Smyrna times., 1861-06-20
!" Boston. Mau Is. 1881.

study il.
"BOstoa, Nay Is. 1851.
"MY DEAR Mr.--,-Your letter of the
ninth reached me yesterday. | read with
mingled feelings, gratifed that your friendly
regard had as yet survived the shock of the
times, aud deeply grieved a. the different view
we take Of the existing crisis.
"It ls well known TO you that | sustained
tho South, at the almost total sacrifice of in
fheuce and favor at home, so long as thought
she was pursuing constitutional objects This
IdId, although the South had placed the con.
servalIve North in a false and indefens BILE
position, by the repeal of the Missouri Gompro-
mise, aud the perseverng attempts TO force
slavery into the territory of Kansas, by surprise
fraud aud violence, against the known wish Of
an overwhelming majority of the pee pie.
pursued this colrse for The axe of strengthinp
the hands OF pa;ri nc Urion men at the South;
slIhough | was we'll aware, partly from facts
within my personal knowledge, that leading
Southern politicians had for thirty years been
resolved 10 break up the Union as soon as lhev
ceased TO control the United States Govern.
ment. and that ths slavery question was b II
Pfetext for keeping up agitation and rallying
the South.
notwithstanding this state of things, and
the wholly unwarrantatle manner in which
the policy OF secession was iniIlated by South
Carolina, and followed up by the other Cotton
States, and IN spite Of the seizure Of the pub
tIc Establishments and the public properly
which, IN the absence of any Joint act of par
iltlon, vas sheer plunder-lt was nv opinion
that, if they should abstain from further ag-
gresslons, and were determined to seperate,
we had better part in peace. But the wanton
attack on Fort Sumpter, (Which took place, not
from uny military necessity, for what harm
~as single company. cooped up in Charles
tOn harbOr, able TO do to South CaFoliaa bat
fnt tAs Ggowed purpose Of stirring the blood
0t the South, thus bringing in the border
states,) and the subsequent proceedings at
Montgomery have wholly changed the state
OF affairs. The South has levied n unproyoked
war against thS government Of the United
States, the mdest and most benefcient in the
world and has made it the duty OF every good
cl'Izen to rally TO ts support
" perceive that my having publicly ex-
pressed that sentiment, and contributed nv
mite towards the regiment of Mr.. Webster,
twho Inherts tae Conservative opinions of his
llustrIous tather,) has caused surprise on the
part OF some of my Southern friends-yourself
among the most valued Of them-as If my so
DONG was Inconsistent with the triehdly feel
lngs have ever cherished towards the South
But these friends forget that as early as the
twelfth of April, that is before the Proclamation
Uf President Lincoln, the Secretary of War at
Montgomery had threatened that by the first Of
May, the Confederate flag should float over the
Cltllol at Washington, and in due time over
Faneuh Hall. When General Beauregard pro
eeeds to execute his threat, his red hot can
hen balls and shells will not spare the roof
mat shelters my daughter and four little child
zen at Washington, nor my own roof in Boz
loh. Must ], because have been the steady
hend of the South, sit still while be is batter
lag my house about my ears!
81 certainly deprecate the choice Of Pres.
heat, exclusively by the ELECTORAL votes Of
one section of the country. though consenting
win the greatest reluctance TO be myself upon
one Of the opposing tickets. 1t was, howey.
ef' iully 10 the power of the South 10 have
produced different result. But the disunion-
ISIS were determined to have their own can
u'date' though mistaken, trust, in the belief
'na' he shared their disloysl views. I make
'nIS chaFge against them without scEuple, ins
H"ed ~ subsequent events, as we'll as by the
language OF the entire Union press at the South
during the CANVAS.
Ai'et the election was decided the dis
u"'ou'sts ~eSli not wait for OUert acts, beca use
~. ,"ey k"e" nohe could or would be committed
i"ey knew that there was an Republican
,"'JOflty IN the Senate, and that there would
% one 10 the present House. They precipi-
,''eu the rupture of the union, because they
a"e" ,nat u lhey waited, even the pretext for
1t would fau.
"Aher the Cotton States had seeded and
although that circumstance greatly incrs..ed
the difficulty, eompromise measures u,oro
nevertheless adopted or proposed in Congrese
which must have removed all sincere alan or
the part Of the South, that their eonstitntionaI
rights vera threatened. The accredited lead
ers OF the Republican party, including tn,
President elect uniformly pledged themsesye,
TO that effect. The two Houses, by a eonsti
tat'onal majoEity, pledged themselves in lik
manner against any future amendment of tn,
constitution violating the rights OF the South
member from Massachusetts,, (Mr. Adams
possessing the entire confidence of the incom
.ng Administration. proposed 10 admit New
mexico as State, asd three new ierrtorie
"e'e organized without any anti-sIsvery re-
"c,'on. While this was done 10 Congress
s'e o'ates repealed or modified the ws throw
~ ng obstacles 10 the way ofrecovering fugitive
Fes-isws which have never been of any
P'scVcal injury 10 the cotton States. These
eo"o"atory demonstrations had no effect ir
sS!'ng the progress Of secession, because the
,eaoers OF lhas revolution were determined moi
!" oe satisfied; aud TO maintain their policy
wnieh IN the light of the Constitution is sim
10 the sword
You say tAat the South desires nothing bu
peace, and ask whether the North will NOT .Ie
you alone But. by good friend. the SnutT
demands great deal mora than spesee. m,