REPORTS AND PUBLIC LETTERS.

285

THE ADDEESS

Of the Southern Delegates in Congress , to their Con-stituents.

[It is due to the members of the Southern Delegation in Con­ gress , who were opposed to the Address which follows, as well asto its author and supporters, that the subjoined correspondenceshould accompany its publication. This is not the proper placeto inquire into the motives or reasons which may have controlledthe conduct of the dissenting members. Of these the reader mustform his own opinions. We deal only with the facts as they ap-pear on the record.— Editor.]

Senate Chamber, February 2d, 1849.

Dear Sir, — I addressed a note to you on the 29th ult.,requesting to be furnished with a certified copy of the ad-dress of the southern delegates, reported to, and adopted by,the committee of fifteen, which you were kind enough tosay, verbally, you would furnish me with as soon as you hadleisure, as others opposed the address as well as myself; andas it is deemed due to all who did so that the original shouldbe published, I respectfully request you, as the secretary ofthe meeting, to publish the address as agreed to by the com-mittee of fifteen, reported to and acted upon by the meetingin the Senate chamber on the 15th ultimo, or furnish mewith a copy for that purpose.

Very respectfully, yours,

Tho. J. Rusk.

Hon. A. W. Venable.

In compliance with the desire of G-en. Rusk, a memberof the committee of fifteen, on its first organization, I withgreat pleasure publish the original address reported fromthat committee to the meeting of the southern members ofCongress on the 15th of January. The modifications andchanges appear by a comparison with that published in your