The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1840-08-28

zion. BIZ II Ire construction Of The Consti-
tuition, e Il alloys ncceSsdSy to refer to the
under sDkich Il ,cds framed,
and 70 ascertain its meaning by a compdri-
son Of It's provisions srih each. other, and
nth the previous situation Of the several
States lDh0 mere parties TO Ii. In portion
|0f these sldUery Uas recognized, and they
took care to maze tie right secured to them;
TO foilOw and reclaim such Of them as iOerc
fagitires to other States. The lars of Con
|gress, passed under this po,rer, haze prorid-
ed punishment to any lcho shall oppose or an
|terrupt The exercise of this right. NoW can
any one belierc that the instrument which
cOntains a precision Of this kind, arhich Gu-
|Morizes a master TO pursue his sIdre into
another State, take him back, and provides
a punishment for any citizen or citizens Of
that State iChO should oppose him, should, at
the same time, authorize the latter to assem-
BE together, to pass resolutions and adopt
addresses, NOT only to encourage the sldUcs
to Icdre their masters, but to cut their threats
before they do so?
II insist that If the citizens of the non
sldue-hOIding States can drGH themselves of
the article Of the Constitution Dhich prohib-
its the restriction Of speech or the press, to
publish any thing injurious to the rights of
The slGre holding States, that they can go to
the extreme that IhGre mentioned, and effect
any thing further aOhich ,criting or speaking
could effect. But fellOiO citizens, these are
not the principles Of the Consultation. Such
Constitution would defeat one of the great
objects of its formation, which was that of
securing the peace and harmony of the
States which were parties to it. The iber-
ty of speech and Of the press tras giUen as
the most efectuaI means to preserUe to each
and euery citizen their olrn rights, and to the
State the rights nhich Gppert0ined to them,
at the time Of their adoption HcouIdner
haze been expected that 1t lrOuld be used By
the citizens Of one portion Of the States for
the purpose of depriUing those of another
portion of the rights rhich they had reserUed
at the adoption of the Constitution, AND IN
THE EXERCISE OF WHICH NONE
but THEMSELVES HAVE ANY CON
NCERN OR INTEREST. If slavery is an
evil, the evil is with them, If there is guilt
in il, the guilt is theirs, not ours, since neith
er the STATES WHERE 1T DOES NOT
EXIST, NOR THE GOVERNMENT OF
THE UNITED STATES CAN, WITH
sOUT USURPATION OF POWER, AND
THE VIOLATION OF A SOLEMN COM
PACT, DO ANY THING TO REMOVE
1T WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF i HOSE
WHOARE IMMEDIATELY INTEREST
ED. But they will neither ask for aid, nor
consent too be aided, whilst the illegal, per
scouting and dangerous movements are in
progress. of which | complain; the Interests
of all concerned require that these should
be stopped Immediately. This can only be
done by the force Of public opinion, and that
cannot to soon be brought into operation
Every movement which is made by the abo-
litionist in the non.slave-holding States, is
viewed by our Southern brethren as an at
tack upon their rights, and which, if persist
ed in, must in the end eradicate those feel
ings of attachment and affection betweenthe
citizens of all the States, which was pro-
duced by community of interests and dan
J gers in the war of the revolution, which was
the foundation of our happy Union, and by
continuance of which it can alone be pre-.
served. | entreat you, then, to frown upon
the measures which are to produce results SC
much to be deprecated.
sTHE OPINIONS WHICH HAVE NOW GIVEN
d HAVE OMITTED NO OPPORTUNITY TO LAY
BEFORE THE PEOPLE OF MY OWN STATE.
; HAVE TAKEN THE LIBERTY TO EXPRESS THEN
! HIRE, KNOWING THAT EVEN IF THEY SHOULD
) NOT UNFORTUNATELY ACCORD WITH YOURS
MTH AT THEY WnTID M KTNDLY RECEIVED