New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-05-31


tory and counternarcbed the whole line Of your &C
tive and useful career ward and upward for the Last
30 years Ny personal regard aud my great respect
for your character forbid to do that. But can.
fotear TO say that the whole scope and tendency
of the letter, not It's design il argument 10 favor
of dissoving the Union, and klatng from the map of
the world the nation Of the United States. II is q
silent approval 10y faslng TO cOndemn) Of the violent
and revolutionary proceedings OF the people Of the
Southern States lin seversf Of them before the idle
form OF Secession gone through with in plumber
ing the money and arms and other property Of the
United Ststes In selling upon our ungarrsoned forts
IN making open upon such refused 70 surrender
in firing upon and in sop,o instances actually degrad
ing the far OF country; ard in schemes and pro-
jects boastfu'y announced in the public press and
partially acted out in military preparations, to seize
this BY violence, and break tie Government
iour letter does not in terms assert but BY neces-
eary impieato Assumes that this Administration cam
II it will, restore the peace Of the country, BY The
cheap and easy experiment Of issuing proclamation,
propo ing a truce Of hosttes, and the immediate
assembling Of National Convention r. 1t seems to
me, my dear Sir, that there some serious ob)ec-
tiOns TO this cheap plan Of peace and rt the PIesi-
dent has no power 10 call National Convention. sec-
ond II ne did call IT, there Is not the remotest prot9
bily that tho insureent States would obey the CALL
Third they did obey IT, there Ia little hope that they
would agree TO como in equal terms with the other
States by recantiDg their recent assumption OF sep
rae and scsO.,s sOverssniy and sy restoring .s y.
States. In Short after all that Is past 1t seems TO mo
that there are but two alternatives left TO this Admin
istration-rst to submit implicitly TO all the claims Of
the iHsurgent States, and quietly 10 consent to ds
menbernent Of the nation; second, to DO its best
to restore peace law and order, BY suppering tho
Constitution and tho Union, and the enforcement Of
the laws" Let the nation Judge wbich born OF The
dilemma the Administration ought 10 take, IN view OF
ali s obligations in regard to the permanent interests
Of the country and to its own patriotism and consitu'
tional duty.
am amazed at the course Of things In Virginia
Your Convention not called TO Dissolve the Union,
trusted with the power OF Secession. by the Act
of it's creation, that sovereign power was reserved TO
the peoe of Virginia. Yet, ~ the Convention
had secretly acted upon the subject, without any pro
were ya ignorant Of it's existence, the executive OIL
GERS OF Virginia rushed ncontinenty, into open war
against the United States. They enotavored 10 OBJ
struct the habor Of Norfolk Ia order TO secure tho
plunder Of the NsvyYard Vt Goeport, and sent mil
tary power to complete the work Of its spolia ion
The fniled indeed 10 clutch the spill but
Il caused the destruction OF millions Of dollars worth Of
public property. The same thing was attempted IN
reference TO Harpers Ferry and was only frustrated
because the vilan ntle garri' on, knowing its inab
iy 10 ct such superior numbers destroyed the prop
erty and made good its retreat. They mensced this
capital by open threats Of military fsrce BY obstruct
ing the roads leading IT, and by sc13ye endesvor 70
command navigation Of the Potomac. And all this
was done while State according TO the letter Of its
own law, remained member OF tie I'm on.
Think you, my dear Sir, that mon who 90 these
", u
powers Of the people Of yirgini, have such reves-
enoe for reason, order, law liberty, morality, and TO
ligion," ar TO give much heed TO the Presidents
Proclamation proposnga truce !" j lack the fath
to believe IL.
In CONCLUSION assure you in all sincerity that do
deeply sympahze in your present distress love the
people Of ny native State aud mourn over The quit
and wretcheness into hieh they thonghtleesy allow
themselves 10 be plunged by their reckless iseadev
.a M .s1 'sa. 'A''"''0 ''ps'' NO Eb% AID S%1Is
WASHINGTON, May ).
Nv Drsn SIR: la answer 10 your letter OF May 9,
/ have not and on ht no, TO have much TO say This
mueb, however, bsl my inclination and my duty re
ouire me to say ny pcItonal respect for you remains
uudiminisbed. Ny friendly feelings toward you are
not only IA di,ni Cd but made more deep ard
tender by the distressing circumstances which surround
you. And these facts make me regret very much that
/ sLould have besn compelled by circumstances 70
write you such letter to infet any pan or morun
cation aid espe islly To the degree indicated by your
answer aud explained more AT large by the fnend who
bore It, d-,lain ali intention 10 wound your feel
ings Or offer you the ghtesi indlgny and there
be an ythng my letter from which intention 10
insult you can pos,ibly be inferred, netracth IL.
This much say with the Intention and hope Of pre-;
venting any breach, weahe ming OF the personal
relations between Let us be friends sill.
But il seems that we differ widely In opinion
upon matters Of fact that il is impossible for us to
Tat the Uaion - already drsolved-tte nation al
ready destroyed On the contrary, believe such
thing You believe thai peaceful! dissolution Of the
Union, in The manner and BY the means already en-
ployed - pOssiGie. believe il impossible. believe
i'ai the insane effort ~ national destruction per
sisted in, vii involve wx more terrible tLan any
the world has witnessed since the thirty yeas war
il Germany. You that great nation like this eas
consent t. de, and may hope 10 de on sosy deoth
think that na ions iks bdiS idusis under Gods
great law Of sel defense and when pressed down by
superior force will die in convuliye agoDies. You
seem think that Virginia can go out oil the Union
and still preserve Der integral Statehood. think that
when she dsmembers the nation, she will herself b
dismcmbered. '
Bot l will NO, continue the contrast My heart IL
sorrowfn when cOn;emp plate the present degradation
of Virginia " How the mighty falen?' With
the loss Of her power she has hort all p<ege also aud
caD no longer lead the people and direct tue counses
of other States She bers Der pal ots and
of former tiInee only 10 boast OF thenot " initiate
their talents and virtues, bnt 10y implicit faith 10 i'm
poe TO TIE present generation the psthumous reputa
ion Of tn. glorious dead Formerly she proudly
marched in the Of all the States; now she creeps
in tho of South Csrclna, and consents 10 b de-
tailed picket guard 10 man an outpost Of the Cot
ton States.
Poor old Virginia In my heart I pity her. Already
they boast the South that they have transferred the
sea OF frm their homes to yours And soon their
devounng legions viii he upon you 10 cal no your
substance and do your voting at the dsHnion election
Nov, mark my prophecy: Unless Virginia, by rapid
revolution redeem bene from the gulf that lice open
Just before her, she will be degraded, mpov eIished,
and oisrnembered. For her, i hope almost against
hope, And for you, remain, NJ heretofore,
NORTHwARD MOVEMENT OF THE REBELS.