Piney Woods planter and Amite union literary reflector. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1838-1838, 1838-04-07
GEN. DAVIS ADDRESS TO THE
PEOPLE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Fellow CIT1zENs:-

!, In consequence oil the Fartles IL
tigant in the contested congressional
election having been sent back to the
people, it will devolve upon you, on
the 23d and Oath days Of April next, to
elect two persons to serve out the unex-
l PRED term Of the 25th Congress. The
Hon. ). J. GHoLsoN being prevented
by ill health from again becoming a
candidate, and my name having been
presented for the honor of representing
4 you, feel it duty to state, unresery-
edly, my political creed.
/ hold, that previous to the existence
Of our confederation the states were
separate and distinct sovereignties, pos
sessing all the rights, privileges and at
tributes of independent governments,
and that in framing the general govern
ment for The union of the states they
surrendered certain rights which are
specified in the constitution ofthe Uni,
ted States, and which are the only
rights the states ever did intend should
be exercised by congress, and which
are the only rights, in my humble opin-
ion, Congress should ever exercise.
In regard to the doctrine of construc-
tion: | do not believe that congress
should ever exercise substantive right
depending upon construction, but
should only go into construction to car
ry into effect a specified substantive
grant. Ifsuch was not the intention
OF the trainers of the constitution, why
was it expressly stated in that instru-
ment that all the rights not therein
granted were respectively reserved to
the states. Could it ever have entered
into the minds Of the trainers of the
constitution, or the people of the states
that adopted it, that congress could, by
construction, do any thing and every
thing that it pleased9 The idea is pre-
ferrous. Then, fellow citizens, should
be one of your representatives, will
upon every occasion oppose the exer-
else by congress ola substantive right
dependent upon construction. con-
ceivc the right to establish United
States Bank to be among the substan-
tive rights dependent upon construc-
lion, and consequently must oppose it.
One of the grounds urged in favor of
the establishment of National Bank
is. that it is absolutely necessary to fur
nish exchange. Now, if Mississippi
adopts her true policy, by using the
advantages which nature has given her,
by building up her own importing and
exporting cities, our citizens will cease
to be tributary toNew Orleans and the
Eastern cities, and we shall have but
little need of other bills of exchange
than our cotton bales-the value OF
which can never be affected by the in
solvency Of the maker or endofser.
But even should Mississippi disregard
her true policy, and continue to build
up the cities Of other states, the Union
Bank, with her capital Of fifteen millions
and half the whole Of which can be
paid in gold and silver, IA larger a.
mount ofspecie than was ever, at one
time, in the u. States Bank0 with the
other institution of the state, will be
enabled, without doubt, to furnish the
necessary exchange as low as the Bank
of the ii. S. would or could-giving
the profits thcreofto the citizens Of our
own state, to the exclusion OF our East
orn and European capitalists.
As regards the safe-keeplng OF the
national treasure: am in favor OF the
Indenendcpt Treasury System recon-
mended by the President--at least UNI
Ill the banks of the country are in a
situation to be safe repositories Of the
public treasure.
Upon the subject Of slavery: | look
upon slaves as species of property,
the institutions Of our country have
ever so considered them, both previous
and subsequent to the, adoption OF the
constitution; and hold that the legls-
latures Of the states have not the right
to interfere with slavcry--nor has the
general government, to abolish It eth
er in the states, the territories, or the
District of Columbia. f i
Believing that the annexation OF
Texas to the United States would
greatly augment thepcwer of the slave
holding states, T am in favor Of the ear +
" admission Of that republic into the
conlederacy. .1y II,
Fellow citizens. In conclusion 4
would remark, that ] entertain q hrm
conviction, that the time has arrived