stitious bondage into the
light of religious freedom, shall we sink back to what she was, by
casting ourselves into the whirlpool of civil war? Shall we not only
put out, but shatter, the lamp of liberty, a lamp whose effulgence was
beginning to scatter the shades of despotism from off the earth? Shall
we extinguish the brightest star in the constellation of human freedom?
The united voices of Humanity, Justice, & Reason answer, _No!_ The
cries of myriad free men living, & of millions yet unborn, rend the air
with a universal negative! and from the vaulted canopy of heaven there
swells back the solemn echo, "_God forbid!_" As if augmented by the
mournful strain of 10,000 angels hovering in amazement over the
conflicting scene! _Oh! then let the North beware!_

Mrs. Tompkins says that if _you_ can justify your Bro. Ulysses in
drawing his sword against those connected by the ties of blood, and
even boast of it, you are at liberty to do so, _but she can not_. And
should one of those kindred be stricken down by his sword the awful
judgment of God will be meted out to him, &, if not repented of, the
hot thunderbolts of His wrath will blaze round his soul through
eternity. On the contrary, if the _vice versa_ should occur, she thinks
"those kin" would be justified, because in _self-defence_. As to Mr.
_John Marshall's_ being _promoted_ in the army of Lincoln, she thinks
_that fact explains itself:_ he spent much of his time _previously_
seeking, or at least _expecting, promotion_, & failing in a _laudable
way_,--in defence of his own kindred & the home of his bosom
companion!--he resorted to _Yankeedom_, and sold as it were his
birthright for a mess of Abolition pottage. This helps confirm my view,
that many take positions in Lincoln's Army with the expectation of
military promotion, & the hope of an easy conquest of the South. Oh,
how deluded! But as for many of them, "God forgive them, for they _know
not what they do_."

But I must bring these desultory remarks to a break-off. So, begging
pardon once more for transgressing the limits of formality, and hoping
you may live to see the verification of many of my remarks, I have the
pleasure of signing myself

THE SECRETARY OF YOUR AUNT RACHEL

P.S. If you sh^d write again, please use white paper; it almost gives
me the "blues" to read your letter.

[Footnote 3: Representatives.]

[Footnote 4: Publications.]

[Footnote 5: Population.]

***END OF THE PR