Weekly standard., 1861-03-20
HON. JOHN A, GILMER.

Our able and faithful Representative, (says the
Greensborougb PATRIOT Hon. John A. Gilmer, is
again at home, among his constituents Thosewho
have watched the proceedings Of the last session OF
Congress, know how true and faithful Mr. Gilmer
has been to the trust reposed in him, and that his
labors have been unremitting, and arduous. Mr..
Gilmer was met at the depot, by large number of
our citizens who escorted him to the Court House,
when in short but comprehensive speech, he ex-
planned the present condition of our Federal rea-
tions While admitting that are surrounded
with many difficulties, and that events might arise,
which would involve us in civil war; yet Mr.. Gil
mer was by no means desponding Mr.. Gilmer
thinks that the best policy for orth-Carolna at
present is to swatch and wait" That Mr. Gilmer
is true to the South, and devoted to the Union, no
man who knows him, has the least doubt; and so
we'll established in this fact, and so absurd is any
charge to the contrary that we have for long time
refraned from noticing any of them 1t has how
ever been charged that Mr.. Gmer, has franked doc
uments to several free negroes in this State. In re-
ply to this, annex the following letter from Mr.
Gilmer as published in the Register:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
February 28th, 1861.
j. W. SYME, Eso.-Dear Sir: have received sew
eral letters advising that speeches and documents
have been received at different Post Offices in my
State directed to free negroes.
Nothing could have induced me to do such
thing, or knowingly to permit the same to be done
Some weeks since united with other Union South
ern members of Congress in buying a large quantity
of documents, and the speeches OF MeSsrs. Crlten-
den, Millson and other members, with view OF dis
tributing them among the voters in the South
ern States. was desirous, and did all | could to
place one in the hands of each voter in the State.
After franking such as wanted to be sent into my
State, | engaged some young men to direct them
from the census lists, as did the Breckenridge Com
mittee in this city before the last Presidential cleo
ton.
II any became directed to free negroes under my
frank, it must have occurred in this way. have
conferred with the gentlemen who did the directing,
and they assure me that they directed to none who
did not appear on the said lists as white PERSONS
The census takers may have made errors, and some
of the documents may have been, through these mis-
takes, directed inadvertently to such. | certainly
had no documents to waste with such persons. and
regret much if any of them went under such drec
ton. But these speeches and documents contained
nothing that would incline such persons to he less
submissive and obedient to the whites or less loyal
to the laws.
If had the least suspicion that, by any possibili
ty any of the documents could have happened to be
directed as aforesaid the said lists should not have
been used by my directors.
Please publish the above explanation and oblige,
Yours truly, JOHN A. GILMER.
SECESSION IN TExAs-We find in the Frankfort
Ky.) Commonwealth of the 9TH instant the subjoin-
ed letter. vorched by the editor of that Journal as
proceeding from reliable citizen of Texas and ad-
dressed to distinguished gentleman of Frankfort.
1t gives insight into the modus operdadi of the
secession movement in Texas:
AusrlN, Texas, Feb. Q, 1861.
DEAR SIR So far every thing has been carried by
force or trau2 regardless of laws and the Constitu-
ton. Yet we shall contest every inch Of
ground; and if we had time to canvass the State
could save it from rebellion.
The Legislature will adjourn to-day, to meet
again the 18th Of March. | wish to give you few
facts showing how present dangerous and disre-
putabie condition was effected. Let our friends in
Tennessee and Kentucky read:
/. We have one hundred and twenty-five counties.
9. There was neither constitutional nor legal
call made for the Convention, but some sixty per-
sons met and called upon the people to elect dele
gates.
3. You will see by the printed address sent You,
which is signed by many of most prominent
citizens that nearly half the counties held no elcc
tion, and were wholly unrepresentcd, and in many
others only few votes were polled partial notices
only being given, and the whole proceeding consid
cred illegal and unconstitutional.
T. give few instances Of counties holding no
election: 1st. Old Nacogdoches, the late resi-
dence of General Bush with l,023 legal voters I'd.
Lamar, with ,l23 voters. Sd. Blanco, with l,139
voters.~ 4th Cherokee, with 1,644 voters 9th.
Fannin, with 1888 voters, &c
s. The following counties were represented: lst.
Anderson. with 1893 voters; only 3s7 voted. ID.
Bastrop, 769 votes; ll3. Sd. Collin, 1,ll9 voters;
oil voted. 4th. Grsyson, 1917; $50 voted. 9th.
Hays, 266 voters; 81 voted. 9th. jackson, 296
voters; 40 voted. 7th. LampasaS, 2S5 voters 90
voted Sth. Red River $40 voters 60 voted
Travis, OH voters; 3i2 voted. This county, you
will remember, has Austin within its limits.
This irregular Convention, first, passed an ordi-
nance of secession; second, sent Commissioners to
the Montgomery Congress- third, passed law to
have election, without sufficient time given to
notify half the voters Of the State. and then ad-
journed to meet again on the 2l day of March-on-
ly one week after the proposed election. Now,
with our immense territory, in mdwinter, with few
mail facilities and no telegraph lines, every man,
not an idiot, looks upon the whole matter as base
fraud upon the people a few restless and reckless
political pirates thus plunging our Empire State
into revolution and ruin
Yours truly,
National Lateuiyencer.