Year: 1861

er anu mousse burner, ii the thrCatCr Ut his
exploits had been upon Northern soil You
would not defy a dcspicablc dcmagoguc like
Seward, if his irreprcsSiblc conflict doctrine
had been preached to q class of laborcrs in
your midst, nor would any people not hopeless
~ cmbittered against us, have greeted with
rounds of applause, the declaration of Wen
dell Phillips, that the name of St Domn-
go negro deserve TO be written high above
that of Washington on the roll Of fame


know your answer will be- that these are
not the sentiments of the pcolic of the North
have given the same answer for you again
and again. believed it for years. wish
could believe it yet. But cannot shut my
eyes to the fact, that those who preach these
things are precisely those whom your people
delight to honor. waited and hoped for the
dawn of better day, until hope implied self
stuplGcation. The regular time for holding
elections" has come and gone many times
since this agitation began. Each time we
were promised that Abolition fanatics would
be swept away by the blasts of popular indig-
nation, and each time we have seen them
grow stronger and stronger. We have allow
! ed the people of the North ga chance to vote"
not once but often, and every time that chance
was allowed them, they have exhibited
growing fondncss for the worst men, and the
worst doctrines with which your section of
the Contcdcracy is cursed. And now We are
asked to submit quietly to the election of
man whose nomination was made in open in
suit to our feclings-whose principles are
avowcdly hostile to our institutions, and whose
friends, from the day of his election, have
manifested no feeling but that of bitter
and uncompromising cnmity, while even you
can otter us no hope of reaction anywhere cx-
cept in the little State Of Connccticus Par
don me for saying that the degradation to
which You invite me is too deep to be accept.
ed for the little good that it promises to bring
forth


You express the hope that I will not use
my influence to prevent reconstruction. 1t
is one of the misfortuncs of the times that the
good men of the North do not seem to under.
stand their own people, or ours. The work
OF reconstruction must be begun and carried
on by you, and not BY us. We have been
reluctantly driven to disuuion as the only re.
fugc from slavery. If yuu want us back
again, the first thing to be done, is to remove
all just causes of complaint, and disspatc all
well founded apprchcnsions of future negrcs,
sion. NOu must observe the laws; establish
justice, and manifest determination to re-
Spcct all our constitutional rights. Until this
is done, it is childish to talk of rcconstruc-
ton. You cannot expect us to enter into a
new partnership while the wrongs and insults
OF the old one are unrcdrcsscd, and no pro.
vision is made against their recurrence. And
now, sir, let me ask you in all candor do vou
! believe it possible that we can obtain either
redress for the past or security for the fu-
turc! DO not answer me by the poor sub.
teriuge, that Democrat will be elected in
Connecticut, and another might be in New
Hampshire, if tic Dcmocracy accyc nat de.
moroii@rd. | know, and you ought to know,
that the Democracy have furnished the main
pillars of the abolition Church. do not
care to know, therefore, whether the Cover
nor of Connecticut claims to be a Democrat or
Wing That which wish to know is, will
this slavery agitation be allowed to cease?


Can travel through the State of New York
with my servant, without his being stolen
from me? Can | 80 to Ohio to rocapturo "A
slave, without being sued ard held to bail on
account for work and labor done during the
time he was held as my property under the
laws ofmy State Can go anywhere at the
North without being Cbstructcd in the pur-
suit Of my constitutional rights? viii any
Northern Governor surrender a frlon who has
deprived nlc of my property? Until you can
convince and answer these questions to my
satisfaction neither my voice or my vote shall
ever be given for IL reconstruction of the
Cnlon. have heard others say, and possb
you may say, that all these matters will be
righted, if we will only give you time Very
wolI, take as much time as you p2rse We
do not prop Sc to limit you at all in that mat.
ter, but we intend to remain out of the part
nership until it is done. 1t is your business
90 to work and do it. After it is finished
you will be in condition to make PROPOSE
tions, and we can listen to them without dis.
honor. In the meantime as a prccauton
against the possible failure Of your efforts, we
will 80 on TO build up such government as
Will be osuiicient for the protection of our
rights


There is another clause of your letter which
must not pass over unnoticcd. You say
" If the Southern States desire peace they
can have it, but they cannot maimtnin it by
armed violence, which will surely boect arm. !
ed opposition" We do desire peace, but we
are not willing to purchase it at the sacrifice
OF our manhood aud threats of coercion will |
not frightcn us into quiescencc. We have
been guilty of no violeuce--we have armed
ourselves ms it becomes free people to do |
when their liberties are endangered, and have
prepared TO welcome all invaders in strict no.
cordance with the advice of Northern states
man--with bloody hands to hospitable graves.
No collision will take place unless you bring |
ii about. but Won Inust disn,ieS from ,.o,r |