Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1837-10-17


abolshing slavery IN the State OF Mlssls-
sippi All wiz Concede this to DC Po'Pa'
bic assumption of undelegaled power OF
in other words, n usurpatlon. NOW, MIS-
sissippi mus, either submit to TINS uSurPo,
ton, or she must oppose it. would say
oppose, by an act of nulllhcatloh' Nno
how would this be done. Let the peoPe
assemble in convention and declare TINS
usurpaton to be of no force within mel
limits. and release her citizens from u!
obligations of obedience to this uncohsu
1hi9"2I Gah Of b6dGsBf6F' pFr SsXStn'"IH nc
usurpation is put down, and the General
Government is suffered to move on with
outinterruptlon in its constitutional sphere
Not a sword has been unsheathed, nuIl-
fication has been put in force peaceabIy,
and the evil or usurpation is, in the Ian
guage of Virginia, arrested. Here is
nothing revolutionary. But as | observed
before, the question may assume a differ
ent aspect. Suppose that the General
Government should resolve to enforce at
the point of the bayonet, this nSnrPdti0a,
which Mississippi has in her highest sovc-
reign capacity, declared to be palpably
unconstitutional, and Of no force within
her limits! Imagine, if you please, an
army of fanatics assembled upon our bor-
ders to do the work of butchery. Imagine
further the chief of this mighty host ami
mating his myrmidons on to blood, in such
strains as these:
Fellow-Soldiers, This is an era sig
naiized by grand improvements in the
science of government. Empires have
risen, spread their ample wings, and in
the twnkling of an eye, have tumbIed to-
nought. Republics too, have arose as
bright as the morn, achieved an ephemeral
etfulgence, and anarchy or despotism has
come like the night and sealed their doom.
There was no Napoleon then, "hashng
forth like burning shield" to blind and
dazzle free men into slavery. | was born
TO command, and this republic shall stand
till the heavens pass away as scroll. I
Military force is the sole engine for pre- |
serving a confederacy, and the reason for
appealing to the sword, in this instance,
Is ten fold stronger, whore we behold
twenty six States aspiring after sovereign
~ and separate existence. My motto is,
the "Unon must be preserved" and you
know this cannot be done so long as sim
gle vestige Of State independence remains.
FeIow-SoIdiers, you are charged with the
awful responsibility of enforcing at the
point of the bayonet palpable usurpatlon
of the Genera Government. Their UiI
is the supreme law of the land, and IN
woke you, in the name of your hresides,
your hearths. and affairs. invoke you in
the name of that Constitution which we
all have sworn to support, to lift high
your swords in unfolding the aciN of a
majority in Congress, though in palpable
violation of that instrument Onward,
then, onward, the die is cast. the Rubicon
must be passed-we will make civil war
CLEAN in the horizon, and redden many a
stream with the gore of our brethren of
Mississippi. Nerve your hearts for the
as brilliant triumph as Caesar,
my immortal prototype, achieved upon the
plains of Pharsaia awaits thee, and will
teach this obstinate and refractory mem
Der of the confederacy that her supreme
allegiance is due the General Govern
ment, that she must bow herself down at
the feet Of majority in Congress, though
wan'only trampGng upon the Consttu-
ton. Tothc charge, then, fellow-soldiers,
raze their battlements, strike down the
affairs of their liberty, and let your watch {
word be blood and submission.
What, Sir, must the high-minded State
of Mississippi do, with a commander thus ,
haranguing his troops upon her borders? {
Let free men answer. Must she still burn {
incense upon the altar of her unconstitu- {
tiona oppressors? Must she crouch.
tawn, and lick the foot that is ready to s
trampe her in the dust? Threatened with
total annlhilaton, what is to be done?
There is no alternative but slaviSh submits
sion, or resistance by force; and what
course does patriotism dictate? Southern
pride, southern chi airy would be awaken
ed, and before one sun had gone by,
'"'"'""u' VI S"ldut SplTllS would rush 10
arms who never dreamed of shouldering
their musket, to oppose the usurpations Of
the General Government. The ind gna-
ton of wronged, incensed, and uncon-
stltutlonally oppressed people, would swell
their bosoms to bursting; they would roll
Ike mountain waves to the standard of
liberty, and the call to arms would meet
wiling response in thousands of patri-
ohc bosoms. Forced to this dernier re-
sort, by the hoadlong usurping course of
Inc General Government, she can Law her
hand upon her heart and protest her inno-
cence. And would ask all rejecting men
this one question, Who is most to blame, |
the State for resisting the usurpations of
the General Government, or the General
Government, the author Of the usurpaton,