Edward William Johnston to James Henry Hammond, March 9, 1836

[Edward William Johnston at Columbia, South Carolina, to Hammond at Washington City, March 9, 1836. See glossary of names following letter. My rough transcript. Original in James Henry Hammond Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.] 
Columbia [South Carolina] 9th March 1836.

My dear Hammond

I wrote to you, about a week since, in reply to your last long letter. You will since have seen that one proposed to have had a public meeting here on Monday (day before yesterday). We were compelled, by the state of the weather, to postpone it, which we did the less unwillingly because next Monday (court-day) will offer a better occasion. Everything is ready for that time. Old Cooper and I have prepared the Resolutions; and I have engaged Bookler to move them. They are not in denunciation of Pinckney nor of his Union accomplices. Him we shall mark with marked disapprobation, but them not at all. Our business is to condemn him, chiefly on general propositions, and by expressing our warm approval of the course of our true Representatives, all of whom we mention by name, with thanks. Pinckney we must not abuse, 'till his own constituents have dealt upon him: and Manney & Rogers we must leave entirely unmentioned. 

The former of these, by the bye, sent me, a day or two since, Talmadge's speech on the Abolition question. I thought it rather a shame that he should be circulating such things among us. 

We are here in a difficult situation. Columbia has, to a great degree, lost its lead, in the movements of the State. We have, since Preston quitted us, no one capable of directing things. Charleston takes the lead; but does it badly -- wants energy and simplicity and rationality of views -- is guided, in a word, too much by merely local policy. It cannot therefore act for the State, and will never carry with it any warm concert in the interior. Hamilton is absorbed in his damned Bank, and cannot, indeed, be expected to suffice for everything. He is really alone, in Charleston -- entirely without second or support. Hayne is a poor devil. McDuffie is the only man whose position fits him to wield the State; and he never comes among us, and mixes with nothing that can carry on public movement. You see, therefore, the state of helplessness in which we are. I have not a soul to consult with, except old Cooper, and nobody to act upon the people for me. Every thing has to be done by the Press. Butler is away. Elmore absent (tho' he would do nothing if he were here). I need say nothing of Gregg & DeSaussure. As for McCord, he is only in the way. 

I sat down, merely to let you know of the course as to the Public meeting. Cooper had rec'd a long & gloomy letter from Pickens. I shall speak, in the next paper, of the present position of things. It is really necessary to alarm our people. This matter does not give them half of the apprehension it should.

In haste, Your
Ed. W. Johnston  

Glossary of South Carolina names:

The Columbia Telescope, 1828-1839. Weekly, semi-weekly. Algernon Sidney Johnston was one of its publishers. 

Pierce Mason Butler, Governor of SC, December 1836-1838
John C. Calhoun, US Senator (Nullifier)

William Campbell Preston, US Senator (Nullifier)
Thomas Cooper (1759-1839), ex-President of SC College
Henry William de Saussure (1763-1839)
Franklin Harper Elmore, US Rep (States Rights Democrat)

William J, Grayson, US Rep. (Nullifier)

James Henry Hammond, US Rep. (Nullifier)
Robert Young Hayne, Intendant of Charleston, 1836-1837

Richard Irvine Manning (Jacksonian)

David James McCord (1797-1855), editor of The Telescope in its earlier incarnation
George McDuffie, Governor of SC, 1834-1836

Frances W. Pickens, US Rep. (Nullifier)

Henry C. Pinckney, US Rep. (Nullifier)

James Rogers, US Rep (Jacksonian)

Robert Barnwell Smith (later Robert Barnwell Rhett)

Waddy Thompson, US Rep. (Anti-Jackson)

James Talmadge (1778-1853) of New York

US House of Reps. seating chart from Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives can be found here.