The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-09-18
Mississippl Reputation.
LETTER OF COL. JEFF. DAVIS IN RELATION TO TIKI
UNION BONDS
BnIyREiyLp, Miss, 10th Aug 1640.

sstioe which upjusrlv and unfairly attacks the
State Of Mississippi aud m,s oesausa Of statement
] made In refutstion Of former csuuny against her.
which published Ia the same paper. Some allow
snoe 10 due to foregn.r who wis'on.sives the chs
tionsl prejudice which may csns- him 70 depreciste
them but what can excuse the gross psrverson Of
which cbaracterizes fhs article to which have
referred, The English editor might have misupder-
stood the nature Of our government. and may have
been ignorant Of constitution but could not hon.
eetl y have misconstrw-d my statement hs pre-
tends. Yet Rad his cAuduct IL In this ar
tor In State who has slished tue caumny
thus aidr in tho circulation ~ foreigners Islander
against the government the judiciary and people Of
To prevent the cslumny from working evil tn our
State and to the pubic position which occupy my
purpose in making tbi- reply.
TO you, wbe know how entirely this bond question
has for yesrs past, disappeared r public discusson
was published IL no Washington Unon a.cribad to
the signs Of awakening sausiti' in Mississippi
The facts, In relation to that statement these:
That true hearted American the venerable editor OF
the Union. Mr.. Ritcbie showed article In the
London Tims, sbu'ive OF seversl States among them
Mississippi, eand told that he desired the ipforma
tion necesssry To- answer the accusations sent him
the sfstsment which has appeared and referred him
Legislature in 1885 for minnie information in
relation tn the Union Pank Bonds That brief and I'M
perfect explanation 81 the posi- Of State, upon
question which have for wears mast considered de-
fnitely settled so far popular opinion Is concerned
has led TO tie article which nov propose notice.
The claim which IL asserted for the bond holders.
that Of appealing to the verdict Of the civilized
world" rather than to the courts Of State IL
one which We have no wiah tn DISPUTE It is usually
the only apps hich an Individual has az ainst sove
reign. Mississippi. conscious OF her rectitude has
yo.onriiy thrown her courts open 70 ruitors against
herssh and those who refuse tn TAX. advantage of
grant must befr- the tribo public opinion
with Unfinished claims 70 consideration The issinu
alton against legal officers gratuitous and wholly
unfoupded Our Judicial oficrrs elective: bat
that the peorls have not made thi. bond question
test, sppeevs by tn. fact that whit they have by
large maj critics decided IN their sative
aeapst the Union Bank bonds, their chan -ilor and
Chief Justice have been known 10 be- Judi viduslly in
favor o. their payment and With that feeling have
been elected and elected whilst this question has
en pending. ~ th"p our courts s'~ avoided 10 Is
fair to suppose. bacsuse nf the the
legal nuiIiiy Of these honda how idIs every
consider the ciamor which Is rnised against
vernment for not violating is constitution to satisfy
the claim II the bond bolders The movement which
Was made two years sro 20 attempt an arrangement
with the Union Rank hnnd holders for their ipdempi-
Gcatop was not ba,ed upoo IN. idea of Stat. IjshI;tx
and the consequent duty ~ he government
but upon voluntary contributions - individuals And
II an arrangement bad bren Hpleted for that pur-
pose think Its success won have d-p pended upon
disclaimer Of the depuncaons Which have been heap
ed upon our State uier ~ all cls against the
poverpment legal right and . tubmis sion ~ tho
to the neperosity IT the people nv whoe agents
the article upder copsdera.ion though very wei, for
the high tory paper attack upon our rem an
goverpment l. not likely To advance the interest
which II apparently devoted that Of the holders Of
the Union Bank birds
The man positions If tho writer are these. After
noticing he message ~ Go.-,nor NcNutt to the Ie
Pi,laturs. s'recor1r+udlng than to repudstsv thu
UKion fank bonds he concludes: "Herce though Mia
estippi had received the ruev for he bonds it was
thus opced to refuse 10 It, ground that
the purchaser had no right TO buy them"
Ard referring to tho report 81 the joint committee
Of the gatnre In 1859 against the coritu,ionality
Of the bonds he since si'houah the provison
that loan shopld be raised unlass aanc.lon-d by
law passed tsrosEh two sne,es.,e legislatures bad
authorised, the act alan prrscrib-h curtain conditions
reaaTd'ng The ravk 81 Mrs'-sipvi which cocdti nns
had been sltercd by asuhs.queut act that had oaly
Iaeetd through cue legtsia'ure'
IL Ia assrtcd tbsp 1st Tb-t Mississippi received the
money. lhir Is unirrs: th@ urion Esnk not the
State. rsc.ivtd the money % That tho bends were
iesr.d ps6er suttority 80 lac ~hich had received
the sanction 90 two successive leglstrrss; thi Is also
untrre: the hnods issnsd nnIr .snppteme al
act" rns,td by one Legislature sad 50 unlike the Law
which Rad been fubni'fci n th. p~coir and recesed
AID ipdepesd,nt proposition The writer speaks OF
the ir,t,utlen the "B@nk tr Nississippi Missis
sppi hal hank. snd could have n bauk Of issue
because Forbidden ~ the tenth scicn OF IN" Fret sr
Gle Of the ed States constitution IN th.s. vords
mo state shsi emit bills Of credit p" ~ then,
any conclusion has been drawn from thu suppneitsoa
that The hank part OF the Stat. governnent such
conclusion L. ~holiy erroneous.
know that IN ma which he said the sub
ject q tie Union Bzpk hona- sound 70 the peo-
PIE 81 Mississippi is@ twice told tale 10 no. pro-
poe 90 arrun tie question hut merely TO state IL
make such references will rusbe those less Informed
than c1rssvee to appreciate the true position Of the
Sta'e and re pie Il Ni-sis-ippl
Our government rests upon a fsntRmcntal campact
81 the Jeeris written contribution. Witch IL TIM
shi'ld Of each ciIi'en protecting him eqully again1t
gov'rnm-ni or 10y the people The povrr o. mo State
government bsa two epsoirs ~ limitation the sten
ave r,ep's 10 the general sorernmeut and prohibi-
fiona to The Sisfes. es e'prifsd g. the q br.u.
tin and TN LIMITATIONS snd vrohbi ons contained in
our State e"Bs'iiutinp. Within the limit q e. III no.
rity tau GsiDed sbe sfaSs government, tbs agont
Of the opl- bind The priuc pal % the perform
o. g. oSyntisns b",ord the' limit the iegi-'stGre ard
gov mr. has p. than town u citing Aat
fts chsifusn n the i.yslaturs and governor should
IN the rnerriee ~ poS.r which had boon prohibited
Nv de eop.titutjn fniur. I~..tIva or ira4npt mr.
uuhl Ia al fhas rr
The people hscsrs- The hz5 the rsauls ~
TIE nnssucc sheh sisehsd to bs official paftioa q
thsi fdnsiuraries hut Ho LEGAL gh cvai Ernw cot Of
euch Get aud. therefore 30 poser IN the gorufn-
ren' tore.ressi Thecuntrsrr ioctriue you'd dss.r1y
the va nc a. written rorffifrtiou sna deprive
minority Of the security they enjoy under IL rhe
cfscsrs 81 orr Fosstpnrut tate soemn oath 20
msir'sin tne ccnstitufion iatlaiats their iuquty.
fhefofnr~ mutt be- not What individuals they souid
90 but what the con titution p-rst- asd their duty
requircs. The issus then. 4 Of consiitutipa. 4
ctntfrciinn and Nissieirui has M other question
with bSndh-iG-r. thsn thtt of a. ,. dssE CHS
We willing n try 81 az in squts before
oourse 81 g-,ss Eyi,aip h.r.is we ~ no, f IN.
dict - the csirx-f ~crid' have been eesdei
BY the fore o. pubic ainIos thr"nshru, Tho uuionn
the writer a.eerts Though trufh hss fOlowe "a SLOW ~
after tcton. AID jrst-e IA. been d-iaged o better
ecmprshspsion ftn- w-'ita ~ The ess- has removed
much ofthc rrej, lice Witch uascr~a - agsiut snd
o. ", pee the si.rriun 'in ~ nar so VI
expect th' later 10 % iu.ce TO by
despsson a cur ssoder.rA ir their bsseess Gsnuu
citations
The CONSTITUTION Of yi-'i.-Ipvi provides. tbs,
Nc i,v ,sh s..s v r..e = rss icsn q money rro,
the cre - the state fr the rannpttrn ary
lotn dltt uoies such lac h pTossi IN tie or
Hcufe If keTr-s-rafi-.s - majority
ID mert,r Of ss-i hove orrua- Nth
a'sn hsrsar, referred
csccins la isirre AID rtiisd far r p-rv "a
70 he sst rrusr si.st y tes revtrsrsr. ofth State;
ard a.ies uaicritv - Each trtteh af he esis'ur
slestet 'fieT Iuhcsn hal snd tass
entered IN ftn ioufnsi- ofesci hon
So feaoutly wss the pledge tho faith % the
State guarded bv iequirinF tim- popuAr r-vip~
ceesvs action ers record - the vote o. zach remh,
81 the hrislsfur~ These rsuu'feniebta eere fer
compiled with In he Of chsrtr Of the Uniou
Bank thst had th~ bauss h~rp i-sned uri.r t. their
legality would uuqreston-lis ~ 70 been admitted the
fatal objection 20 their ccnstitufuhaiy the crea-
ton 81 tie supple mental act would have existed
To the confounsipe 81 th-s ueh of the error
vbicb prevails T. g. b- attribute hri.f ferit4l the
facts CONNECTED with th~p viii ,ho~ their aiIfsrrnsa
The Lac Witch established Tbs Niasiss ippi Juion
Bank originated Ia the Huu- Il atlves IT
the biennial session ~ ne ieFts In 1885, ct the
sdjurrsf fesfinu IN 1871 T. passed AVID approved
by the Governor 20 fsr the a.ffnn Of tis l~uisa
ture Va concerned" At the regular bisuniai Sos
fion In 1898. the hill again rsa-j received the
toh a the tioverotr Hnd I.s on the SIN Of
February 1888 Zen days thereafter hill passed tn.
-. -.