table share of what you deem severe, to the account
of the abolitionists at large. They have accumulated against the
slaveholders a balance of invective, which, with all our efforts, we
shall not be able to liquidate much short of the era in which your
national debt will be paid. At all events, I have no desire to offend
you personally, and, with the best wishes for your continued health, I
have the honor to be,

Your obedient servant,
J. H. HAMMOND.

THOS. CLARKSON, Esq.

FOOTNOTE:

[255] On this subject, J. Q. Adams, in his letter to the citizens of
Bangor, Maine, July 4th, 1843, said: "It is only as _immortal_ beings
that all mankind can in any sense be said to be born equal; and when the
Declaration of Independence affirms as a self-evident truth that all men
are born equal, it is precisely the same as if the affirmation had been
that all men are born with immortal souls."--Life of J. Q. Adams, page
395.--_Editor._

LETTER II.

Ignorance of Abolitionists--Arguments of
Abolitionists refuted--Abolitionism leads to
Infidelity--Law of Force a law of Love--Wages of
Slaves and of hired labor--Results of emancipation
to the world--Falsehoods of Abolitionists--English
estimate of our Northern citizens--British
interference in the politics of our
country--Sensitiveness of the Southern
People--Rise and progress of Fanaticism.

SILVER BLUFF, S. C., March 24, 1845.

SIR--In my letter to you of the 28th January--which I trust you have
received ere this--I mentioned that I had lost your circular letter soon
after it had come to hand. It was, I am glad to say, only mislaid, and
has within a few days been recovered. A second perusal of it induces me
to resume my pen. Unwilling to trust my recollections from a single
reading, I did not, in my last communication, attempt to follow the
course of your argument, and meet directly the points made and the terms
used. I thought it better to take a general view of the subject, which
could not fail to traverse your most material charges. I am well aware,
however, that for fear of being tedious, I omitted many interesting
topics altogether, and abstained from a complete discussion of some of
those introduced. I do not propose now to _exhaust_ the subject; w