5

[several sentences here written diagonally across the main text and illegible]
and perhaps, under God, relieve the
County, North and South, from the
awful prospect which is before us.

For my own part, I have not shrunk
from the open expression of my opinions,
for which I have been very heartily abused,
as “a Northern man with Southern princi-
ples.” Yet, although I have maintained
that you had as good a [underscore] right [underscore closed] to secede as
the colonies had to throw off the govern-
ment of England. I have not yet seen
the [underscore] policy [underscore closed] or [underscore] wisdom of the act, [underscore closed] because
the election of Mr. Lincoln was not, of it
self, any evidence that your rights under
the Constitution were in danger. The ma-
jority in the Senate and the House of Repre-
sentatives were not subject to Republican
[distraction?], and in fact the president was
not elected by a majority of the people.
Nor indeed could I doubt that the next
election would have overthrown the Sec-
tional party altogether. But the past is now
irreversible. May God, in mercy, direct the
present and the future, in accordance with
His will, for the best interests of His Church
and of both the great sections of our own
United Country! With kindest regards to your
dear wife & family, yr ever faithful & affectionate
brother in Christ, John M. Hopkins