Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-06-13
Letter from Hon. Edward Everett.

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Letter from Hon. Edward Everett.
The Boston Courier, of Friday, contains th,
following private letter from Hon. Edward Ever
ett to citizen Of Virginia, which was handed
to il by it's author:
Borrow, May 10, 1861.
| My DEAR Mn. Your letter ofthe 9Th
reached me yesterday. read 1t with mingled
feelings, gratifed that your friendly regard had
| vet survived the shock Of the times, and deeply
grieved at the different view we take of the ex-
listing crisis.
Il is we'll known to you that I sustained the
South, at the almost total sacrifice Of influence
and favor at home, so long as thought she was
pursuing constitutional objects. This did, al
though the South had placed the conservative
North in false and indeiensible position by
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the
persevering attempts to force slavery into the
Territory Of Kansas by surprise, fraud, and vic.
lence, against the known wish Of an overwhelm.
ing majority of the people. pursued this
course for the sake Of strengthening the hands
Of patriotic Union men ut the South, although
was well aware, partly from facts within my
personal knowledge, that leading Southern pol.
iticians had for thirty years been resolved to
break up the Union as soon as they ceased to
control the United States Government, and that
the slavery question was but a pretext Tor Keep
inc up agitation and rallylpg the South.
Notwithstanding this state of things, and the
wholly unwarrantable manner In which the poll.
cy of Secession was initiated by South Carolina,
and followed up BY the other Cotton States, and
in spite Of the seizure Of the public establish
ments and the public property-which, In the
absence of any joint act Of partition. was sheer
plunder--it was my opinion that, If they would
abstain from further aggression, and were de-
termined to separate, we had better part In
peace. But the wanton attack on Fort Sumter
(which took place, not from any military neces-
sity, for what harm was single company, coop.
ed IN in Charleston harbor, able to do to South
Carolina2 but for the avowed purpose of "stir
ring the blood" of the South, and thus bringing
10 the Border States), and the subsequent pro-
ceediugs at Montgomery have wholly changed
the state of affairs. The South has levied an
unprovoked war against the Government Of the
United States, the miidest and most benefcent
in the world, and has made IL the duty of every
good citizen to rally to its support.
perceive that my having publicly expressed
that sentiment, and contributed my mite TO-
wards the regiment of Mr.. Webster (who In.
herits the conservative opinions Of his Illus
trious father) has caused surprise on the part of
some of nv Southern friends-yourselt among
the most valued of them-as II my 90 doing was
inconsistent with the friendly feelings l have
ever cherished toward the South. But these
friends forget that as early as the 18th of April
that is, before the proclamation of President
Lincoln, the Secretary of War at Montgomery
had threatened that by the lst of May, the
Confederate flag should aoat over the Capitol at
Washington, and In due time over Faheuil Hall.
When General Beauregard proceeds to execute
this threat, his red-hot cannon balls and shells
will not spare the roof that shelters my daugh-
ter and four little children at Washington, nor
nv own roof in Boston, Must I, because I
have been the steady friend of the South, sit
still while he is batterng my house about my
earsf s-.
certainly deprecate the choice of President
exclusively by the electoral vote of one section
Of the country, though consenting with the great.
est reluctance to be myself upon one of the op
posing tickets. Il was, however, fully in the
power of the South to have produced different
result. But the Disunionists were determined
to have their own candidate, though mistaken,
trust In the belief that he shared their disloy-
al views. | make this charge against them
without scruple, justified BY subsequent events,
as we'll as by the language Of the entire Union
pEcbo hb buO 5Outu oWh6 viz SohNo1o' a
After the election was decided the Disunion.
lists would not wait for oueyt acts, because they
knew none could or would be comuitted. They
knew that there was an anti Republican major.
ity In the Senate, and that there would be one
In the present House They "precipitated" the
rupture of the Union, because they knew that
IL they waited even the pretext tor 1t would
fail. r. 81 81, ....-..-.
After the Cotton States had seeded, and al.
though that circumstance greatly increased the
difficulty of compromise, measures were never
thelees adopted or proposed In Congress, which
must have removed all sincere alarm on the
part of the South. that their constitutional rights
we're threatened. The accredited leaders OF the
Republican party, including the Presdent-elect,
uniformly pledged themselves to that effect
The two Houses, by q constitutional majority,
pledged themselves In like manner against any
future amendment Of the Constitution violating
the rights of the South. A member from Mas
sachusetts Mr.. Adams), possessing the entire
confidence Of the incoming Administration, pro.
posed to admit New Mexico as State, and
three new Territories were organized, without |
any anti-slavery restriction. While this was
lone In Congress, the States repealed or modi-
ied the laws throwing obstacles In the way Of
fugitive slaves-laws which have
never been of any practical injury to the Cotton
States These conclliatory demonstrations had
no effect in staying the progress Of secession,
because the leaders Of that revolution were de- |
termined not to be satisfied; and to maintain |
heir policy, which In the light OF the Constitu.
lion is simply rebellion and treason, they have
appealed TO the sword.
You say that the South desires nothing but |
peace, and ask whether the North will not "let |
you alone?" But, my good friend, the South
demands great deal more than "peace." She
claims the capital of the country, although she
has but a third of its population. She claims
The control of the outlet of Chesapeake bay and
It's tributaries; the right to command the
most direct route to the Atlantic from Ohio,
Indiana, and Illinols-States whose population
amounts to Eve and half millions (the Balti-
more and Ohio Railrosd); the right to dra-
goon the State Of Maryland and the west
ern part of your own State, with Kentucky,
Missouri, and Tennessee, into joining
he Southern Confederaey; the right to occupy
The fortresses which protect the trade Of the
Gulf of Mexico; the right to shut up the outlet
Of the Ohio, Mississippi, and the Missouri; and,
finally, she claims the right Of any State, who
chooses to pass law to that effect, to break up
The Union. In enforcing these unconstitutional.
and unheard Of usurpstions, she asks
10 be "let alone;" and when the Governments Of
the United States, in obedience 10 the solemn
paths Of its members (from which the leaders
Of the revolt dispense themselves), takes meas
ures to defend itself, the capital Of the Unions
~ lls.l .rd Aha rinf,ia M kha