The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1861-10-09
FOR THE LANCASTER LEDGER
A LETTER TO HON. HANNIBAL
HAMLIN

Slh: distinctly remem Der long and
interesting conversation once had with
a"gemman" of your color, on the cupols
Of the Orphan House in the city Of Char
lesion, and was surprised at bis gen
eral intelligence, sound principles Of NOR
aiity, and particularly his chsste and &C.
curate use Of the English language. Aud
from this, infer, although your race is
proverbal for their general dulness and
indisposition to mental culture, you may
have sufficient intelligence to comprehend
a plain. familiar letter. And az | am
somewhat accustomed to address your
class, am the more encouraged to be.
iieve can adopt myself to your compre.
hension.
You are now Vice. President Of the
United States-once an honored and
prosperous Government {; but since it has
become prey to abolition. consolidating
cespots, it is n laughing stock to the cvi
lized world. This was once an office of
prominence and honor. but in consequences
of the usurpations Of yourself and asso
ciates, it is now branded with indelible
infamy. You have rent and scattered
one Of the greatest Governments that has
ever been enrolled upon the record of ma
tions. You have abrogated your own
Constitution-trampled its sacred princi
pies under foot-invadec Republic you
was bound by every conceivable tie TO re.
spect, and you are now waging a war up
on your brethren, which, for atrocity aud
vandalism has no parallel even in the re-
cords OF Barbarian.
Now the men against whom you have
made war and whose ruin you seek, have
coolly and deliberately determined 10 re-
sist yonr bloody aggressions and that
they will not cease that resistance, until
their last drop Of blood has been offered
On the altar Of their country's rights.
That section in which you reside, cen'
sure us bitterly for sevsEing those poli,i
cal ties which bound 10 10 you. 2ut, it
was a necessity. their treachery and ty.
ranical bearing forced upon US. We new
er left the Constitution Of our forefalhers {;
but when they lef, it and substituted the
bloody code Of Seward, we left them a.
This is An event that was long anticipated
by those acquainted with the character
of the New England Puiitans. The
characterized, you know, by their disrs
gard for the seventh, eighth and ninth
precepts Of the inspired law. But the
Puritans or Yankees among whom you
reside, are characterized by a greedy, av.
aricious, overbearing oppressive spirit
They are essentially an intoerant, perse
cutting people. They are ever graspirg
at power, and using it with an unscrupu.
lous disregard for the feelings and rights
Of others Instead Of regarding that
solemn admonition Of scripture, rwho art
thou that judgest another mans servant :
To bis own master he standeth or falleth,"
they have usurped :be prerogatiyes OF
Deity, by arraigniDg US before their tri.
bunal and doomed Us to all the ana,he
mas Of Bill Stewards bloody code. They
have, contrary to divine authority resor,r
ed to 'earnal vsapons' and are attempt.
ing to enforce moral duties upon US by
the sword, fagot, the cannon, and hand
cuffs. Now as you are of a different race
OF people and capable Of judging impsr-
italy, ask you conscienciously, if it was
not moral and political duty on our
par. to withdraw from such usurping and
Intoerant associates And we did it
with an unalterable determination to
maintain and perpetus,e the separation
or perish in the attempt
Nov that you may perceive and &C.
knowledge the force os that necessity,
which impsls Us to this separation, / will
cite you to few historical facts illustra.
tive Of the character these people have
ever maintained /: that they are an
intoleyant, donineering, prosecuting race.
They fled from their country on &C.
count Of the prosecutions they suffered,
and appealed to the world to attest the
Justice Of their cause and syinpathizs with
the wrongs they endured. And the very
moment they had acquired a Iittle power
hey prsctieedxthaaame cruelty, Of which
,Isa[ " epp'aiaod 10 Europe.