The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-06-20
LETTER FROM FERNANDO WOOD.
New York. June Is, 1868

LETTER FROM FERNANDO WOOD.
New Y rk, june Is, 1868.
II. X. Cor. Jr. Esq Coiambus:
DEAR SIR: Enga eemenis have prevent
ed the acceptance by me of your invita-
ton to attend and dlress the State Con-
yention. TO be held at Columbus on the
llth inst. II won d afford me very great
pleasure to do so, a desire to unite my
voice with the tw hundred thousand
bold and patriotic ditizens of your noble
State, (whose right aud liberties have
recently been outrs geld in decided dec
larsiion of indie pend ence.
Let us stand firu| in the maintenance OF
the invaluable llber ties established by our
fathers, let us urg4 and demand the res
toration OF the Uni, n, only to be accon :
Pushed bv peaceful efforts; let US unite
in one solid column for the accession OF
the Democratic party to power, and TO
drive from office III % Goths and Vai dals
who now hold pos session. Ia is not for
me to refer to the apparent duty OF the
Democracy Of the dountry in this crisis
but excuse me when add that in my
opinion, we should fall back on the time.
honored creed of the party which sustains
the sovereignty of the State--and that
this sovereignty do es not recognize mill,
tary coercion in the Central Government
as against delinquent Safes. On this
principle our Union was established. and
on this principle it must be maintained.
Very truly,
FERNANDO Woop.
When John G. Calhoun. the great I'D
vocate Of the doci tine, since carried into
effect by the traitors of the South, ant
now endorsed by Wood and his section
Of the Democracy, attempted to carry i
| into practical effect in South Carolina
General Jackson, then President, sale
1.-The Union must and shall be preserved =
And in pursuance Of that determination he
organized the military force of the coun
try and issued a proclamation from which
we make the following extracts:
"Strict duty would require of me moth
ing more than the exercise of those pow
ers with which am now. or may hereaf.
I Ter be. invested, for preserving the peace
of the Union, aud for the execution Of the
laws But the imposing aspect which
opposition has assumed in this case, b,
clothing itself viii State authority, and
the deep interest which the people of the
United States must all feel in preventing
/ resort 10 stronger measures, while there
is hope that any thing will be yielded
! to reasoning and remonstrnnce, pcrhap.
demanded, and will certainty Justify, o
/ full exposition to South Carolina and the
nation Of the views | en- ertain of this i'm
portant q aeslion. as well "a distinct
enuncistion OF the course which my sens.
Of daty wi require me to pursue.
son such cxposi,ions and reasonugs
the ordinance grounds not only an asscr
ton Of the right to annul the laws o
which it complains, but to enforce il by
threat Of seeding from the Union, il an
attempt is made to execute them.
This right to secede is deduced fror
the nature OF the constitution, which, the
say, is compact between sovereig
States, who have preserved their who'
sovereignty, and therefore, are subj ct
no superior; that because they made til
compact, they eln break it when, III the
opinion, il has bee % departed from, by II
other States. alacious ms this course
reasoning is, il e rlists State pride, al
finds advocates in the honest preJadiecs
those uho have ny studied the nature
our government sufficiently to see Il
radical error on Which it rests.
'.rhe people OF the United Stat
formed the const tuition. acting lhroua
the State legislatures In making the cor
pact, to meet and discuss its provision
and acting in sepa rate conventions whe
they ratlhed tho4e provisions but, Il
] terms used IN its construction show it
be government |n which the people
c all the States col 1ectl'eiy are represente
e We are one poop Q in the choice of Il
/. President and V &c President. Here Il
States have no other agency than 10 dire
the mode In whoa the vvtss snAll be ri