Washington 7th March 1848
MY DEAR DAUGHTER,
The letter from home enclosed with this, and mine to Mr Clemson will give you
all the Pendleton and political news, so that you must regard this but a brief
answer to your's by the Britania. I am happy to hear that you all, except
yourself, escaped the Influenza, and that you have recovered from its effects.
You must not
suppose, that in contending against corruption and interest, that I am impelled
by the hope of success. Had that been the case, I would long since have retired
from the conflict. Far higher motives impel me; a sense of duty; to do our best
for our country, and leave the rest to Providence. I hold the duties of life to
be greater than life itself, and that in performing them manfully, even against
hope, our labour is not lost, but will be productive of good in after times.
Indeed, I regard this life very much as a struggle against evil, and that to
him, who acts on proper principle, the reward
is in the struggle, more than in victory itself, although that greatly
enhances it. So strong is my faith in this belief, my dear Daughter, that no
appreciation of my efforts, either by the present, or after times, is necessary
to sustain me in struggling to do my duty in resisting wrong, especially where
our country is concerned, although I put a high value on renown. You will thus
see, that in struggling against the downward tendency of our country, it is not
because I do not take a just view of human nature, as you suppose, but because
I am actuated by higher motives, than what you attribute to me. But enough of
this.
I am not surprised,
that the powers of Europe so much dread changes. They are right; because what
are called reform, will lead to anarchy, revolution and finally to a worse
state of things than now exists, through the most erroneous opinions now
entertained both in Europe and this country by the movement, or popular party,
as to in wh[at] liberty consists, and by what means, it can be obtained and
secured. Their opinion of liberty is, neither more nor less, than Dorrism. . . .
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. 744-5
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