Year: 1861

LETTER FROM HON. MR.. NOELL.
Hon. John W. NOEL, of Missouri, Repre-.
sentative in Congress from the seventh district,
to one Of his constituents .#


WASHINGTON, Jan. IA, 1861.
It is well known that do not concur in this
doctrine of peaceable secession, as 1t is called
that do not believe that the Constitution of the
United States recognises the right OF individ.
uals or States to destroy it at pleasure, with or
without cause. Yet it is not too late to argue
that question. We have now to deal with facts,
not distractions. Secession now is no longer a
question. Revolution, with its black, tempestu
Gus countenance and bloody hands, stands be.
fore us. The extreme Southern States have
already cut loose from their moorngs. 1t is
fof the border States to determine what part
they will play in this great tragedy, for such /
must call it. That determination should not
be reached by the power Of passion, but by cool
deliberation and sober Judgment.


The disunion movement in the South has
hitherto been of extreme excitement. 1t is not
the result of calm judgment, conscious of in
tolerable wrong for which no redress is attain.
able Like all passionate movements, the
means of success are left to chance. No sys.
TEN Of finance or regular military organization
have been devised. In fact, in the fury Of the
moment, they have been almost forgotten.
What must be the inevitable result? l say, dis.
aster after disaster until we get into civil strife
among one another at the South. The revolu.
ton, as now organized, is failure in advance.
A failure, because its fruits turn to ashes on
our lips. We seek security and protection, but
we find, in the very morning Of our revolution.
ary existence, confscation and destruction.


If Missouri and the other border States,
stimulated by like passion and excitement,
rush headlong, blindtold, into this revolution,
they increase the magnitude Of the calamity,
and close the door forever against the last hope
of preserving the Constitution and the Union.
And what is to follow the revolution? The
North cannot conquer us, il she were to at
tempt it. This is not the danger ahead. Did
you ever examine critically the material ofwhch
these revolutions we're composed2 If you have,
you cannot have failed to discover that they
have been, with single exception, in the hands
of the turbulent and reckless, not the prudent
and wise.


Men of wisdom, men Of peace, men of prop
erty are always backward in these revolution.
ary times. Those who have nothing to lose
are ever foremost in the work of destruction.
From this cause, the leadership of the Southern
disunion movement will soon pass into the
hands of reckless political and military adven.
turers. A system of exaction upon the sub.
stantial men of the country will begin. They
will lay they hands on money, negroes, lands,
everything. Murmurs against these exactions
will be followed by confscation and-shall l
say it?-death!


Aye, horrid as may be the idea say death!
Then will begin to 90 up to heaven, as in the
days of the "reign Of terror" the walls of the
widow and the fatheress. Then, when too
late, alas too late, shall we be able to estimate
the blessings of this Government of law and
order, under whose protecting influence none
dare make us afraid. When we have reached
the climax of horrors, torn to pieces by factions,
involved in all the quarrels and strfes between
military rivals, with no country, no nationality,
no peace, no safety, we will fly from the bloody
scenes of an endless monarchy or an endless
anarchy to an absolute despotsm. Thus it will
| be that this most wonderful Government shall
die in the same century that gave it birth.


Surely, if the border States hold the power
to avert these calamities, it shonld be done.
They do hold this power, in my opinion. What,
then, should they do? My judgment is, that
they should act cautiously, deliberately. Rev
olution, we'll prepared for, is as practicable
as if we rush into it without preparation. If
we can get time, all our wrongs will be redress
ed. The desperate politicians are working
against time. They are afraid of the sober
second thought of the people. Mark my pre-.
dction-the disunion politicians of Missouri
will not allow the people to decide whether or
not they are to have Convention. Oh, no.


This would never do 1t would give the
people time to think for themselves. "We must
do the thinking for them. Ii we do not the
country will be saved, and we will be lost" is
the idea now uppermost in the minds Of the
dsunionists. Ny own judgment is, that the
border States should make wise and timely ar
rangements to promote their financial strength I;
to perfect their military organization, and as.
sumo the attitude of peacemakers, with arms
in hand to defend their own rights, when all
peaceful means have failed. If Missouri at last
is forced to assent TO dissolution Of the Union,
she must have guarantees that her rights and
interests will be secured in a Southern Con.
federacy.


The Gulf States are dictatorial in their man.
ner, and aristocratic in their tendencies. They
will insist upon bssing the right to vote on
property. The yeomanry Of Missouri will never
yield this point Free trade is to be a ruling
element The iron, lead, copper, and manu-.
factures of Missouri as well as the agricultural
interests depending on them, would go down
under the operation of such system. A sys-
ten of exorbitant direct taxation is abhorrent
to our people. We could not submit to it. II
we cannot live in peace under our present Gov
ernment then ! am not willing to risk any new
Confederation, without knowing how and where
we are to stand in it.


For these reasons, let Missouri prepare well
for contingencies, but stand cool and firm to
act as her own honor, dignity, and the happi.
ness of her people, demands. Above all let us
cling to the Union, as long as one ray of hope
remains that it may be saved. In giving ut.
terance to these sentiments, know that am
braving the epidemic that has seized the public
mind in my own State; but l am ready to
meet the consequences. l have no political
nbiton that could be gratifed by place and
power in miserable little sectional confedera.
cy or military despotism.


Very truly, yours, JOIN W. NoELL