Senator John C. Calhoun to James H. Hammond,* December 7, 1849

Washington 7th Dec 1849

MY DEAR SIR, I would regard the failure of the Convention, called by Mississippi, to meet, from the want of endorsement by the other Southern States to be a great, if not fatal misfortune. It would be difficult to make another effort to rally, and the North would consider it as conclusive evidence of our division or indifference to our fate. The moment is critical. Events may now be controlled; but, it will be difficult, if not impossible to control their course hereafter. This is destined to be no ordinary session. We shall need the backing of our constituents; and the most effectual we can have, would be the endorsement by the other Southern States of the Mississippi call.

I do not think that our state should hold back, and wait for the movement of the other states. If we act at all, it must be through the members of the Legislature, during the session, and, of course, the movement must be made the next few weeks. If we do not move, other states will be backward to move. As jealous as they may be of us, they still look to us to give the signal. Nor do I think, that we should make the meeting depend on the coming of, 8, or any other number of states. It would, I fear, throw the indifferent against the Convention, and tend to defeat it. If the meeting should not be full, it would be a good reason for taking no decisive action and for calling another Convention, accompanied by an Address to the other States.

I feel deep solicitude in reference to the subject. With the endorsement by the other States of the call, I see my way; but without it, I do not. If South Carolina backs it, the Convention will meet, but without it, it will almost certainly fail. I do hope you will concur in these views, and add your influence to induce the members of our Legislature to appoint delegates.

No one regretted more than I did the course of the Carolinian in reference to the subject to which you allude. I took immediate measures to counteract its ill effect. The disease has got beyond the control of presidential influence. As to the office, I not only do not desire it, but would not accept it, if tendered to me, under existing circumstances.

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* Original lent by Mr. E. S. Hammond.

SOURCE: J. Franklin Jameson, Editor, Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1899, Volume II, Calhoun’s Correspondence: Fourth Annual Report of the Historical Manuscripts Commission, Correspondence of John C. Calhoun, p. 775-6