Letter from L. J. McCormick to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; May 11, 1861

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Letter from L. J. McCormick to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; May 11, 1861

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People

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 McCormick, L. J.Moore, A. B. (Andrew Barry), 1807-1873 Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Smith, Davie

Events

Crime Crime--Treason Emancipation and self emancipation Suicide

Occupations

Alabama. Governor Writers

Places

Alabama Great Britain Jackson (Miss.)Lauderdale (Miss.)

Social Identifiers

Abolitionists African Americans Historically free and newly freed African Americans

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[seal]

Lauderdale Springs, Miss. May 11. 1861

His Excellency J. J. Pettus Gov. of Miss}
Jackson}

Dear Sir

Enclosed please find my educational Circular, from which you will learn my opinion ^of^ the abolition nurseries of the South. On yesterday I wrote Gov A. B. Moore of Ala a long and spicy letter, showing up Southern traitors & treason.

The friends of the South could never teach her patriotism ~~and~~^or^ sense; and I now hope & pray that her enemies, with Old Abe at their head, will bring her to her senses. I hope, Sir, that the South will never obtain peace, prosperity, mercy or justice so long as an abolition School Book or newspaper is used on her soil, or as long as she continues to pur=chase any article whatever from the South. Like many other Southern Sons I have been treated with great injustice by the South. But I now thank God that as the South has treated me just so is the North now treating her. As the South despised my friendship and efforts so the North despises hers—as the South brought me to want, by not buying and using my productions, so the North is bringing her to want—as she subjugated me by niggardly neglect and encouraging Abolition Authors, so the North is now subjugating her by waging a war of extermination against her rights and best interests. As I was a fool in attempting to sustain the South so has the South been a greater fool in sustaining the North and its Abolition Authors. I do not think that God Almighty is yet supplied with mercy enough to save the South, after her many wrongs to her Authors & manufacturors; and how contemptible and humiliated

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she must now feel on calling on these Authors and Manufacturers, for their aid in these days of her tribulation, whose efforts and exist=ence she so recently despised and wronged. I have cautioned her against he^r^ present dangerous position, for more than twenty-five years, but the yankee taught old fool laughed with scorn at my friendly admonitions and persisted in starving me and feeding Davie Smith & other Abolition Authors. There is but one ^thing^ that on earth that I have a greater contempt for than Southern injustice, foolery and treason and that one thing is Northern rascality and Negro Stealing. No one but a consummate robber can tolerate the latter, nor can any one but a natural fool ~~can~~ survive the former.

I have tried to make a decent living by making Iron, Steam Engines and Books for the South, but before this can be done, by a citizen of the South, she must be taught sense, justice, truth ~~and~~ patriotism, and the [curse?] of her free negro policy, so long developed in the making of money in the South and spending it in the North.

With her own resources, the North can double her population in ten years, and with the reso^u^rces of the South, and her own, she can quadruple it in the same time. Now, if the South was one grade higher than a free negro, in observation, thought, and self preser=vation, she must certainly see that our subjugation and dishonor are but things of time; but I have been a fool in supposing that the South had sense enough to see these simple truths. She has been led to her destruction by her good northern friends, and Southern demagogues and her much loved Abolition Authors, and may the Lord help her for she will not be able to help herself much longer, with her present free-negro policy.

The object of this letter was intended to make some effort to supply Mississippi with suitable School Books, but I believe the Southern people to be so completely subjugated, men=tally, by the North that ~~that~~ they are disqualified for rendering any attention to a Southern Author, and much less courtesy or justice.

I desire to obtain the opinion of your Excellency in regard to this subject, as I have no intention of longer remaining among a people that are to be exterminated or dishonored by their own folly, suicide and treason. I have no further use for the South or the Southern people, if they longer refuse to give me justice; and I wish to make my arrangements for an early departure, when I shall rely on the British Flag for that peace and prosperity so long refused me by my motherland

I have been a friend to the south and have in vain entreated her for justice; and if she now prefers my enmity to my friendship she shall have it with compound interest.

Yours Most Respectfully, in haste
L. J. M^cCormick