Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-01-30
LEfTHn 7a5as Eil. GrYES

3. to pAyfcrm-,a e1p.a1s my hea;s ,isl. &c
kno owle5emanas TO the friends who sustained
, me- with such generous and nnshrinking zasl
Among them, csnncs but feel i iw nuoh
owe TO you, who, Oh 60 nosuy eccasjor-
shrpugh the columns Of tbs NJ tsy," nvompf-
sj oalY kr r5nr eeG gepsrcaA st1I:YTe::is
J :,svs 30 l.rgeIy ovorpsid, b. yodr bsnaanms
cordial and fosrsi prsiaes, tho Iperit o; sny
SERVICES il hiss besn in lny pgwor to renaes
our country. But, beyond those Acknow-
Judgments, have farther duty to perform
to furnish to these generous !risnds, vao
haze incurred the responsibility Of uphoidins
ono whprn the Ioeatieusness Of parsons. OF
party detrscdon hiss sought to reuder edieus
to the people, plain and hnnsss a:a.ausat ri
facte 10 ansTe. to tha charges a. vindietivclE
heaped On him Il the irts slecticn. This is
what propose 10 dc, IN very hurried man-
ner, in this lsttsr--reiying ID your kindness
and friendship to prassnt rho fscta hrd ma
tsrials it contains to tho public notice,
through the columns Of Ycur paper, ia such
i form and d1e.s ~ tbs irnpsrsisity If ard
psrson, sr,G particularly Your own sx1ells-t
ssste snd Judgment viii hest supply.
- The hrst charge made against Aa is, tnat |
legged behind the general tetliag Of the cour.
try, and gave slow and reluctant supncrt
~ the rigats Of the e:uth, in the revo.r:!,n
| oy which ne sre coss 1iydi:9trg -hsi;.-
Tbs uitsfty deny. On tho contrary, a.
afm and appes! with confidence 10 e7ecC-
thing written or spoken by mo 70 support tho
affirmation, thst 10 ono, ~ every stage Of t''s'
controvsray, upheld The ,ighta Of tho South,
II their fullest extent with more afrnans
sud determination thsa did, or ~Aa more
earnestly intent on their vindication ty !hc
! extfemest remedies, I. t;,ac should become
necessary.
| It is true, was 20 .eslisver iu TIC t.':-
| trlu. o! psacaabIs Sc sressioo, md s0u2ht ~
| disSbuse tbe pubic mind OF .hs; dslistnn.---
| It wss e fsvofiss ides OF tho ssrly eaGe&inn.
ists. tnst, II the Southern Sta;aa ah1ult viii
drS~ from tbr Onion in Lody. thocs ~1od
ba no hazard whatever OF conflict @: sTla',
and tdst reconstruction If the Uuioa 81
nsw principles would ani ought then 10 il.so
place .Tnis idea, Ii mL'tsks not xss for
! m:Iy announced by one or both o! our Sa.,-
,,:o'. 10 the CoHereaa oc .ne UnitsA S=a
| Convinced, as wss, rint tee ids. mse ,-ac-
ftntIy chiiasrGsl, ,i,arsht it my duty ,v
meet i, and in 8 put:,shsd ie:tsr 70 q psf
tlon OF ny cnuntr9mau lated Z Q 23d daT 81
Janusry, 1881, shisb, l thirk, vas r3t -
published in any ofthe g.irhnond n-rsp.g4ra
I used the following language:
| 'Lot ud not dec'sE- nuraslva., 9r permit
ct},eTs 10 .decieys US, with the :sts' '3-jusion
| pi the reoouHtruction % tts UYiun, when
it hes hssr once broken 10 By The proposed
imDhiinte secession Of su ms s!a7sholdiug
States. Low lg behir1 ia, al ws shou!d do,
oil the su5jacts of controversy with the othar
States lnadjusted-the very territory of
which ws claim NJ equal participation. tbs
cspitsl, the srny, tie nsTy, srd all the ne-
| chinsEy af CT orgarized sn3 concentrated
government iD tbs hsnds Of our opeoucrta -
gh.t could await ue, under sue, cird1-n-
! sSau:ts hu, e.; sxaSpersted conflict OF srns,
e. aver? possible disadvantage Gn the ro.a-
Renoenenp 70 us, baving a neg govs.amsat
70 Constitute sl,nost necessarily orc of
military sDd dssp6tic genius armies to rniSe,
nsvits &c baild, SD eli their enornaus s1-
psnEe5 10 ie borns by tho arbitrary process
of forced iosoa. or Of grinding taxation, or
both"
Il Am fer from asying that all thss. conFa-
| qucnceA, formidable So they are, should not
be bTaTsly encountered, if our rights caa-
not be otherwise msirtsined. But when
we IRE called upon to break up tho Union, in
moment OF excitement, By the simultaneous
withdrawal Of the remaining slnvc-hnldng
States, under the vain promise of sornn ,lt0-
plau recon n3truction, It becomes us to diRabuse
cur minds OF 80 dangerous delus,oD, and 10
look all the consequences Of OUT sctioo ~ ssG-
Iiy in tho fscs. Our rights uuet bs nsin-
! tanned Es AL asIards and trust, fox Que,
shall 30 prepared TO meet svery ss:riice :hey
may demAnd with IS calm end collected
hoart and ns uEGhrnking spirit, rs the
loudest patriot among Us. But il they can
be az well, If not better, secured by con "a
of wiss snd deliberate sctiou, accompanied
with frInHsss, snd avoiding the neccssty of
OF such costly srd bloody sacrifices. every
cool and ,s1bsr.minded man mua. ssJ,
letthe e1p5timsh: ss t,isd. When IL shall
! have been tried and failed-if fall it should
ge shall than stand Justified before tho world
and history, az TEe!l as cur ,oTn consoisncss,
for en- nbrsciog tie sole alternative ls!t US ior
the protection and yildicasion o: our rigats."
Hare Was tie clue 70 my whoio policy
As determined "a tho most rssolnto to ns;n.
tain our rights st eTory hazard, never per-
niitted myself to be duped, as 80 msuy o!h.rs
wore by the notion that secession vas prac:i-
cally, whatever it might be in theory, I-eace-
able rfme'y. In tie nature Of thiDga, gas
convinced it. would lead to war, end TO war
Of most ferccious lrd dasolating character,
and that our Own State would be toe arens
offs priac;psl !sTsstat;ons. But f,r eI this
l newer hssitsted a olo1ncnt nbout earrlHtrr-
Ing these snd every other extremity, T$:rh-r
than abandon one inG If ou- rights. de g.. d.
/ I cB!y asked :hst wins. @e id, ahGu;d be
done deliberately, With braTs heB-t snd
cool Inini prepared for ali tho consequences;
ana thatcwe 8hould net rush, bliodfo)i and
hssiiong, under the ,das that 1t was tc bo
mere holiday amusement, upon what FORE
saw must he one cftha ata@neet trials OF bosh
Individual and nstiorsl fortituae that the
page OF history has recorded. But MI fcso-
i right, according to the standard now ses up.
il aserne is inconsis; ent with the character Of
Ia statssrnsn. Thb policy i 'eacated Taa,
nevertheless, that adopted bT - Legislature
of Virgins in tho initiation i, tbs "Posco
Congress-" sDd ny the Co., alton Of the
Stsss in its deliberate, but E. advance 10
tie ultima ratio; aDd from 20 honorable
! proof # c3nidsnca l.atowe | me BY each
Of thcss bodice, ara aItho- III to conclude
thnt r,S,ther cl them ilouE! l had done
i snY thirg n in:ur INC an..ht 4 nov fnlmi-
mated ksAirst mo.
The next topic ofdisc,i-inE oai tfIcs- oo,s
twenty. tlss or this.y yssrs il tbs Sabat'
oi tho United States hs .Iyosssd hftsr-
odox sentinsnta or tho sn j.ct Of slavery
The trus history Of this nf-r ia that. on tho
occAsiyu referred to, I "ss j. osriously sum
monod By Mr.. C,lhouu TO - thst slavery
was an unmixcd good. Not choo5ins 10 hsve R
creed thus dictated 70 me, in opposition 20 the
; .upinions which had hseo hsld aDa ayoTed By
tho great mon Of our own Stst-W Washing
tcn,. Jeasrson, Mason, Hanry ard othsre, and
generally prevalent at that dsy IN Virgins, IS
endsoced BY recent proceedings other L-si.-
lsture, I replied that, in GONE aspects
slavery Ess an evil, though attended vita ia
portaas conpenssti"- D., ana Inst, whsthsr
: good or an evil i question With which
, neither Co1grre :, tho fres States could b
. permitted f. =. iere IL any meuoer Ihst