The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-27


all ana .nat Kind Providence may rule over and Jude
and protect us in day OF gloom danger
very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. N. CALI. Jun
Commissioner frora Alabama.
EXECUTIVE rsrArrNESr l
To Hon. J. N. CALHOUN, Commissioners .rom Alabama
DEAR SIR--Your communication - the 5th inst in
forming me Of the object Of your mission the part Of
the STATE oil Alabama, is before
As citizen Of sister State bearing an appointment
of Commissioner TO Texas from her chief executive
may adopt In reference the political opinions Of the
people Of Texas, you may bear back with you the eyi
denees Of their kindness Inc. hospitality and friendship
view TO its providing MODE by which the will of the
people Texas may be declared touching their relations
with the federal government and the Stetes,
auhoritatvely speak as to the course they will pursue
fair and legitimate expression of the1g will through the
ballot box yet to be made known Therefore, were the
Legislature in session. legally authorized con
venon in session. until the action taken is ratified by
the people at the ballot box none can speak for Texas
Her people have been jealous Of their rights, and
have been careful how they parted with the Of
their sovereignty They will reserve 10 themselves the
right 70 finally pass upon the act involving so closely
through the free exercise of that sacred privilege which
has ever until now been deemed the best security for
the liberties OF the people and the surest means OF
remedyng encrOachments upon their rights they have
declared their will then and then only any speak for
Texas Until then nothing but individual opinions be
expressed, and mine entitled TO weight than
long acquaintance with the people and continued in
tercourse and communication with them would justify.
in relation 70 the necessary TO pursue at this
period deny Citizens, alike distinguished for
their worth and public services hold opposite views and
while oil united in the determination to maintain
constitutional rights, they differ to the mode Of
complaining the same In this do not include that reck
less and selfish class who moved by personal ambition
desire for office spoil, desire change Of govern
ment In the hope that aggrandzement will attend
them.
believe however that large majority of the people,
recognizing the obligations they owe to the border
States who have so long stood barriers against the
atlto nf
will not only conduce to their safety, but the benefit
Of the entire South As Executive Of the State have
deemed il my duty 70 present to the other Southern
States proposition for consultation having that object
in view lfabama has not yet responded to the same
and although the tenor OF your letter indicates that she
will pursue different course, trust that when the
great interests at stake duly considered by her PEG
pie, they will determine to join with Texas and ma
ority of the Southern States in honest and deter
mined effort to obtain redress for the grievances which
the North has put upon they take the fatal step
which, in my opinion, ultimately involves civil war and
the ruin Of our institutions If not of liberty ITSELF
If alabama has been the first to move in the di-
rection which may possibly result in the of all
connection with the federal government, it is matter
of pride TO that Texas has in this time of peril been
the first to move in that direction calculated to secure
Southern unity and operation. Texas is the only
OF the States which possessed ere her connection with
the Union, full and complete sovereignty. Though she
brought empire into the Union, and added vastly to
the of slavery she arrogates herself especial
privileges she yet consulted her own safety or
interest, in common with that Of the entire South
Knowing the obligations which she took upon herself
desire to relieve herself of those obligations until it
manifest that the compact made with her will not be OBJ
served Having made an effort in concert with her sis
ter slavehoding States, to secure the observance
of that compact, and failed in that effort, it
would then be her pride to sink all conside-
rations prompted by her own ambition, and share
a common fate with them; but IL, on the
trary ey consulting their interests and their
incnations neither seeking her counsel operation,
act separately and Alone and abandon Union and go
vcrnment of which she yet forms part, Texas will then
" sought the good Of the whole South and will pursue
that course which her pride and her ancient character
marks out before her.
part Of your communication, and had you given
Of the fact that although Alabama desires to
her sister slavehodng States that she feels that
her interests are the same with theirs and that
mon destiny must be the same to all yet that she will,
through her Convention viii Ii assemblies to-day the h
inst witdraw from the present Union and take her
sition sovereign state, !" could give you
Of my cooperation Executive Of Texas, with Ala
bama In the present emergency Should Alabama with
waiting the action Of Texas withdraw from the
Union ana Texas by the force Of circumstances BIO
PEELED at future period TO provide for her own safety,
the of Alabama, South Carolina and such other
States as may follow their lead will but strengthen the
conviction, already strong among people, that their
interest will lead them to avoid eIangDg alliances and
enter again upon national career No claim would
then exist upon Texas for her operation has been
deemed important at time when it essential to her
safety and her statesmen will deem that she violates
duty TO the South in unfurng once again her Lone Star
banner, and maintaining her position among the indie
pendent paons of the earth II the Union be dissolved
and the gloomy orebodngs Of patriots be realized in the
ruin and civil to follow, Texas tread the wine
press alone the day of her misfortune even as per
freemen trod II in the pact and If she fails in the effort
TO maintain liberty and her institutions her
SOIL fhe will feel that poserity will justify her and lay
Texas unlike Alabama has frontier subject to hos
tile incursions Even with the whole power Of the
United States to defend her. it is impossible to prevent
frequent outrages upen her citizens. The numerous
tribes Of Indians, controlled by the United States
and restrained by treaty stpuaons and the presence Of
the army, would, by the dissolution Of the Union be
turned loose provide for themselves and Judging from
the past II not unreasonable to suppose they will d.
rect their savage vengeance against Texas The bandits
OF Mexico have within the past year given an evidence
Of their willingness TO make inroads upon could they
do with inpunty. These are some Of the conse-
quences Of dsunon which we OF the border cannot smut
out from sight. If Texas has been compelled TO re-
sort TO her means Of defence when connected with
the present Union, IL not to be supposed that she
could rely for protection alliance with the Gulf
states alone: and having grown self relinnt amid ad
yersity and continued so as member Of the Union,
IL will b. but natural that her people feeling that they
must look TO themselves while sympathizing fully
with those States whose Institutions similar TO their
own, will prefer separate nationality, 10 even an equal
position in confederscy which may be broken and de-
stroyed at moment by the caprice or dissatisfaction
Of one Of its members. Texas has views Of expansion
not common 10 many Of her sister States Although an
empire within herself she feels that there Is an empire
beyond cssent al 10 her security She will not be con-
to have the path of her destiny cogged The same
spirit OF enterprise which founded republic here will
carry her institutions southwark and westward Having,
when but hand al Of frcemen, withstood the power Of
nation, and wrung from Il her Independence she has
be the resolve Of her people TO stand by the consttu
tion and maintain in the Union those rights guaranteed
them she will be proof against the cutter ruin
and deg radiation depicted in your communication.
people determined to maintain their rights neither
be ruined degraded and II Texas takes upon herself
the holy task Of sustaining the constitution, in the
midst OF its enemies history will accord her equal praise
with those who sought only their own safety and left
the temple 81 liberty in their possession.
Were left to believe that Alabama Is disposed to
second the efforts made secure cooperation Of the
South, in demanding 1redress for our grievances or
that her would In the least depend upon that Of
Teyas would suggest such views sincere and earnest
reflection have induced. But as you express the opinion
that Alabama WILL through her Convention without wait
ing know the sentiments Of the people of Texas act
for herself there be why should press
them upon your attention, nor Is matter OF impor
whether they reflect the popular sentiment OF the
state not. They would be alike unavalng. Nor will
enter into discussion 70 how far the idea OF the
adoAon Of the constitution Of the United satos viii be
10 the people of the States forming southern
That constitution was compromise
Of conflicting interests framed 20 as TO protect
the slayeholding States against the encroachmcnts
d the non slavehoding The statesmen Of the south
secured representation for thrcenfths Of our slave
property whe her this and other provisions OF that in
will be deemed applicable 10 States which have
~ttput far aR