Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-03-24
ADDRESS OF
S. S. PREM TISS,
To the People of Mississippi,


Fellow- Citizens: In November last, you
elected me one of your representatives to
the 25th Congress, by the ltrgest vote ev.
er poI,ed for that Office in the State. The
election was holden, as you well know, al
the time, places, and in the manner pre-.
scribed by your laws, which laws were
enacted by your Legislature, under the
express authority Of the Constitution of
the United States. Immediately after as
certaining the result of that election, re.
ceved from the Governor credentials in
pursuance Of law, and repaired, with all
convenient speed, to the Federal city.
presented my credentials to the Speaker
of the House of Representations, and do
manded to be sworn in by member
The Speaker refused: and | was told thai
the seats belonging to the State of Missis
sippi were already filed. On examina
ton, | found them occupied by Messrs
Claiborne and Ghoson You probably
recollect that, in July last, you elected
those gentlemen to serve you until super
seeded by such persons as you might select
al the general election in November. On
presenting my power of attorney from
you, dispensing with their further seryi-
ceS, and substituting myself and colleague
IN their places, they utterly refused to
obey, and set your mandate at open def
anco Indeed, they had previously asser-
ted upon the floor Of the House, that you
had elected them for the whole of the
iwe"iy-hlth Congressional they had been
candidates for The whole term-and that
you so understood it. They demanded and
obtained, at the special session, by a res.
oIution offered by themselves, decision
that they we're duly elected to the whole
OF the 2)lh Congress; and relying upon
this decision, they both, before the com.
mttec and the House, objected to any ex-
animation into the question whether vol,
did, IN reality intend to elect them for a
longer period than The special session thus
DaSlng their claim to seats, not upon YOUR
VIII, but upon decision of the House Of
representatives, procured at their own in
stlgatlon, upon an ca parte examination Of
The case, and without the production Of
any legal credentials or certificate Of
election whatever. Finding the attitude
IN which the matter stood, proceeded at
once TO attack the decision Of the House.
as unconstitutional, er parie, and founded
upon paIpabIe mistake. | took the
ground that, whotovos might DO the wa
lldty Of The July election, it was not in
tended to superscde, nor could it constitu-
tionoIly superscde the regular election in
November; and that the constitutional
rights of the People Of Mississippi we're
beyond the control, and above the iuris-
fiction, Of the House Of Representatives.
denied the power Of one branch of The
federal Legislature to nuIify the admit
ed constitutions and laws Of the State of
Mississippi, fixing the time for the cleo ion
# her representatives to Congress
penly denied, on your behalf any inten-
ION OF surrendcring your constitutional {
!sht oil choosing your representatives at J
ne places, and in the manner prescribed C
y your laws. O
Aiter most severe and memorable y
ontes'' IN which every art and effort was n
x nauS'ed Tor the purpose of sustaining g
iessrs, Claiborne and GhoIson in their "
s9rped places, the House solemnly deci- ri
~ mat they were not entitled to seats, y,