Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869 to D. W. Burroughs
Order a pdf of this item here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02634 Author/Creator: Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869 Place Written: Washington, District of Columbia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 18 March 1838 Pagination: 4 p. : docket ; 25.3 x 20.3 cm. Order a Copy
Pierce, writing as a United States Senator from Vermont, responds to a letter from Reverend Burroughs. In reference to their conflicting views on slavery, promises to send Burroughs a copy of the United States Constitution, as he requested. Writes, "I am no advocate of slavery. I wish it had no existence upon the face of the Earth, but as a public man, I am called upon to act in relation to an existing states of things- one, which neither you or I have had any agency in producing- One older than that Constitution of our Country and expressly recognized by it." Argues that violent abolitionists in the North have "postponed the Emancipation of the colored population in Maryland and Kentucky..." Notes that slavery in the South can only be abolished, "by the consent and agency of the Southern people themselves or by revolution." Perceives that a civil war would "carry ruin & desolation to every portion of this Country and probably result in the extermination of the coloured population upon this Continent." Forgives the "three pages of abuse, which you have lavished upon me, in consideration of the high state of excitement and manifest delusion under which you wrote..."
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.