The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-12-19

e We are, dear sir,
Most respectfully,
D. C. GLENN,
W4P. HARRIS. >
E. Ne YERGER,
C. PNSMITH
ct. J. WHARTON.
W. P. ANDERSON,
II. d. HAYNES
and many others.
Letter Of Gen. John D. Freeman.
GESTLEMEs:-Iam horored greatly bevor
my deserts, by your letter of the 10th inst, r
qeestIng the result of my reflections upon Il
great problem Of the times-the slavery que
lion and the all-ahsorbing issues arising out
the same
30 much has been ably written and spoke
upon this topie.- h yourselves and other EN-
..el.s lnlnds, that / despair of sddise s'yt,5
new to the fund of information and arvI,men
now before the country.
1t is nevertheless an occasion when the foun
dations Of civil society in the United State
are threatened with disruption, and when ev
cry member of that society should not on!,
nave an opinion Of his own, but should pub
hciy proclaim it and act upon it with all his
mental and physical energy.
The present attitude of the governing pow.
ers and the people of the North, indicates ar
unmlstakable intention on their part to abolish
ne institution of slavery at an early day
throughout the United States and Territories
without any regard to the Constitutional rights
OF the owners of that species OF property
They have now obtained the numerical and
federal power to accomplishment purpose, and
they are quietly permitted to inaugurate
their anti slavery government and to exercise
Isderal jurisdiction over the slave States and
Territories Of the Union, it will then be too
late to resist this invasion of our rights, in a
successful, peaeeable manner. Its, therefore,
clear to my mind that the only arnicable rem
edy for this approaching calamity-the mild
est avoidance Of this enormous CRIMES that
OF a dissolution Of the Union between the
slave and free States. IF all will not unite in
this movement at the present time let so
many act in concert as now agree in the me-
cessity for this remedy. Selfpreseryation
will soon compel all the slave States to unite
for their common protection-they cannot
abandon US if they wouId-the act of dissolu-
ton by one is therefore substantially the act
of all. Those who are now laggards will
nevertheless be our friends. No invading foe
viii be permitted to cross the border States
to assail us, and should that be attempted the
Union OF the Southern States will be fully es-
tablished thereby.
To accomplish this object let each slave
state hold Convention of its people and
thereby declare
lst That the Federal Union heretofore ex-
isting between itself and the free States, (nam
ing them) be, and the same is hereby, forever
dissolved, and its entire sovereignty resumed.
81. That the federal constitution and the
laws passed in pursuance thereof so far as the
same shall be found applicable, shall be con-
tinued in force as temporary government
between the slave States or so many of them
as shall make similar declaration to this.
I'd. That jackson, Mississippi be selected
as Temporary Capital and place of govern
ment for the Southern United States-that
our present Senators and Representatives be
continued in Office during the period for which
they were e1ected-and until. their success
sors shall be eleeted-and that thew be au-
thorized to assemble at said Capital on the
first day Of March next, invested with all their
present powers, and also with further power
TO elect q temporary President and Vice
President for said temporary government who
shall thereby be invested with the same pow
ers that now pertain to the President and
Vice President of the United States, under ex-
isting federal laws. and who shall remain in
Office until further provided by law, not ex-
ceeding the term Of two years. That upon
the election of said President he shall be i'm
mediately inaugurated and sworn into office
by the President of the Senate-thaf there
upon he shall at once proceed, in conjunction
with the Senate, to organize the federal gov
eminent 6y making all necessary appoint
nents under existing laws, and that thereup-
fhar
ness according to the forms now prescribed by
law.
4th. That until otherwise provided by law,
all federal offices now established in this State,
shall be eontinned-the incumbents thereof to
be qualified under the Constitution and laws
OF the Southern United States, and to gixe
bond to the President thereof for the faithful
performance Of their duties. That the pes
ent postal arrangements and all mail contracts
now in force shall be continued as if the same
were made with this government and at its pro-
portional expense, to be aScertained by the
Postmaster Generals of the respective govern
ments-that IN the mean time hostages shall
be collected in specie.
9th. That until further provided by law,
each State shall pay its own Senators and
Representatives in Congress, and its Just pro-
portion of the expenses Of the new federal
government the same to be refunded when
the federal revenues from imports and other
sources shall be adjusted and prove sufficient.
9th. Said government shall demand of its
former confederates an equitable division Of
the public territory and other public property,
and assume just proportion of the public
debt
The object Of this plan is to transfer to the
new confederaey the same government, for
the time being, now in existence at Washing
ton. Il will enable all the States engaged in
this movement to adopt identically the same
form of provisional government and one with
whicfr the people are all familiar and well sat
'isfied. On. the meeting of Congress all minor
detdils can be satisfactorily arranged.
If this or some similar Declaration of indie
pendence be not now adopted, the anti-sIavery
crusaders viii go into power-they will
by law abolish slavery in the Territories and
repeal the fugitive slave law-they will claim
the constitutional license Of freedom of speech
and freedom Of the press for their alti-sIayery
organs and orators throughout the slave
States-they will claim immunity from pun
ishment for their anti-slayery emissaries, col
porteurs. spies and preachers, within our limits,
and with the sword, the purse, and the office
appointing power Of the federal government in
their hands, they will food our country with
secret enemies and carry on moral invasion of
our peculiar servitude that will reyolutionize
and destroy US IN one Presidential term
Although the Black Republicans deny any
intention to abolish slavery by law within the
limits Of the States. these peculiar modes Of
warfare upon slavery are claimed to be the
constitutional prerogatises Of the modern
Abraham and his tribe Animosity to slave
holders is the chief.part Of their religion and
this they have lately eyihced in the Presiden-
tial election. by free State electors alone. A
STAKEHOLDER is no longer eligible to office in this
anti-slayery Union-they have the power and
the will to dishanchise him ami this they
have done and viii hereafter do. They de-
nounce slayeholding as crime against God
and man-'the sum Of all human yillainiesn
Shareholders are therefore felons in their esti-
nation, and felons are never entrusted with
power or place in any christian community.
"What change has come over the spirit Of
our Dreams Is this the government of our
Revolutionary sires-this the precious legacy
thew bequeathed to their children?
Who and what were the patriots, states
men and soldiers Of the Revolution Who
xrere Washington, and Jefferson, and Madi-
son and Munroe? Who the Henrys, the
Teiehs. the Pinckneys, the Marions, the Sump-
,ers and their slayeho.ding kindred Were
thew lesguers with Hell and the coyenanters of
the Devil Whence comes this modern sys-
tenn of Pharasaic selfrighteousness? During
the long period of our colonial existence slave
~ was common to US all. When the thirteen
colonies declared their Independence Of Great
Britain and assumed the position of free and
sovereign States, slavery was a part of their
domestic servitude. When the hNttles of the
Revolution were fought, shareholders were the
1r;sest Of the wise, the brsyest Of the brave,
and the peers of peers When the articles Of
confederation were made and entered into, the
rights of Shareholders were fully protected. =
when the Constitution OF the United States
', ...l..d l.. III r,Iaca slaves 1rern axc1rass.