at the startling events
which have crowded before US since the anti Federal
act Of this Northern election.
What was seen yesterday. but in dim distance is
the reality of to-day. And that which is looked to
but probability to-day, becomes the stern fact
of tomorrow. Cur people az the South are intelli-
gent. brave and sensitive. When a hostile arm is
raised against them they do wait for the blow
but rush at to disable the adversary. And
this is what they are doing now.
Let US review events and then we may the better
understand what may devolve Virginia, in the
political exigencies of the times
The election of President is made. and nothing
remains but formally to cast and then to count the
electoral vote. There are those who believe and
of them, that safety remains to the
Southern States and their people. but such shall
be INDICATED by a stern purpose of sefprOtection.
The event that fixes this belief is not the election of
the man. it is the accession of the power of which
he is minister. They determine the political in
tentiOns of that power, not by its party platform.
gross and insulting though it be- by the threats
and taunts of its nsoent Lieuenants or its demon
allied press. They determine it. by the spirit of the
Northern mind eyinced by obdurate tenacity of
purpose through every vicssitude of political for
tune By the statutes o: Northern States passed.
well in violation of all honorable faith as of
highest constitutional obligation paralizng the laws
Of Congress made III pursuance of the Constitution
to protect the property Of Southern people. By the
encouragement and support given st the North to
cOnspiracies and spiratOrs within their borders
against the lives and property of the people of the
South and by their refusal failure pass laws for
the punishment of such offenders for prevention
Of the like in future. By the open Recommendation
of their Senators and Representatives of publica-
tons issued at the North. for circulation az the
South, designed, by false and caumnious charges |
10 fOment divisions amongst our people and to in |
cite the servile class to insurrectiOn and rapine
BY the sanction given to such inhuman and cruel |
conduct by constituents at the North. in returning
such Representatives back TO the federal councils
And, if more were wanting, by that fixed and set |
tied policy, made the cornerstone of the incoming
administration ito which there is party exception
at the North) which refuses to the people at the |
South common right with the people at the |
North, in the common Territories Of the COnfed- |
eracy.
Such are some of the reasons which, I believe |
have satisfied those Of whom / speak which GER |
tainly have convinced me- that the Southern people
must look to their State authorities and 20 /
them only, for their safety in the future Whether
in the form CT other and higher securities in the |
present confederacy or in new cOnfederacy, the |
injured States must determine in Convention.
Indeed. in the progress of events, far the field
of deliheratOn may be narrowed. One State he |
already made her election to abandon the confeder-
alton. l think. as to South Carolina. we may safely
assume that as a fact, and with which the future
has nothing more do than TO establish it in his
tory. As to three other States, and most probably
four, here is every reason to believe they are pre-
pared also TO secede as the acts of separa-
ton can be reduced to form. What may be the
,ense of other States in this great crisis or great
it certainly isl as to the proper measure to be
adopted for their safety will not venture to an
tiCpate But the secession of State IS disruption
of the Union.
Whether in the opinion OF other States she has
termDed wisely or unwisely the State is to be the
arbitor ofher act, her destiny in her own keep
ing, under submission alone to the Supreme Ruler
of the universe. To reason otherwise, is to treat
State of the confederacy. not Of the confed-
crates but as an integral part of consolidated En-
pre- Fortunately for the occasion and It's conse-
quences, this is not open question in Virginia.
Our hOnored State has ever maintained, that our
Federal system was a confederation Of sovereign
powers. not consolidation of States into one peo-
pie ;and. as consequence, whenever State con-
sidered the compact broken, and in manner to en-
danger her safety, such State stood RENTED IN
sovereign right to determine for herself and under
no Responsibility save to the opinion of the civilized
world. both the mode and measure of redress.
The disruption of the Federal Union thus iumi-
nent or should more properly say, actual is
treat and pregnant event and Ill considering. there
fore how il may become the Convention OF Virginia
to act we must look to that event as material If
not a controlling element in the deliberations. In
the first place it may. and most probably will, force
tween it and the several States of the question OF
the right of secession If that is right denied new
and paramountissue will be made between the States
and the Federal power. which viii be presented to
the Virginia Convention in GRiRe. One thing Is
very clear: Virginia (no more than any other
Southern Sate) will not be passive. should any az
tempt be made, by force to reduce such seeding
State or States to subsection.
In the neXtplace, it is to my mind equally clear,
should one OF the States separate from the Union
TINS slavery question, the disruption will Decessari-
" carry with 1t the like separation of all those
slayehodlnS states whose destiny il is TO continue
suCh unless. under returning sense of right and
justice in the Northern mind, all may remain on
such securities for the future will establish this
great social interest in the exclusive charge OF those
TO whom, it pertains. $50
T1age ventared thus, though with llnfeigned diff
fdence, to lock forward 70 what Virginia may be