Southern pioneer, and Carroll, Choctaw and Tallahatchie Counties advertiser. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-05-08

THOMAS JEFPERsoN.-In the Sentinel of the
9th ut., appears letter quoted by the Phila-
delphia Ledger, which purports to have been
written by Mr.. Jefferson to gentleman in
that city in September lS2S;-in which Mr.
Jerson in laying down some general abstract
principles applicable to a manuscript sent him
for inspection, is made to say, "that prece-
ding generation cannot bind succeeding one
with its laws or contracts, these deriving their
obligation from the will of the existing major
ity," and yet this simple proposition, supposing
it to be genuine, which we doubt-this simple
proposition, modified of course by circumStan-
ces, is readily hailed by the spoils party in
Mississippi as sufficient authority to justify
the State in repudiating her own contracts and
inhicting indellible disgrace upon her citizens
Shade of the immortal patriot, how indignant
| ly would you scoop from the clouds OF your
dwelling, could you but know to what infa-
nous purposes your partial opinions are pros
tituted What is the meaning of the SEN
tence quoted! Why, nothing more than that
there exists no legal obligation; this is taking
it in its broadest sense, and as genuine opin-
ion. Yet even this has no reference, and can
bring no weight to the case of the State bonds,
since it is admitted on all hands that our obli-
cation to pay those bonds is purely MORAL and
honorable obligation-and is the obligation to
an honorable mind any less because there ex-
its no legal power of coercing its fulflment!-
Again, there is no applicability in the present
instance, since the act complained of by the
anti-bond payers have all been done in this
day and generation. Besides, taking as gran
ted all that these Simon Pures would assume,
can the opinions of any man justify us in do
ing wrong! But away with any such pre-
sumption. Mr.. Jefferson was an honest man,
and the last man in the world who would have
advocated the bandit doctrine, that a sovereign
State, relying upon its sovereignty, should re-
fuse to pay just debt, simply because the
will of the interested majority had so decreed
and suppose the will of an interested and
duped majority had SO decreed, would the OBJ
ligatioA be reduced! Not at all. Does Mr..
Jefferson say that the debt would be cancelled?
No. What then does he say! why simply
that in all popular governments, the will of
the existing majority rules, whether right or
wrong-for veal or woe, for honor or disgrace
and that therefore all obligation operating
in future, must of necessity depend for their
fulflment upon the will of that majority
But nevertheless that will SO expressed does
not and cannot make that right and proper
which was before morally wrong and disgrace
ful-where then is the necessity of quoting
opinions from Mr.. Jefferson or any one else?
The principles of justice are immutable and
eternal-they cannot be warped by the inter-
ested views of the demagogue or the politician,
and every man must be supposed to have in
his own bosom faithful monitor that will
point unerringly if consulted, to the true STAN
dard of right. Why then are these apocry
phal opinions vamped up and foisted with in
decent exultalion upon the notice of the pub
lie! Simply because, conscious Of the inher-
ent weakness of their position, they must re-
sort to every artifce and subtelfuge for the
purpose of misleading the judgment of
trusting, but honest people.
1t is said that the Devil can quote scripture
to suit his purpose-much more easily than
can the advocates of the anti-bond payers
quote Jefferson or any one else to suit their
peculiar views.
1t only serves to show the desperation of
few disappointed politicians, and to what
means bad men will resort to accomplish their
wicked and infamous ends. The Globe also,
as if by premeditsted and systematic concert,
has long argument of contemplate sophis-
ry, to the same purpose. 1t would seem as if
he corruption of public morals was an essen.
ial preliminary to the accomplishment of their
lccursed objects. Unhappy Mississippi
you are nursino in vour hoeon, a meet of vinars