Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1866-03-08

Remarkable Letter from Hon. Robert j. Walker
the Author of .sOur Financial SYSTEM tn
Great Questions of the Day, etc.
At the great conservative meeting held in New
York, on the anniversary of the birth of Washing
ton, last Thursday evening, the following letter wa
read from the Hon. r. J. Walker, one of the mos
, influential Union men during the war
.,a PHILADELPHIA Feb. o. 1866
SIMEON DRAPER, Esq. Detained from the
great Union meeting by circumstances beyond my
control, must address it geographically, and mo-
rs / did after the fall of Sumter President John
sons veto opens the new campaign IN favor of the
Union 1t 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 erection OF
eleven Ielands 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 enormous increase
of our debt, to be followed surely by oppressive
taxation, or 6ishonoring and disgraceful repudia-
ton 1t prevents the defeat of the plans of the
Secretary of the Treasury for the funding and
reduction of the public debt, and safe and grad
llaI return to specie payments Reputation is
disgrace and ruin, and the probable extinction of
republican institutions throughout the world.
This result, or large standing armies and oppres-
sive taxation caused by the policy of the Presi-
dents opponents, would produce all earthquake
CONFUSION. It would quadruple the excise and
income tax; blight every field becalm every YES
sci, break every bank and railroad and ruin every
|
destroys the Constitution, and erects o military
despotlsm upon its ruins. It would postpone.
perhaps indefinitely, the transfer of the command
OF the commerce and exchanges of the world from
Europe to America European despots would ex-
ut 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 government of eleven States as
conquered provinces, enforcing taxation without
representation, would permanently alternate the
South from the North. It might drive them TO
madness and despair, and renew the civil war
when our credit and resources were exhausted
We have emancipated, through great constitu-
tlonal amendment carried only by Johnson's DO
hey, four millions of negroes.
Let not attempt to enslave eight millions of |
our errlnS white brethren of the south They will
all welcome death before such state as this T |
have fought all my life against secession and dis
union Ill the south, and renew the contestagainst |
1t IN the north. Congress has no constitutional
power to dissolve the Union: and to condemn elev-
en- States to territorial pupilage is dissolution of
the Union. [ cannot go with northern OF south
ern disunionists. Johnson's policy alone can
restore the Union. It has already
crushed the heresy of secession ut the SOUTH and
1t alone has secured constitutional majority for
the abolition of slavery. If the heresy of seces-
SION Is crushed at the south, and emancipation Sc
cured, the browning glory rests upon the head of
Andrew Johnson Slavery and secession-our on
~ dlscordant demonstrating thus extirpated, the
Johnsonian policy will go on conquering and to &
conquer, not by the sword, but by wisdom and {
1t w;lsubdue at the south passions {
and preudices; it will touch their hearts and con-
luer their affections t
We shall hear more of exceptional and indi- t
Ildual acts of INSTRUMENTATION, for we shall have is
Union of interest and affection; a Union of States
With States, and not with conquered provinces
We shall have the Union and representation of all
he States, ordained by the Constitution We C
snail nave cordial, fraternal and everexpanding,
IN omnipotent an indissoluble and perpetual I'm /
on. Men of the south, from Virginia to Texas, ii
lose up the ranks, and fight harder to get into
he Union than you ever did to get out of it. You a
ought us under the secession flag With unsurpass-
ID courage to get out of the Union. Come, now, p
'ur errng, but still much loved brethren of the "
outh, and re-assemble with again at the polit- u
al family altar at Washington. Come with loyal Il
earts under the dag of sires and t. che music
# the Union, and we will give you a cordial vel Il
ONE. Come, and the recording angel will blot
ut, in reconciliating tears, the memories of hui
IAN follies and frailties. The people on whom
ohnson has always relied are with him, and will
,elcome back all loyal Unionists tosseats in both al
iouses of Congress. II
r. J. WALKER W