The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-03-03
Letter from Hon. Robert j. walker.

Letter from Hon. Robert j. Walker.
At the great conservative meeting
held in New York on the anniversary
of the birth of Washington, last
Thursday evening, the following let
ter was read from the Hon. Robert j.
Walker, one of the most influential
Union men during the war:
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. %, 1856.
SIMEON DRAPER, ESQ: Detained
from the great Union meeting by cir
cumstances beyond my control, 1
must address it Geographically, and
not as I did after the fall of Sumter.
Presidenr Johnson's veto opens the
new campaign in favor of the Union.
It arrests the overthrow of the States
and the concentration of all power in
one consolidated military despotism.
It prevents the expulsion of eleven
States from the Union, and the erec-
ton of eleven Irelands within its
limits. to be controlled and oppressed
by military power. It prevents the
quartering of large standing army
and hosts of officials in the South,
with an enormous increase of our
debt, to be followed surely by op-
pressive taxation, or dishonoring and
disgraceful reputation. It prevents
the defeat of the plans of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury for the funding
and reduction of the public debt, and
safe and gradual return to specie
payments. Reputation is disgrace
and ruin, and the probable extinction
of Republican institutions through
out the world.
This result, or large standing armies
and oppressive taxation, caused by
the policy of the Presidents oppo-
nents, would produce an earthquake
convulsion. 1t would quadruple the
excise and income tax, blight every
field, becalm every vessel, break every
bank and railroad and ruin every fac
tory in the country. It dissolves the
Union, destroys the Constitution and
orects military despotism upon its
ruins. 1t would postpone, perhaps
indefinitely, the transfer of the COM
mand of the commerce and exchanges
of the world from Europe to America.
European despots would eXult, while
the friends of freedom in the Old
World, and especially in Ireland and
Germany, would weep tears of blood.
Johnson is walking in the footsteps of
Jackson and Lincoln, and teaching
their sentiment-the Union shall be
preserved. The prolonged govern
ment of eleven States as conquered
provinces, enforcing taxation without
representation, would permanently
ALLEVIATE the South from the North.
It might drive them to madness and
despair, and renew the civil war when
our credit and resources were exhaust
ed. We have emancipated, through
great constitutional amendment,
carried only by Johnson's policy,
1000, 900 of negroes.
Let us not attempt to enslave eight
millions of our erring white brethren
of the South. They will all welcome
death before such state as this. I
have fought all my life against seces-
sion and disunion in the South, and
I renew the contest against it in the
North. Congress has no constitu-
tional power to dissolve the Union
and to condemn eleven States to ter
ritorial pupilage is dissolution Of
the Union. I cannot go with North
ern or Southern disunionists. John
sons policy alone can practically re-
store the Union. 1t has already
crushed the heresy of secession at the
South, and it alone has secured con-
stitutional majority for the abolition
of slavery. If the heresy Of seces-
sion is crushed at the South, and
emancipation secured, the crowning
glory rests upon the head of Andrew
Johnson. Slavery and secession
our only discordant elements-being
thus extirpated, the Johnsonian poll
cy will go ON conquering and to con-
quer, not by the sword, but by wis
dom and magnanimity. 1t will sub
due at the South passions and
prejudices; it will touch their hearts
and conquer their affections.
We shall hear no more of excep-
tional and individual acts of insubor-
dination, for we shall have union of
interest and affection; union of
States with States, and not with con-
quered provinces. We shall have the
union and representation of all the
States as ordained by the Constitu-
ton. We shall have cordial, fra
ternal, an ever-expanding, an omni-
potent, an indissoluble and perpetual
union. Men of the South, from Vir-
ginia to Texas, close up the ranks,
and fight harder to get into the Union