The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1861-06-29

Edward Evertt Is standing up molly for the
honor of his country. The following patri.
otto letter was written by him without any
thought of publication, to correspondent in
Virginia. tits worthy of being inscribed in
letters Of gold:
BosroN, May Is. 1861.
My DEAR Mr.. -: Your letter of the
9th reached the yesterday. read It with
mingled feelings: era,it,d that your friendly
regard has as yet survived the shock Of the
times. and dceIly erievtd st the different view
we take of the existing crisis
1t is well known to you that sustained the
South, at the almost total sacrifice of Influence
and favor at home. as long as thought she
was pursuing constitutional objects This
did, although the South had placed the con.
scr1alive North in false and indefcnsibl.
position, by the repeal Of the Missouri Com.
promise. and the pcrsevcring attempts to
fu,ce slavery into the Territory of Kansas, by
surprise, fraud. and violence, against the
known wish Of an overwhelming majority of
the people. | pursued this course for the
sake Of strengthening the hands Of patriotic
Union men a. the South although was
we'll aware. partly from facts within my per-
sonal knowledge. that leading Southern poll.
ticians 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 p,ctcxt
FIR keeping up agitation and iallying the
South.
Notwithstanding this state Of things, and
the wholly unwarrantahle manner in which
the policy of secession was initiated by South
Carolina. and follow.du up by the other Cotton
States. and in spite of the Seizure Of the pub.
lie establishments and the public property
which, i'll the absence of any joint act of par
tiion, was sheer plunder-it was my opinion
that # they would abstain from further az.
erosion and were determined to separate, we
had better part in peace. But the wanton
attack on Fort Sumter. (which took place
not from any military necessity. for what
harm was single company, cooped up in
Charleston hnrbor, able to do to South Caro-
lima but for the avowed purpose OF ID" stirring
the blood " Of the South, and thus bringing
in the Border, States,) and the subsequent
proceedings ut Montgomery, have wholly
changed the state of affairs. The South has
levied an anprovokcd war against the Gov
eminent Of the United States, the mildcst and
most benifcent in the world, and has made it
the duty Of every good citizen 10 Tally to its
support.
perceive that my having publicly express
sed that sentiment, and contributed my mite
toward the regiment of MIR. Webster. (who
inhcri,s the conservative opinions of his illus
t-ious fathcr.) has caused surprise on the
part Of some OF my Southern frirnds-your-
self among the most valued of them MS if
my so doing was inconsistent with the friend.
ly feelings have ever cherished toward the
South. But these friends forget that, MS
early as the 10Th OF Aprll-tha. is, before The
Proclamation of President Lincoln-the Sec
rotary of War at Montgomery had threatened
that by the LIST Of May the Confederate flag
should float over the Capitol at Washington,
and in due time over Fancuil Hall. When
Gen. Beauregard proceeds to execute this
threat his red hot cannon balls and shells
will not spare the roof that shelters my daugh.
ter aud four little children at Washington,
nor thy own roof in Boston. Must |, because
have been the steady friend of the South,
sit still while he is bat,ering my house about
my ears
/ certainly deprecated the choice of Prcsi-
dent exclusively by the electoral votes of one
section Of the country, though conserving
with the greatest reluctance to be myself
upon one Of the opposing tickets. 1t was,
how ever, fully in the power Of The South to