Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-03-24


: as the representatives Of the State Of Mis-
1 sissippi, on the express ground that the
E. July election was unconstitutional and
/, void. This decision was predicated upon
= the obvious principle that the constitution
oil the United States, expressly delegates
! to the State Legislatures the power Of de-
, signaling the time, place and manner Of
election, uncontrolled, except by law Of
Congress; and that the Legislature Of Mis-
sissippi having, in the legitimate exercise
: Of this power, fixed the first Monday and
day following of November, as the time
: for the election Of her representatives to
the 25th Congress, the Governor had no
authority to change the time so designated.
: So far the House Of Representatives.
} honorably rectiied an acknowledged err
} ror into which they had falen and sus-
tanned you against the attack which had
been made by Messrs. Claiborne and
, Gholson upon your most sacred constitu-
tional rights, and these gentlemen were
justly turned out of the seats to which they
} had chung with such desperate lenacity.-
| would, for the honor OF the American
nation, | could stop here. No sooner,
however, had the House decided that The
July election was void, because November
was the only time at which an election
could be valid, than they turned around
and again decided that the November cleo
ton was void, because Of the error into
which the House had fallen; and this de-
ciSion was made upon the avowed and mon
strous doctrine that you could not exer-
else your admitted constitutional right |
ofchoosing representatives, so long as the !
blunder Of the House in relation TO il re-
NAMED unacknowledged.
The highest political right which apper-
talns to you was suspended, and the State
OF Mississippi totally DISTINGUISHED, not by
any fault of her own, but through the &C.
knowledged ignorance Of the House,
While the House was in error, you could
not exercise your rights and simple res.
olutIon ofthe Federal House Of Represen-
tatlves, by this decision, is sufficient at any I
Time, not only to modify but destroy the s
right OF representation Of any or every ,
State in the Union. No one denied that, l.
IN pursuance Of the law and the Constitu- |
ton, you had elected me as your represen. /
tatlVe. 1t was your right to elect any BODY {
that was denied. 1t was decided that YOUR =
election IN July was void, on account of
the November election, and that the No l
vember election was void, on account of h
the erroneous decision Of the House in fa.
vor OF the July election. Thus, at pe-
Rod when, of all others, your interests
most require attention, and questions of
vital Importance are agitating the country, d
you are Jugglcd out Of your whole right of G
representation in the popular branch Of n
the National Legislature, and the reason =,
assigned is, that the blunders of the House :,
oil Representatives are constitutional laws,
aud paramount TO the admitted consti,u. a
tlonal laws of the States, and of force Ii
sufficient TO annul the same. Doctrinesl-
90 t"darol '''N 20 ~s~A~ L-c~.~ ID 20 4
this Government; and, if they be correct,
then is the House of Representatives u
deSpot, and the rights Of the States exist n
only IN imagination. If such doctrines c
are correct, what prevents Congress from ;,
declaring itselfperpetual-a rump paria- :,
ment-and then asserting, as they have in :
the present instance, that, so long as that
decision remains unrescinded, the consti-
utional power of the States to hold their r
regular elections is suspended, and their
avs nullifed? C
Upon the question of the validity of the m
November election, the vote stood at tie, hi
md the speaker had the glorious inlamy NJ
# deciding 1t against you. A single Rep
esentntive from another State exerci- ~
ed the power Of denying your right to is
ny representation; and the still small nc
DICE Of James K. Polk deprived YOU of n,
hat which hundred thousand bayonets
ould not have forced from you. re
wish you distinctly to understand that 81
our right Of election, either in July or pc
November has been solemnly denied and ne
epudlatcd. | told the House that YOU ca
you'd not submit quietly to have your -
lectve franchise trodden beneath the -
ron heel of federal despotism, and tina, la
mere was no possession you would not tn
ooner part with than your right of repre- fol
cnlation, that great legacy OF the revoIu- wi
on. Was right or wrong in thus speak T.,
lg for you? Whether right or wrong, -"
poke my own sentiments when denoun Jec
ed, as did, the action of the House as n Mi
lain and palpable violation of the Consti. N,
ltion; a foul, high.handed, ana tyrnnni. l.,
Al usurpatlon. looked with scorn and ~
erlSlon upon the juggling and hypocriti- Is
u pretcnce OF sending the election back Tor
u t"o F""PSse &c NSse.t~iainS your ,,i,h chs
!, when you had spoken. through all clu
our legal and constitutional forms. in a
olce which an idiot could not fail W.
have understood. The House has deci. mas
ID that both your election in July and cpl
ovembor, are void; and yet they permi, gro
Q Representative from Arkansas to hold 70 >,
$ seat under two elections precisely par. ~.
lei. .r -aa rep
tell you candidy and honestly my own the
Inlon OF the whole transaction, and corr
We been close and attentive observer ouel