The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1867-03-07

the Old Man Of the Sea, all must GO
to the bottom together.
Unpublished letter Of Hon. .JelEeE'
+ 4 son Davis. s@A -
An Illinois paper publishes the fol-
lowing letter. which it states was cap
[tured during the war:
WARREN COUNTY, MISS, Nov, 1860.
Hon. r. B. Rhett. Jr.
DEAR SIR: I had the honor to re-
Iceive, last night, yours Of the 9th
ult., and hasten to reply to the in
Iquiries propounded. Reports of the
election leave little doubt that the
event you anticipated has occurred :
that electors have been chosen secu-
ring the election of Lincoln, and will
answer on that suposition.si, ssalau .
My home is so isolated that / have
had no intercourse with those who
might, have aided me in. forming an
opinion as to the effect produced on
the mind of our people by the result
of the recent election, and the i'm
pressions which I communicate are
founded upon antecedent expressions.
l.. ! doubt not that the Governor
of Mississippi has convoked the Legis-
lature to assemble within the present
month, to decide upon the course
which the State should adopt in the
present emergency. Whether the Leg
islature will direct the. call of a Con-
vention Of the State, or appoint dele
gates to a Convention of such States
as may be willing to consult together
for the adoption of Southern plan
of action, is doubtful.
2. Ta Convention of the. State aoere
assembled, the proposition to secede from
the Union, Independently of support from
eeigh6oring States, aOould pro5ably.faa. g
3. IF South Carolina should first
secede, and she alone Should take sucA
action, the position Of Mississippi soould
not probably be changed dy that fac" A
powerful obstacle to the seperate ac-
ton of Mississippi is the want of a
port, from which follows the conse-
quenceztha her trade, being still con-
Quoted through the ports of the Union,
her revenue would be diverted from
her own support to that of q foreign
government; and being geographical
ly unconnected with South Carolina,
an alliance with her would not vary
that state Of case. q
4. The propriety of separate seces-l
sion by South Carolina depends so
much upon collateral questions that I
find it difficult to respond to your last
inquiry, for the want of knowledge
which would enable me to estimate the
value of the elements involved. in the
issue. Though exterior to your State,
Georgia is necessary to connect you
with Alabama, and thus to make effec-
tual the cooperation of Mississippi.
If Georgia would be lost by imme-
diate action, but could be gained by
delay, 1t seems clear to me that you should
qcait If the secession of South Car
DINA should be followed by an attempt
to coerce her back into the Union,
that act of .usurpation, folly and wick
edness would enlist every true South
ern man for her defense. If it were
attempted to blockade her ports and
destroy her trade, like result would
be produced, and the. commercial
world would probably be added to her
allies. 1t is therefore, probable that
neither of these measures would be
adopted by any administration, but
that Federal ships would be sent to
collect the duties on imports outside
NR TIN That %l.ka FSaxsS nj ~
tons would feel little interest in that;
and the Southern States would have
little power to counteract it. o1 eoI
The planting States nave a common
interest of such magnitude, that their
union sooner or later, for the protec-
ton of that interest, is certain. Uni
ted, they will have ample power for
their own protection, and their efforts
will make for them allies of all com
mercial and manufacturing powers.
The new States have 1heterogene-
GUS population, and will beslower and
less unanimous than those in which
there is less Of the Northern element
in the body polite, but interest con-
trolls the policy of States, and finally
all the planting communities must
reach the same conclusion. My opin-
ion lie, therefore, as it has been, IN avor
of seeking to bring those States into CO.
operation before asking for a popular de-
cision upon a neso policy and relation to
tie nations of the earth. IsdIk
;. IF South Carolina should resolve to
secede before that cooperation can be
obtained, to go out, leaving Georgia,
and Alabama, and louisiana in the
Union, and without any reason to sup
pose they win follow her, there APP
pears to me to be no advantage in
waiting until the Government has
passed into hostile hands and men
have become familiarized to, that inju- |
rious and offensive peryersion of the
Hon ara1 ~ nxyn,,, n, cs,f from the ends for