The mountain Democrat., 1865-09-30
The InNAnx Of Holt.

II is ct time to republish the letter Civ.
en- below, which was written by Joseph
Holt, of Kentucky, Nov. 80, 1860, to .
friend in that State. Holt was q member
Of President Buchanan's Cabinet He is
now the blOOdthirsty public prosecutor Of
persons lAwlessIy brought before the Mill.
tary Commission at Washington for con.
viction, without due trial or benefit OF
defence. The treachery Of Judas and the
barbaTity Of HaynAu seem to be commin.
gled in Holt. Here is his letter:
WASHINGTON, Nov. 80, 1860.
MT DEAR Sir: am in receipt of yours
Of the 9th instant, aud thank you for
yOu+ friendly allusion to myself In con.
nectiOn with the fearful agitation that now
threatens the dismem BERN emit our Gov
ernment. | think the Presidents message
will meet your appreciation, but | have
little hope that it will accomplish any thing
in mOderating the madness that rules the
hour. The indications are that the move
ment has passed beyond the reach Of hu-
man control. God alone can disarm the
cloud Of its lightnings. South Carolina
will be out Of the Union and in the armed
assertion Of q distinct nationality, proba-
bly before Christmas. This il certain {;
unless the course of events is arrested by
some prompt and decided action on the
part Of the people and legislatures of the
Northern States. the other slave States
will follow South Carolina in q few weeks
or months.
The border States, now so devoted to
the Union, will linger little while, but
they will soon unite their fortunes with
those of the Southern States. Conserva-
tive men have now no ground to stand
upon-nO weapon to battle with. All has
been swept from them by the guilty agita.
ton and infamous Legislation of the North.
| do not anticipate, with any confidence,
that the North will act up to the solemn
responsibilities of the crisis, by retracing
those fatal steps which have conducted us
to the very brink Of perdition, politically,
morally, and financially.
There is feeling growing in the free
States which SAYS, LET the South go II
and this feeling threatens rapidly to in
crease. 1t is, in part, the fruit Of CON-
plete estrangement, and in part weariness
Of this perpetual conflict between North
and South, which has now lasted with in
creasing bitterness for the last 80 years
The country wants repoSe, and is willing
to purchase it at any sacrifice. Alas, fol
the delusion of the belief that repOse viii
follow the overthrow Of the Government
doubt not, from the temper Of the pub
lie mind, that the Southern States will bt
allowed to withdraw peacefully; but wher
the work Of diSmemberment begins, We
shall break up the fragments from mouth
to mouth, With the nonchalance witt
which We break the bread on our break
fast table.
II all the grave and vital questions
which will at once arise among these frag
ments Of the rHptnred- Republic can b.
adjusted without resort to arms, then W
have made vast progress since the history
Of our race was written. But the tragic
events of the hour will show that we have
made no progress at ALL We shall soon
grow up race of chieftains. who will rival
the political bandits Of South America and
Mexico and who will carve out to Us our
miserable heritage with their bloody
swords. The masses Of the people dream
not of these things.
They suppose the Republic can be de-
Stroyed to-day and peace will SrDil@ over
its ruins to morrow. They know nothing
Of civil war. This march in the desert Of
the pilgrimage ol nations has happily been
for them sealed fountain. They know
not as others do Of its bitterness, and that
civil war is scourge that darkens every
tireside, and wrings every heart with an
guish. They are o,he cOmmisserated. for
they know not what to do? Whence is
all thiSy 1t has come because the pulpit
and the press, and the covering, unscrupu-
lous politicians Of the North have taught
the people that they are responsible for
the domestic institutions Of the South, and
they can be faithful to God only by being
unfailhful to the compact which they have
made with their fellow men.
Hence those Liberty bills, which de-
grade the statute books Of some ten Of the
tree States, and are conteSsedly shame
less violation OF the Federal Constitution,
in point vital to her honor. We have
here presented. from year to year. the
Illuminating spectacle of free and sover-
rign States, by a solemn act of legislation,
legnlizing the theft Of their neighbors'
property. say theft, since it is not less
so because the subject Of the despicable
crime chances to be a slave, instead Of
horse or bale of goods.
From the same teaching has come the
perpetual agitation of the question, which
has reached the minds Of the slave pOpu-
lation of the South, and has rendered eve
r, home in that distracted land insecure.
This is the feature Of the Irrepressible con-
flict with which the Northern people are
not familiar. In almost every part Of the
South, miAcreant fanatics are found. and
poisOnings and cOnfagrstions have mark.
ed their footsteps. Mothers there lie down
ct night trembling beside their children,
and wives cling to their husbands as they
leave their homes in the morning.
have . brother residing in Mississippi
who is q lawyer by profession, and cot.
ton planter. but has never lad any con.
nection with politics. Knowing the calm
and conservative tone Of his character, |
wrote him few weeks since and implOred
him to exert bis influence in allaying the
frenzy in the popular mind around him.
He has replied to me at much length, and
after depicting the Vaccinations Of the
wretches to whom have alluded, and the
CONSERVATION which reigns in the homes
Of the South, he says it is the unalterable
determination Of the Southern people to
overthrow the Government, as the only
refuge which is left them from these in.
supportable wrongs, and adds: ION the
success of this movement depends my
every earthly interest-the safety Of my
roof from the tirebrand, and my wife and
children from the poison and the dagger. "
I give you this language, because it
trnthfnllV eYnreSSeR the SOutheFn mind