Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-12-28
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5nan6 Uke o III. 8
Let every MN whpz tnlres a interest in Z
lsicnll ltt1es rsad thseaejcned latter oil :
pm. John u. Bolts, Of Virginia It comes
ON Southern man, who stands high in his :
m Stat, md h fact sll over tho country. tg
) invents no apology for the action Of South
arolina, ake opr Northern deushiaess. but q
,nouness Il openly, boldly and plainly Is
'sssoM. Let those who believe slavery to be /
. great wrong" and yet are afraid to say
nything against it, take courage from the
xample Of Mr.. Bolts: +
z RauHxoND, Nov. 9th, 1860. /
Ny DEAR SIR I'll have been endeavoring
o make an opportunity for some days past
o answer your very friendly and SEDUCTIVE
etter, but my whole time day and night, has
,een 80 constantly occupied with matters
hat conld not be postponed, that until the
present have been compelled to defer it,
md even now must be brief
speak Of y our letter % being seductive
refer of course, to those portions which hold
out promises of future greatness, if will
''sieze upon the present occasion with
nervous grasp aud guide the movement in
favor Of secession" which you think is fixed
and inevitable, and many charming woman |
has sacrificed her honor and reputation to
the insidious tempter under far less imposing
circumstances than those you present formy
consideration; but it was because they had
not the firmness to say, as do now say to
you, in the language Of our Saviour, Get
thee 6sAind me, Satan ~
do not concur with you in opinion that
the dissolution of the Union is inevitable.--
The sky looks threatening, grant you but
so it has done before, and yet the clearest
sunshine has succeeded, without shower OF
rain or peal of thunder !; SO trust it will
be again. But if it should be otherwise,
and the government Of the United States Is
to pe oyerthrown, no part Of the wickedness,
the folly or the crime, shall be charged up.
on me, either by the wise and good men OF
the present age, or of the generations yet to
come.
True, South Carolina has rushed on with
headlong impetuosity wholly unsuited to
the gravity of the occasion, as if she were
afraid to trust himself with time for calm
deliberation, relying more upon the passion
than upon the wisdom of her people and it
NAV be, that uuder ridiculous and false
idea of becoming pride and true greatness
she may involve herself in o very seri GUS
difficulty she may even declare herself out
of the Union she did SO by ordinance in
Convention in 1888 f; but still the Union
was not rent asunder, nor will it now be, as
/ think and what is best and surest of all
Virginia certainly seiU not in her present
state of mind.
If could see the least semblance at JUST
fcation in the attitude South Carolina ha.
assumed, l would sympathize with her-bu
l cannot for reasons already given in my
speech, which you say you have just read
l see nothing in that position but plain
bold, daring, J7at: footed rebellion and treas
on to the restof the States, and cannot, under
any contingency, be induced to take sides
with her in her disloyalty and treachery.--
Who can ask it of me, when her own mos
trusted and active leader, Mr. Yancey, in hi
Montgomery speech, said:
"If understand my distinguished friend from Vir
ginia, (Mr. Pryor. the election of Black Republican
nv learned colleague (Mr. Hiard) to say that upoI
that issue he would be ready to dissolve the Union
say with all Difference to my colleagues here thai nj
inferior Issue could be rendered to the South upol
which should dissolve the Union than the loss al
election. When am asked to raise the flag Of revoto
against election under the forms of law and the Con
sttution, asked to do unconstitutional thing, &C
cording the Constitution it exists am aske
toput myself in the position of REBEL, of TRAITOR
in post where if the government should succeed
and put down the revolution, and my friends can b
arragned before the Supreme Court of the United
and there be sentenced to be hanged eioang the COsi
tuition and tltcs OF nsy country
Such is the admission of the leader whom
you propose to follow, and you make NJ
earnest appeal to me to unite with you il
assuming the position of rebel and trait
or, for which l may be sentenced to b,
hanged for violating the Constitution ant
laws of my country. Pardon me, my re
spected, but impetuous friend, but / hat
rather not am impelled by every consid
Grafton of honor and duty to decline you
very polite invitation.
Do you doubt, or does any sensible O
rejecting man doubt, that Mr.. Yancey de
scribed truly the situation which every mai
occupies who favors the movement of Soutl
Carolina, because of the election of MI
Lincoln for even she does not preten
that she would have occupied her present 20
sition if Lincoln had been defeated, and We
are you not surprised to see so many of GU
own people turning rebels and TRAITORS
ut her bidding ?-are you not indeed sur
prised at yourself? Rebel and Traitor J.
very imposing and high-sounding designa
tionsin the estimation OF some, perhaps, bu
u have no particular desire that they shoul
attach to my name-either now, or in ate
life. My aspirations do not run in tia
line.
South Carolina, spurning the counsels an,
cooperation OF Virginia and other Southern
States, has, Of her own accord, and upon he
own hook, chosen to raise mighty and fearful
issue with the general government, and upo
the general government rests the responsibility
of settling the question. Hands off, and fai
play to both, say |. In its present stage, "
have nothing TO do with it, and, so far as
am concerned, | turn her over to "Uncl
SAM" and, if she can mantain her position
against that respectable and power iul oil
gentleman, let her have all the honor, an,
glory, and benefit. Of the achievement, to her
self. I hope she may have good and merr,
time of it. She will still be State of tn
Union in state Of rebellion, and have no
shadow Of doubt either of the right or tn
power to control her; the Only question woult
be-A it qcorh aohites Would it not b,
better to let her 60 out, and stay out until shs
has made the experiment, and like, tht
prodigal son, return to her home to eat Il,
the fatted calf.
But that, unfortunately, would lead te
another perplexiug difficulty, which il, that il
would amount - an Acknowledgements thai
we have no government, and never had one
that our faith rs were set of old fools and
fogies, who Thought they were making for
their posterity government that would
endure forever, whist it was nothing more
than mere voluntary association OF States,
to be tolerated only SO long as it WIS en,;rela
convenient and agreeable to all the parties 70
remain in it, but that. the moment it became
irksome TO any one State, it might be broker,
up as readily as an ordinary party at whist,
whenever one OF the partners happened to tire
or grow drowsy; and it requires but little
reflection to satisiy any reasoning man that,
if the doctrine Of the right Of secession is once
recognized BY the government, all its powers
cease at once, even although the doctrine NAV