This collection of letters exchanged between South Carolina Senator James Henry Hammond and prominent Maryland lawyer John H.B. Latrobe provides a unique window into the pro-slavery arguments advanced by southern politicians in the years leading up to the Civil War. Hammond, a fervent defender of slavery, engages in detailed legal and political discussions with Latrobe, who challenges many of his assumptions and offers alternative perspectives on the issues. This book is an essential resource for anyone seeking to understand the complex debates over slavery and the Union that dominated American politics in the 1850s and 1860s. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.