Letter from Spencer Adams to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; February 20, 1860

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Letter from Spencer Adams to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; February 20, 1860

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People

Adams, Spencer Buchanan, James, 1791-1868 Moore, Thomas Overton, 1804-1876 Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867

Events

Crime Crime--Treason Military Events--Insurrections Secession. American Civil War

Organizations

United States--Congress

Places

Alabama--Marengo County. Shiloh Bodies of Water--Interstate. Mississippi River Bodies of Water--Interstate. Ohio River Georgia Louisiana--Orleans Parish. New Orleans New York--Bronx County. New York South Carolina

Social Identifiers

African Americans African Americans--Enslaved People

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[seal]

Shiloh Marengo Co. Ala
Feby the 20^th 1860.

Governor, Petus—

My Dear sir

I am of opinion that at least, it will be ^no^ harm for me to enclose to you a copy of the political por-tion of a letter I reserved a few days ago from New York City—it is as follows—

"I do not think there will be any real secession after all as ^I^ take it, that ^the^ interest of men will Govern them. If not, a civel war of the most disasterous kind will folow, and then the danger will be, that all slaves will be free. Such is the result of all past history. The North is not yet distrubed much, and think it all depends on the imbecility of the President who—ought to have providence for the exeg-gency, which would have prevented the difficulty. Some of the Northern States are talking about blockading the mouth of the Ohio, and Southern ports, and if need be, go down the Mississippi with an army of fifty thousand men, and [?] New Orleans or blockup the river. Th^e^y will not Coerce they ^say^ a State, but will punish all offenders requested the laws found engaged in insurrection, rebellion or treason. What the end will be, of course I cannot

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foresee, or tell. I regret the State of things deeply, and my fears increase when I see the spirit of the North rising gradually up to the war point—for when once an army of one handed thousand men, is in the field, armed and provided as they will be, and ably commanded—no man can tell, what will happen, or, what res-ult, Short of dispotism can be attained the new adminstration, by wise mode-ration, firmess, decision and [?] toall, may avert it."

The Gentlemen who wrote the above, is an ex member of Congress, and has the character of being a Sorude poli-tician—I do not believe the north will" ocupy New Orleans and block up the Mississippi—They could however, if not prevented—I have no doubt that you have already detemined they shall not, by pla-cing military establishments on the river, to prevent them.

Were I now, president of the United States, and had resolved—On subjugating the Seceding States, I Should mos^t^ certainly begin by Sending a naval plate in to the Gulf, And by decending the Mis-sissippi with an army—

The people of the Northern States are particularly exasperated with

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Louisana—As she was purchased they claim a property right in here and they also claim, that the Mississippi River, is Common property, and ofcourse they have a right to decend it with an army, and no state has a right to Complain—

I do not much like the polit-cal aspect is the Seceding States—South Carolina has sold herself to Georgia, for her Strong protecting arm, and the Gulf States are severalle and betrayed—this is my opinion See the Gulf States unite and take care of themselves—I have labored hard for the last five, years to bring above the present state of things ^in^ the Cotton States, but if we do not watch men closely, and [direct?] public affairs wisely, we shall not gain much—

Yours with much esteem

Spencer Adams

to
Gov Petus

PS, The foregoing you are at liberty to use ~~this~~ as you think best, the Gov of Louisana should be on the the alert—

In the Early port of 1859 [?] a pamphlet in favor of a "gulf Confederacy" I will send you a copy—
S A

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Feby 20^th 1860
Spencer Adams—political ideas &c