Year: 1860

RICHMOND, Nov. q, 1890.


My DEAR SIR: l have been endeav-
oring to make an opportunity for some
days past, to answer your friendly and
secductire letter, but my whole time, day
and night, has been so constantly occu-
pied with matters that could not be
postponed, that until the present l have
been compelled to defer it----and even
now | must be brief.


/ speak of your letter as being seduc-
tive; L refer, of course, to those portions
of it which hold our promises of future
greatness, if will "seize upon the pres
ent occasion with nervous grasp, and
guide the movement in favor of seces.
sion," which you think is fixed and in
evitable; and many charming woman
has sacrificed her honor and reputation to
the insidious tempter, under far less i'm
posing circumstances than those you pre-
sent for my consideration; but it was only
because they had not the firmness to say,
as | do now say to you, in the language
ofour Saviour" Get thee behind me Satan.


do not concur with you in opinion
that the dissolution of the Union is inevi-
table; the sky looks threatening l grant
you, but so it has done before, and yet
the clearest sunshine has succeeded, with
out a shower Of rain or peal of thunder
so | trust it will be again, But If 1t
should be otherwise, and the Government
of the United States is to be overthrown,
| am determined that no part Of the folly,
the ,cickedaess, or the CRIME shall be charg-
ed upon me, either by the wise and good
men Of the present age or those Of gener-
atoms yet to come.


True, South Carolina has rushed on
with headlong impetuosity wholly un.
suited to the gravity of the occasion, as
if she were afraid to trust herself with
time for calm dcliberation-relying more
upon passion than upon the wisdom of
her people; and it may be, that under q
ridiculous and false idea of becoming
pride and true greatness, she may involve
herself in very serious difficulty; she may
even declare herself out of the Union; she
did so by Ordinance in Convention in
1888; but still the Union was not rent
asunder, nor will it now be, as l think.
No other State is likely to go with her,
and what is best, and snrest of all, Vir-
ginia certainly will NOT in her present
state of mind.


If L could sec the least semblance OF
Justification in the attitude South Caro-
lima has assmed, would sympathizc with
her-but l cannot, for reasons already
given in my speech, which you say you
have Just read. / see nothing in that
position but plain, bold, daring, .fatJoOted
rebellion against, and treason to the rest OF
the States, and | cannot, under any con-
tingency, be induced to take sides with
her in her disloyalty and treachery. -
Who can ask it of me when her own
most trusted and active leader, Mr..
Yancey, in his Montgomery speech, said:


"If / understand my distinguished
friend from Virginia, (Mr. Pryor) the
election of black Republican President
would be an iss ue for disunion. i under
stand my learned colleague, (Mr. Hilliard. J
to say that upon that issue he would be
ready to dissolve the Union. l say with
all Difference to my colleagues here, that
no more inferior issue could be rendered
to the South upon which we could dis
solve the Union, than the loss of an elcc.
ton. When am asked to raise the flag
ofrerolstion against an election under the
form of law and constitution, 4 am asked
10 do an unconstitutional thing, according
to the Constitution as it now exists.
am asked to put myself in the position OF
a REBEL, of TRAITOR; in position, where
if the Government should succeed, and
put down rerolution ] and nv friends can
be arraigned pefore the Supreme Court
Of the United States, and there be SEN.
fenced TO be hanged, for riolating the Con.
stitntioa and ld,cs Of my country"


Such is the admission Of the leader
whom you propose to follow, and you
make an earnest appeal to me to unite
with you in assuming the position Of a
rebel and traitor, for which l may be
sentenced to be hanged for violating the
Constitution and laws Of my country
Pardon me, my respected, but impctuous
friend, but I had rather not am impelled
by every consideration of honor and duty
to decline your very polite invitation.
Do you doubt, or does any sensible and
rejecting man doubt, that Mr.. Yancy de.
scribed truly the situation which every
man occupies who favors the movement
Of South Carolina, because Of the election