The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-02-15

The following letter from Jefferson Da=
3vis.to, the late Hon. VIM J. Brown. of In.
diana, has been made public for the first
time: -
Z ,s.ssWAsH1NeroN, D. c., May 1853
M Dear Sir: I received the Sentinel
containing your defense of me against the
false iai accusation Of disunionism, and before
1 had returned to you the thanks to which
YOU are sn6aed, 1 received this. days the
st. Joseph Valley Reg'stc', marked by
YOU, to; call my attention to an article in
answer to your defense; just mall things
save its TOO complimentary terms
& I wish had the letter quoted from,
that you might publish the whole of that
which is garbled to answer purpose. In
a part of the letter not published, 1 put
such a damper on the attempt to fix on
me the desire to break up our Union, and
presented other points in a form 50 little
acceptable to the unfriendly inquirers,
that the publication of the letter had to
be drawn cut of them.
! At the risk of being wearisome, but
encouraged by your marked friendship l
will give you q statement Of tho case.
The meeting of October, 1S49, was con-
vcntion of delegates equally representing
the Wing and Democratic parties in Mis-
sissippi. The resolutions were decisive
as tosequalty Of right in the South with
the North to the territories acquired from
Mexico, and proposed convention OF the
Southern States. 1 was not member,
but on invitation addressed the conven-
tion. The succeeding Legislature in
structed me, as a Senator, to assert this
equality, and under the existing circum-
stances to resist by all constitutional
means the admission Of California as a
State. AT called session of the Legisla-
ture in 1850, selfconstituted committee
called on me, by letter, for my views
They were. men who had enacted or ap-
proved the resolutions of the convention
of 1s49, and instructed me, as member OF
the Legislature in the regular session, in
the early part of the year 1850. To them
i replied that Iadhercd to the policy they
had indicated and instructed me in their
official capacity to pursue.
[ pointed out the mode in which their
policy could in my opinion, be executed
without bloodshed or disasterous convul-
sion, but in terms of bitter scorn alluded
to such as would insult me with desire
to destroy the Union, for which my whole
Fife proved me to be devotse.
Pardon the egotism, in consideratio
of the occasion, when I say to you that
my father and my uncle fought through
the revolution of 1776, giving their youth,
their blood and their little patrimony to
the constitutional freedom which / claim
as my Inheritance. Three ofmy brothers
fought in the war of 1872, two of them
were comrades of the Hero of the Her.
mitage, and received his commentator
for galIantry at New Orleans. At sixteen
years of age was given to the service Of
my country; for twelve years of my lite
Fl have borne its arms and served it zeal
ously-, if not we'll AS I feel the infrmi-
ties which suffering more than age has
brought upon me, it would be bitter re-
aection indeed if I was forced to conclude
that my countrymeriewould hold all this
light when weighed against the empty
panegyric which time serving politician
can bestow upon the Union, for which he
never made sacrifice.
In the Senate I announced that if any
respectable man would call me disunion-
ist, I would answer him in monosyllables
On many occasions, in public speeches
made in Mississippi, l have said, if any
man would come forward and charge me
with desire to destroy the Union, ]
would cram the lie down his throat. But
[ have often asserted the right, for which
the battles of the revolution were fought
the right of people to change their
government whenever it was found to be
oppressive, and subversive of the objects
for which governments are instituted
and have contended for the independence
and sovereignty of the States, part Of
the creed of which Jefferson was the
apostle, Madison the expounder, and Jack.
son the consistent defender.
have written freely, and more than
designed. Accept mylthanks for your
friendly advocacy. Present me in terms
of kind remembrance to your family, and