The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1840-05-30
HARRISON ps. ABOLITION.

= nave now, fellow citizens. few words
more to say on another subject, and which
ms, IN my opinion, of more Importance than
any other that is now in the course of dis
cussIon IN any part of the Union. allude
to the societies which have been formed, and
the movements of certain individuals in some
Of the States in relation to a portion of the
population in others. The conduct of these
persons are the more dangerous, because
their object is masked under the garb OF
disinterestedness and benevolence and their
course indicated by arguments and PROPOSE
tons which in the abstract no one can deny.
But however fascinating may be the dress
with which their schemes are presented to
! their fellow-citizens; with whatever purity
of intention they may have been formed and
sustained, they will be found to carry in their
train mischief to the whole Union, and hor-
ror tc large portion of it, which, it is prob
able, some of the projectors and many of their
supporters have never thought of. The first
in the series of evils which are to spring from
their source are such as you have read of
to have been perpetrated on the fair plains
of Italy and Gaul, by the Scythian hordes of
Alfalfa and Alaric ;and such as most of you APP
pretended upon that memorable night when
the tomahawks and war clubs of the follow
ers of Tecumseh were rafting in your SUBJ
urbs. regard not the disavowals of any
such intention, upon the part of the authors
OF these schemes, since, upon the examina-
ton of the publications which have been
made, they will be found to contain the very
fact, and every argument which would be
used, if such had been their object. / am
certain that there is not, in this assembly,
one of these deluded men, and that there
are few within the bounds Of the State. If
there are any, / would earnestly entreat
them to forbear; to pause in their career, and
deliberately consider the consequences of
their conduct to the whole Union, to States
more Immediately interested, and TO those
for whose benefit they profess to act. That
the latter will be the victims of the weak,
InjudIclous, presumptous, and unconstitu-
tional efforts to serve them, thorough ex-
animation of the subject must convince them.
The struggle land struggle there must be,)
may commence with horrors such as have
described; but it will end with more firmly
rivetting the chains, or in the utter exptirpa-
ton ofthose whose cause they advocate.
Am wrong, fellow-citizcns, in applying
the terms weak, presumptuous and uncon-
stltutlonal to the measures of the emancipa-
| tors? A slight examination will, think,
show that am not. In vindication of the
objects of convention which was lately
fheIa- ir of the towns of Ohio, which
saw in newspaper. it was said that nothing
more was intended than to produce a state
of public feeling which would lead TO an
amendment of the Constitution authorizing
the abolition of slavery in the United States.
Noie can an amendment Of the Constitution
be Effected ,rithom the consent Of the South
ern States? What then is the proposition to
be submitted 10 the,n2 1t is this-"The
present provisions of the Constitution secure
to you the right Ia right which you held be-
tore 1t was made, which you have never
gwen up 10 manage your domestic con-
Germs IN your own way, but as we are con-
VInced that you do not manage them prop
erIy, we want you to put in the hands ofthe
general Government, in the councils OF
which we have the majority, the control over
these matters, the effect of which will be
virtually to transfer the power from yours
into our hands.n Again, in some of the
States, and in sections of others, the black
population far exceeds that of the white
Some of the emancipators propose an inn
mediate abolition. What is the proposition
then as it regards the States and parts Of
States, but the alternatives of amalgamation
with the blacks, or an exchange of situations
!, with them? Is there any man of common
f sense who does not believe that the emancl
J pated blacks, being majority, will insist
upon full participation of political right:
with the whites, and when possessed ofthese
will they not contend for full share of so
i cial rights also? What but the extremity o
weakness and folly could induce any one
J to think that such propositions as these coult
} be listened to by people so intelligent a.
5 the Southern States? Further-The eman
: clpators generally declare that it is their in
5 tenilon to effect their object (although theil
D acts contradict the asserlion,) by no othe
: means than by convincing the slave holders
a that the immediate emancipation ofthe slaves
E is called for, both by moral obligation ant
t sound policy. An unfedged youth, at thu
d moment of his leaving Cndeed in many in
e stances before he has lefi) his theological
d seminary, undertakes to give lectures upol
s morals to the countrymen of Wythe, Tuck
+, err, Pendleton, g. Lowndes, and lessons Of pc
r litical wisdom to States whose affairs hap,
SO recently been directed by Jefferson an
Madison. Macon, and Crawford. Is 1t pos
y slble that instances Of greater presumptiol
S could be exhibited But thecourse pursue
It lby the em0ncipators Is unconstitutional
e do not say that there are any words ia III
is constitution which forbid the discussion
oil they are engaged IN; l know that there ar
mot. And there Is even an article whic