Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-02-25
IRON THE YAzoo DEMOCRAT.
The Planters Bank Bonds.

sissippi, and in view of the various move
ments POLITICIANS and LEGISLATORS have
recently made with reference 10 il, It is
important that they should become fully
aroused upon the subject. The great body
OF the people of Mississippi whose rights
are involved, and whose immediate inter-
ests are concerned should not, and we are
convinced viii not fail to bes!ow upon il
calm, impartial and deliberate reflection
for If those bonds are TO be paid, they must
bear the burjhen, the fruit Of their labor
must accomplish ii, Inc property which
most Of them have accumulated through
many years of toll and industry, and with
which they have intended to educate their
children and prepare them to make useful
citizens in society, must be taxed. Their
property acquired as it has been by the
sweat of their brows, or by the toll of those
who have bequeathed II, may be conside-
red, then, as fund for sacred and useful
purposes, and if they misuse it or apply il
10 the payment Of debts, without sober re-
ilecton and without their full conviction of
their justice, they wrong themselves, their
county, tllGll LNtluiCbs ffICu u lhCotOD
therefore involving questions of such mag
niuide, is to be decided, let tho people not
be influenced by any of those I'D captain.
dun arguments to which designing men al
ways resort when they seek to mlsead orr
deceive The words g State honour and
State pride" have much in them calculated
to arouse the feelings of the people in be.
half OF measure, but let them not be held
up as an ignis fdtuus to mislead. Let
SOUND REASON AND JUSTICE be the beacon
lights by which their course shall be sha-
ped. Let them remember that Fraud has
always assumed the garb Of Honesty when
seeking to accomplish its purposes--that
Falsehood has always triumphed when
seemingly begirt in the strong armor of
'Fruth--that thus ever since the beginning
of time have human rights been tramp!ed
upon-that thus has honest, unsuspectng
man ever been led by his tellow-mln from
one scene Of misery and misfortune to an-
other.
At the present crisis in our State affairs
it therefore becomes the sovereign people
regardless of the taun,s of enemies anl
calumniators, and the persuasions Of mis-
guided friends, or designing demagogues,
calmly to reflect, and honestly 10 decide
In so doing, they must have in view, and
be governed strictly by the letter, spirit,
and meaning Of their CONSTITUTION.
What is the purpose ofthat sacred instru.
ment2 It was founded" in the language
Of that eminent American jurist, Judge
Story now no more, " by the people for
themselves and their postarity, and for OBJ
iects of the most momentous nature, for the
establishment Of Justice, for the general
aoeifare, and for the perpetuation of The
blessings Of liberty" Il ia that to which
they must look for defence when their
rights are invaded, and when their ogisIa-
tors transcend the limits of their authority,
and seek to impose, whether through mista-
ken notions of patriotism, or otherwise,
unjust burlhens upon them, Such is the
purpose for which our constitution was
made {" by the people, and for the people"
and if it is not resored to by them when
urgent necessity demand, and in cases con-
| templated by its trainers, why its adoptlonl
why are the powers Of the agents Of the
people defined, if they suffer themselves to
be heediessly dragged along by any car to
which caprice and ambition may lasten
them2
Having briefly alluded to the purposes of
our constitution as safe guard for the peo-
pies rights, their protector from the storms
pt dn,ht thof 4 Ic
their sacred duty to themselves aud their
posterity TO preserve it inviolale--and that
they are as much bound to resist taxation
imposed contrary to its provisions as to
comply with obligations which are formed in
accordance with its meaning; and, without
entering in an argument to prove the evil
effects of taxation, the curse that has befall-
en- the people of Mississippi on account OF
banking without showing as we will
in future numbers, their unprepared 6nan-
cial condition tnpay those bonds-he ne
cesity ofareductlon oftares, Sc.-we now
assume the position that the charter of the
Planters Bank was unconstitutional, that
It's existence was not recognized by the in
strument in force al that period fits Gre
ation--that epen il it had been, a succeed
ing legislature, without authority, changed
materially and fundamentally the proyi-
sions under which it was chartered-and
thereby rendered il still more OBNOXIOUS
and that therefore the people Of Mississippi
are not bound By any lap Of justice or
morality, to pay any of its linbllities and
: that under these circumstances it is not on
ly their right bu, their duty 10 repudiate the
Planters Bank bonds.
In the year 1917 the people of the then
Mississippi Territory, adopted a consliiu.
/ fion which nrovilad th,t MO DAMP