The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1861-06-14
Letter from Mr.. vallandighan.

j. c. FAIRIES, and W. w. Settell, Mid
dletown, Ohio.
GENTLEMEN: Yours of the Sth inst. re.
questing my opinion upon certain points
connected with what you justly style the
present "inglorious, and it may be,
bloody war, has been received. That
opinion was loIr. since formed, and was
repeatedly set forth through tho press or
by my speeches and vote in the House of
Representatives Int winter, and re-af.
firmed in q card dated tho l7th of last
month, few days after the Commence.
mcnt of tho war. But nnsmuch as |
never had occasion to discuss this partic-
ular question at lengat,. beg leave to
adopt the following alfTnraUfe summary
Of the case in an extract from careful.
ly prepared and exceedingly able speech
Of the Hon. Stephen 4. Douglas, in the
Senate Of the United States, March
18th, 1861:
II prefer such an amicablo settlement
TO pcaccable disunion; and l prefer it.a
thousand times TO civil war. ii we can
adopt such amendments as will be salts
factory TO Virginia, North Carolina, Ten
ncSsec and tho other border States, the
same plan of pacifcltion which will salts
| ly them will create Union party in the
Cotton States which will soon embrace a
large majority Of thc people of those
States, and bring them back of their own
free will and accord; and thus restore,
strengthen, and pcipetuate the glorious
old Union forever. | repeat, whatever
| guarantees VII! satisfy Maryland and the
border States (the States now in the
| Union will create 1 Union party in the
seeded States that viii bring them back
by the voluntary action ttheir own pco-
| pie. You can restore and preserve the
/ government in that mode. You can do
! 1t in no other
HW Is d@mi7H. Warts final, eternal
SEPARATION hence 0sgu,se IT as you
may every ChI"h nan III America must
/ "uh oCi'te Such H'4ci eihcNtS 10 the Con
/ stLiuilon as VIII preserve peace and re-
| store the Uhlon; Wihe every d!sunionists'
! whether openly or secretly plotting its
! destruction, - The. a0roeate OF peace
iul secession, or o. war, as the surest
! means oI rendering reunion and recon
! stIuctIon impossible. / have too much
respect lor ms II te!cct TO believe, Tor one
! moment, ihat tncre Is man Tor war VINO
Is not disunion'st per sc. Hence do
mot mean, II ] can prevent 1t, that the
| enemies OF the union--nen plotting to
destroy it-shaIl drag this country into
| Wa1. under the pRGTETr of protecting the
! public property, and enforcing the laws,
| and collecting revenues, when their ob-
IJcct Is disun!on, and war the means Of
accomplishing cherished purpose.
''ihe DlsU%!oNIsTs, therefore, are divi-
| ued into Two classes: the one open, the
! other secret disun.onis;s. The one is in
t1Yor OF peaceful secession and a reco2-
! hi!on OF htrrrneeI. 70; lhe other rs IN Ia
| For OF war rs NE surest means o. accom-
! pH7Aih& the o"ise~ alR o! mak!ns the
! SIGGlHl"''ph Ah"; ana c'e"!'"l. am
Chi'h man. an" hT"ce against war; Dut
II inc = mon must t' hlpoEIi!Iy broken
| " o'"Holi' "''N IhG Gc'I""'sHiisHt Oh
I' q "I 5"1Y sos'rI'''InV oE tTnlo o5 'Ilo
nI"teS' lcU no u'U oo zone tio' VIII 'Ee'
| TCnV I.S'"l "''o'i ""o 'u'u,t pi''e' "'Lon'
eUce is ,ie oA'S l"'ioE 'i"U ''h ''e" 10
lhat result
'bII we are told, and we hear It re-
/ pC''G' every yWhefe, that we must ma ont
whether we nave got GoIernment.-
Have we GCyernmeni" Is the que ton,
ana we are toid we must test that ques'
ton Oy using military power TO put down
all dIscoh'ented spirits SIr, tins qnes-
lon-'haye we aHovernihen'.-h2s oGeh
propouhded oy every tyrant VINO mas
tned TO Keep ms leet on me heGkS OF
the people since The world began. When
the batons demanded Magma ChaT;a rom
King John at hunneymede, he e%claim,
ed, have VIC GoyernmenH ana called
for his ormyto putdown the di,oontented
harors. When Charles attempted to
collect the ships money in violation OF
the Constitution OF n2!anI, and III dis.
regarding the right. OF The people. and
was resisted by them, he cNclNmcd,
| 'haye we n government! We cannot
treat with rebely put down the traitors;
we must show that we have Govern
ment.' When James II. was driven
49, r,o,,, ,l,o tIra,,, e" FL - -.