Southern telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1834-1838, 1838-07-18

edge, and the unlimited enjoyment Of the
Christian RehglOn-and under the auspices
Of Divine Providence has arisen 10 her
present eminence, her splen1or and glory!
the Constitution, gentlemen, Of our com
try, is the invaluable inheritance descend
ed TO us from our illustrious ancestry. Is
il not an inheritance, too, Of which we
should be proudP An inheritance which
we should most dcyouty endeavor to pre-
serve and protect? TO DO, this, gentlemen,
as become citizezs of a government produc-
ing such owners Of future good--a govern
ment that makes all secure in the enjoyment
If their lives-their property-hnd their
ibertv--should be our constant aim and
most assiduous care. The Constitution of
the United States, if properly Recognized,
preserved, and protected, will long, yes
FoRENER secure us in the enjoyment of
our national honor, independence, and free
dom. But ifonce neglected, ifonce dehased
and trampled under foot, farewell to all !.
to our union, to our prosperity! Ages can
not again produce such another master
piece of human genius!
When we look back to what toil--what
talent--what patriotlsm--what enthusiastic
devotion for our country, sprang forth at the
dawn of the revolution, we would be called
Prescriptions, perhaps, Gentlemen, to say
that since those worthless arc gone. their
likes are not to be fourd. Yet, gentlemen,
hope there are none among US who are
50 much infatuated with the idea Of making
constitutions and organizing governments
anew, as to wish to try their unskilful hands
upon the fair form of our own national IA
brio. Let the constitution remain in its
original purity; let the laws made inpnr-
saance of 1t, be administered in a whole
some mannor,and fame im1erlshable, awaits
our nation-freedom is here to BE enjoyed
never known before. The armament Of
our political sphere is raised-the stars Of
independence bespangle her sky-and beam
10 complacency down on her votares be-
low! May never a gust of oppression sweep
across our land again; may never a cloud
of disunion hover in our elements; bit as
we, as nation, rise higher and higher IN
the political heavens Of our own American
world, may our constitution shed iustre
over our land, cast a radiance round our
Unions glory; and the God who prcsdes
over the destinies of the nations of the
earth, strike the paricidal arm with palsy
as it is raised TO inGct a wound on our
counry's name!
After a storm of eight years ceaseless
| Revolution hid subsidized, Gentlemen, and
peace wos restored among us, the pre-
cause of this treat charter of our liberties,
lost its efficacy TO preserve the pepetniy
Of the Union, ard The states without a lga-
ment to draw them more firmly together,
threatened to annihilate the very happiness
of the land. The articles of Confederation,
thought he production Of men whose minds
had Owed to the depths Of mathematics, and
scared to the heights Of philosophy" were
found entirely Insufficient to accomplish
the ends of their adoption. This total fail
ure to bind the several states together, and to
secure the citizens in the enjoyment OF
peace and prosperity, called aloud for some
thing more efficient TO effectuate this great
end. To do this was obviously serious
task. Genns was eqnired-tnanimity
must be had before the great design could
be accomplished. Anxiety was on tiptoe,
and the government was in imminent dan
ger of a dissolution. Means were soon
devised, however, 10 eradicate the evil, and
pleasure and 10y we're 10 smile on TIE land
again. The Convention on the part Of
the several states, who acted in framing
the Constitution and voted for its adoption,
consisted Of forty members-men Of the
most unexceptionable characters, and the
richest intellectual requirements. As a
mighty stream sweeping from its source
to its conjunction every obstacle that rear
ed itself against its tide, so inshrmountable
difficulties seemed to press upon them, when
they came to confer together on the cause
Of their meeting, aud seemed to admonish
them to relnquish an almost hopeless task.
else they would be borne away bv the vio-
lence of the threatening storm. They were
firm patriots devoted to their country. ia
that and that alone. Men from all parts Of
the country-some from the land of PHIL
FPS and CURRAN, GRATTAN and EmIErT-
men who had been spectators of the strug,
gling of their bold compatriots during the
slime that tried mems souls"-men who
had witnessed every danger to which thoil
country bad been exposed-and who had
seen the failure of the Particles of confed
Grafton" to promote the ends of their adop
ton--found it almost beyond human RENE
DIV and human concurrence TO surmoun
this threatening evil. To have brought
forth frail thing that would not have Of
fecfed the ends of its creation, would have
reflected dishonor and disgrace on the con
vcntion. The thought ofpresehtihg con
stitution 10 the several states for ratification
that would only have served to erase tho
present evil, and then persisted to intro
, duce others, ifpossible, of greater monen
of darker forebodlng-neoessariIy per
vaded the mids Of the Conv enhon. 1t wa
long and arduous study on their part t
properly frame, and adopt an instrumen
: that evhihited naw nFincinlas of tbaorv