Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-06-20
A LETTER OF JUDGE MARSHALL TO
GEN. WASHINGTON.
lCOMMUNICATED,

COMMUNICATED
Mr. EDITOR Enclosed you will receive
letter from Judge Marshall to Washington,
and, if convenient, will thank you to pub
lish it, The difficulties which now so fierce
ly and perniciously assail our once happy and
prosperous country grow out of a departure
from the faith and doctrines of our fathers.
The Constitution points out the peaceful
remedies for our troubles but that does not
seem to comport with the views of some in
our day The letter shows how far men
were disposed to 60 at an earlier period and
in another day. B.
Extract of a Letter from Judge Marshall to Gen.
Washington, dated
RICHMOND. Jan. 8, 1700.
'DEAR SIR: l thank you for the charge
of Judge Addison. 1t is certainly well
written, and wish that it, as well as some
other publications on the same subject, could
be more generally used. believe that no
argument can moderate the leaders of the
opposition, but it may be possible to make
some impression on the mass of the people,
For this purpose the charge Of Judge Addi-
son seems we'll calculated
''However [ may regret the passage Of
one of the acts complained of, am firmly
persuaded that the tempest has not been
raised by them. Its causes lies much deep
er, and is not easily to be removed. Had
they never passed, other measures would
have been selected which would have been
attacked with equal virulence The misfor-
tune is, that an act operating on the press
in any manner affords to its opposcrs argu-
ments which so captivate the public ear,
which so mislead the public mind, that the
efforts Of reason to correct false impressions
will often fail of success.
1.-TWO very interesting subjects have, dur
ing the present session, particularly engaged
the attention of the Legislature. The first
was paper introduced by COL Taylor, of
Caroline, and which you must have seen,
containing resolutions which take advantage
of the irritation excited by the alien and
sedition laws to criminate the whole conduct
of our Administration, and charge it with
the design of introducing monarchy; the
other was proposition from Mr. George
K. Taylor, of Prince George, expressive of
sentiments similar to those which have been
declared by other Legislatures Of the Union
on our controversy with France, in the
place of which was substituted, by a majori-
ty of twenty-nine, counter proposition
termed an amendment, which was offered
by Col. Nicholas, of Albemarle, and which
seems calculated to evince to France and to
the world that Virginia is very far from
harmonizing with the American Govern
ment or her sister States.
1.-The debates on these subjects were long
and animated. In the course of them senti-
ments were declared and Gin my Judgment
views were developed of very serious and
alarming extent. To me it seems that there
are men who will hold power by any means
rather than not hold it, and who would pre-
fer dissolution Of the Union to the con-
tinuance of an Administration not of their
own party. They will risk all the ills which
may result from the most dangerous expert
ments rather than permit that happiness to
be enjoyed which is dispensed by other hands
than their own. 1t is more than ever essen
tial to make great exertiois at the next cleo
ton, and am persuaded that by making
them we obtain Legislature, if not, Feder-
al, so divided as to be moderate
Il feel with increased force the obliga-
tons of duty to make sacrifices and exer-
tions for the preservation Of American Union
and Independence, as am more convinced
of the reality Of the danger which threatens
them"
With the most respectful attachment, /
remain, sir, your obedient,
j. MARSHALL