Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1861-01-11

Highly interesting Letters from General
Dfmeu1ty. rs "iaHatf s-es,
GEN. wooL's LETTER TO A FRIEND IN
WASHINGTON,
Troy, Sunday, Dec. 80, 1860.
MY DEAR SIR: South Carolina, after
twenty seven years, Mr. Rhett says
thirty years, of constant and increasing
efforts by her leaders to induce her to
secede, has declared, herself out of the
Union; and this, too, without the slight
est wrong or injustice done her people
on the part of the Government of the
United States. Although she may have
seized the revenua cutter, and raised her
reasonable Palmetto flag over the United
States Arsenal, the Custom House, Post
Office, Castle Pinckney and Fort. Moul.
trie, she is not out of the Union, nor be-
yond the pale of the United States
Before she can get out of their jurisdic-
tion or control, reconstruction Of the
Constitution must be had, or civil war
ensue In the latter case, it would re-
quire no prophet to foretell the result.
It is reported that Mr.. Buchanan has
received informally the commissioners
appointed by the rebels Of South Caro-
lima to Negotiate for the public property
in the harbor of Charleston, and for
other purposes. It is also reported that
the President d!sapproved the c6iduct
Of Major Anderson, who, being satisfied
that he would not be able, to defend
Fort Moultrie with the few men under
his command, wisely took possession Of
Fort Sumter, where he could protect
himself and the country from the dis
grace which might have occurred, if he
had remained in Fort Moultrie. Being
the commander in the harbor, he mad
the right to occupy Fort Sumter, an act
which the safety Of the Union, as we'll
as his own honor, demanded. 1t like.
wise stated that apprehensions are en-
tertained that Major Anderson will be
required to abandon. Fort Sumter, and
re- occupy Fort Moultrie. There can be
no foundation for such apprehensions,
for surely the President would not sur
render the citadel of the -harbor of
Charleston; to rebels. Fort Sumter
commands the entrance, and ii few
hours could demolish Fort Moultrie =
So long as the United States keeps pos
session of this fort, the Independent e of
South Carolina will only be in name, and
not in fact. If, however, it should be
surrendered to South Carolina, which I
dc not apprehend, the smothered indig-
nation of the Free States would be
reused bcyon control. It would not
be in the power of any one to restrain
it. In twenty days two hundred thous-
and men would be in readiness to take
vengeance 6n all Who would betray the
g=i1zz izts- the i.au5as Uf its czzcs.sies=z-=
Be assured that I do not exaggerate the
feelings of the people: They are al
ready sufficiently excited st the attempt
to dissolve the Union for no other rea-
son than that they constitutionally ex-
ercised the most precious right con-
ferred upon them-oi voting for the per-
son whom they considered the most
worthy and best qualified to fill the Office
of President. Fort Sumter, therefore,
ought not, and I presume will not, be
delivered over to South Carolina. a..
I am not, however, pleading for the
Free States, for they are not in danger,
but for the Union and the preservation
of the Cotton States. Those who SOW
the wind must expect to reap the whirl-
wind. The leaders of South Carolina
could not have noticed that We live in
an age Of progress, and that all Chris
tendon is making rapid strides in the
march of civilization and freedom. If
they had, they would have discovered
that the announcement of every victory
obtained by the hero of the nineteenth
century, Garibaldi, in favor of the op-
pressed of Italy, did not fail to electrify
every American heart with joy and glad
ness. "Where liberty dwells, there is
my country" was the declaration of the
illustrious Franklin. This principle is
too strongly implanted in the heart and
mind of every man in the Free States to
be surrendered because South Carolina
desires it in order to extend the area of
Slavery. With all Chrlstianized Europe
and nearly all the civilized world op-
posed to Slavery, are the Southern States
prepared to set aside the barriers which
shield and protect their institution; un-
der the United States Government
Would the separation Of the South from
the North give greater security to
Slavery than it has now under the Con-
of the Union? What security
would they have for the return of run
away slaves? I Iapprehend none; whilst
the number of runaways would be greatly
and the difficulties of which
complain would be in
creased tenfold. However much in
diyiduals might condemn Slavery, the
Free States are prepared to sustain and
defend it, as guaranteed by the Consti-
tuition. sri-F.F |
In conclusion, I would avoid the |
bloody and desolating example of the
Mexican States. l am now, and for
ever, in favor Of the Union, its preserva-
tion, and the rigid maintenance Of the !
rights and interests of the States, in
diyidually as we'll as collectively,
Yours, &C., Jous 3. WooL.