far to produce the general conviction, that popular elections
might be better and could not be worse.
I hope some check will be put upon the power of the Legislature
to spend money. But I must desist. The one idea that I
have been endeavouring to present is the necefsity for good practical
sense in the Convention ~
As to the Adjustment Bill, I fear that my views do
not as well coincide with yours, as has been usual between us
I regreat it very much, as if I were not very clear in
my convictions, I should be brought to review them, in order to discover
where the error lies. But I am very decided in my convictions --
The adjustment Bill will operate, and is designed to operate
as a surrender on the part of the South. I do not believe
that a sensible man in the Senate, believes for an instant
that under this Bill, the South will have the slightest change
for a foot of the territory. And then we are to pay our part
of the money to Texas, -- to [admit] the right of congrefs to interfere
with Slavery in the District of Columbia, -- and to accept a
very inadequate and insufficient provision for the recapture of
fugitive slaves. And after all it will be no settlement of
the question. The Wilmot Proviso will come up again, and be pafsed too, if the north find it necefsary for their purposes to do so
This bill does not kill it, and is not based, as it should be
upon the idea that the Proviso is wrong. It simply goes upon
the idea that it is unnecefsary, and thereby gives it a quasi-sanction
Submitted and transcribed by: Susan Shields Sasek. I don't know who the letter was sent to, but my great aunt Virginia
Butler Priddy gave it to my father many years ago (if I remember
correctly, sometime in the 1970s).
[SSS Note --
characters or words in brackets [ ] are either my comments or items
that I either could not read or wasn't sure about]
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