Lexington union. (Lexington, Miss.) 1838-18??, 1841-09-04

guady equippage, nor heavy taxes collected
from the many to pamper the pride OF the
few, nor great monopollzing corporations,
guaruntylng unequal privileges to citizens
declared to be equal--but an independent
people, high-minded men, who know their
rights, and knowing dare maintain them"
And, unless the people Of Mississippi have
the intelligence 10 discern&ascertaln their
rightsand the courage and spirit to ascert
and vndicate them, it will be marked down
as an instance OF the degeneracy OF the
times. Our highest obligation; our most
sacred faith is pledged to uphold and NAM
tain or constitution, and in every practa-
cable manner TO rebuke and repudiate
every infraction of it. Enlightened pub.
lie opinion, every where, will sustain aud
justify Mississippi in adhering to her con-
slitution-in rejecting with dlsdain every
and all obligation which few men, dress.
cd in little brief and accidental authori.
ty, may have sought to fasten upon her, in
despite Of it's express prohititory provis-
IONS. A wound has been inflicted upon
our sacred constituton.-Ths Urge ma.
ioriv admit. And while that w'und is
still bleeding-even before any prpor eff.
fort is made to staunch it--an inulting
demand is made Of the people 10 lnfctyet
another, by the payment of an uncostitu.
tional debt. How will an honcabIe
member of the Legislature, who BELIEVES
these bonds to be unconslitutlonal, dae, in
the face of the world, TO take an oah Of
fidelity to the constitution, and then vote
an appropriation Of the peoples moIty TO
their payment by what means en- the
property of the people be wrenchedirom
their hands to be applied to an uncoEtitu-
, tional purpose? Who will submitto a
tax which, if fairly and honestly imosed,
the courts are sworn not 10 enforce? Why
2 is that the advocates have CHERISHED, for
f more than two centuries, the memory Of
I the immortal HAMPDEN9 Simply be-
r cause he had the boldness TO resist the un.
O constitutional exercise Of the royal prerog'
alive in the levy of small loan from tho
q people, In the contemplation OF the chat
!. acler of our Revolutionary ancestors, whit
o American heart does not puIsate with h'Ih
d emotions of pride and exultation, that lteIr
q blood courses through his veins? Whsnce
their greatness2 The Parliament OF
J: Great Britain have imposed Light tax
Il upon tea. Tea was a luxury, the use oil
d which the large mass could have abandon
j. ed; g. the rich could as easily have paid he
ii duty--aud tho whole people could have
q folded their arms in quiet and content
,s ment. Not so, with that noble RAGS o
ri men.-A PRINCIPLE had been violated by
D the Legislative authority "A tar hdc
70 been IMPOSED Without their consent, which
e INVOLVED VIOLATION OF RIGHT. Tena
.. cous Of their rights, forgetting persona
,e ease and the endearments of life, the sen
% timent "mlIious (oV defence-not cen
n for tribuew spontaneously burst from
N each patriots heart. They banded TO-
is gether, pledged their lives, their fortune
,e and their sacred honor to resist the collec
al ton of the unrlghteous tax. They were
ID successful: Ours is the rich inheritance
" in the free institutions we enjoy. ...
n. Whatever we may think Of the policy
e. Of the course of South Carolina in her pro
" oosed resistance of the collection of a
s. unconstitutional tax by the General Gov
rs eminent in the years 1928, yeti mus
Sc admit that the dignity and moral grandue
n other gallant stand & lofty bearing,on this
ct occasion, won upon the admiration fror
.e. her sister States. Are the people capt
BILE of self.government? is yet a problem
70 and if il ia TO be decided that constitution
he which are the embodied will OF treemel
las are but blolched scrolls,which brighten Il
he tmid, but restrain not the bold and II
tie daring; then long farewell to the cau'
of of constitutional liberty. soon will
ITS numbered among the things that were,aT
the people will be viewed only as beas
.u- Of burden, to be driven about with Il
rts whip OF master.
re- 1t is said, however, that though q
ion bonds were unconstitutionally issued, y
our supposed agents received the mont
re- UPON them, and therefore moral oblig
his ton rests upon the people to recognise tt
cit. claim and restore the money received
ice Those who take this ground, involve then
The selves in inextricable difficulty. la Y
er. FIRST place, the bonds being unconstl'
&c, lionally issued, any act of the suppose
in. agent who held them must be void ar
rs: disposition Of them, any receipt Tor none
ch obtained by virtue OF them, must be equa
of " nugatory, and SO far as the State al
&C. the people are concerned, invalid. In Y
is second place, it is principle Of la
m founded in common sense, that, in suit
,ry for debt, you must base your action {
Nv the highest evidence ofindebtedness whi'
,er is ia existence, and as bond under Sc
. -. l-LA IL