The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-07-17
ADDRESS OF VIM. Q. eooDB, Esq,

composed Of the counties Of Amelia, Noltoray
Dinpiddie, Mechlenblirgh, Brunsuick, Green's
uale and Prince George, and The tolcn Of Pc
tersburg. 81. Il
h Fellow-citizens BY your representatives, as
sembled at Lawrenceyille, on the 9th of May,
was chosen delegate to the Southern Conven-
ton, which assembled at Nashville, on the Sd Of
June, where was present.
The States of mississippi Alabama, Georgia,
Florida, and South Carolina, were largely repre-
scented by delegates regularly chosen. Mem
beers were present from Texas and Arkansas
The people of Tennessee deputed a numerous
delegation, many of whom were in attendance.
Six OF the fourteen delegates chosen in Virginia,
in conformity with the resolutions of the Gene
raj Assembly, were present in person rby their
alternates. There were, accordingly, delegations
from nine sovereign States, though we had to re-
greet the absence of members chosen by portion
Of the people Of Louisiana and of North Carolina
The aggregate population OF the States thus rep
resented was 4,473 255 souls, exclusive OF Texas,
being fifty per centum more than the population
of the thirteen united colonies at the date Of the
declaration of Independence The slave popu-
lation was l,734,4.8 souls, exclusive of Texas,
according to the census of 1910, which at pres
ent may be estimated ut 78O,492, 600, to which
may be added the reasonable increase of l-2
per centum per annum, through the decade, at
fording an aggregate increase of 25 per centum
and raising the present value Of the property to
$975,6l5,750.
Combining these estimates to the five States
which were to be regarded as fully represented,
their aggregate population was 2,3O6,674 souls,
according to census of l840---add liz per
centum per annum, and the present population
will be about 2,883,342 souls, or about equal to
that of the thirteen colonies at the declaration
of independence The slave population of the
same five States was 1882 447 in 1910, to which,
if we add the increase of twenty-five per cent.
through the decade, we obtain the aggregate of
l,353,O58 souls, of the value of $685. 100.
The Convention was composed of about one
hundred and seventy members, which number
was Unexpectedly large, when considered in con
nexion with the discouraging circumstances at
tending the occasion, and the violent systematic
and insidious efforts made to bring discredit on
the measure. 1t is known to you that it was de-
nounced in anticipation, as revolutionary in its
tendency; and as having originated in senti-
ment of rank disloyalty to the political institu-
tons of the country An effort was made to
bring odium on all who should dare to attend it
in the character of members 1t was subjected
to ridicule, as well on account of the assumed
puuClly u It's ulbSI uOpcicoS
inefficiency. 1t was asserted that it could not
accomplish anything, because its members would
agree in nothing but disaffecton to our Federal
Government. 1t was even intimated that the
body itself would be exposed to insult from the
inhabitants of the city where it was proposed to
assemble--the inhabitants of that city by whom
your representatives were civilly and kindly and
cordially received and entertained, and made the
recipients Of a sumptuous and elegant hospitali-
ty Yet it did assemble, in respectable numbers,
comprising many distinguished individuals Of adj
mitted patriotism, of eminent, moral and intel
lectual worth, whose personal excellence might
well suit them to illustrate and adorn the most
important stations in society.
After an harmonious session of nine days, the
deliberations of the Convention were brought
to close, on the evening of the 18th of June;
it being perhaps the longest session ever held in
this country, Of an assemblage of persons mere
ly voluntarily, brought together, without legal
sanctions, by the spontaneous movement OF the
people, to deliberate on important public affairs.
The results of their present abors are before the
world: and, on them rely for a triumphant vim
dication of the motives of its members and its
friends. In these proceedings there will be found
no fulflment of the malicious prophecies of its
enemies-no black treason was there concocted
no midnight cabal plotted in secret the disso-
luton of the Union, or arranged the overthrow
of our federative system. All the sittings were
with open doors, in the midst of multitudes, and
all the votings We're "rira uoce."
In the opening of our session, it was appre-
hended that some dissension might prevail. 1t
was scarcely to be hoped that general concur
renee of opinion should obtain, in a body of
men, drawn together from distant points of ex-
tended regions, without concert, for the most
part, even personally unknown to each other,
called to act without delay on important inter-
ests and agitating TOPICS from which it had been
impossible entirely to exclude the black spirit of
party politics. But by mild and mutually
candid interchange of thought, all difficulties
were dispeed--the genius of discord was
forced into exile-moderatio presided over our
councils, and harmony was generally diffused.
Even in the beginning there was n universal
agreement on the great principles involved in
the contest, which so unhappily abstracts the
country and divides the South from the North,
and accordingly all the resolutions of the first
series were adopted by the unanimous votes of
all the States, and all the members of the dele
cations from each State And it is not known
TO me, that there was any dissentent to the Sc
ries on the subject of the Texan boundary.
These resolutions are interpreted to mean,
that the whole territory acquired from Mexico,
by the treaty of peace, belongs in common to
the States Of the Union-that all the citizens of
each of the States have an equal right to remove
into any part Of such territory, with any prop
erty which they hold, under the laws of the
State from which they emigrate; and that Con-
gress, as the agent of the States for the manage
ment of the territory, is bound to protect them
in the enjoyment of all such property as they
may carry with them; and by failing to extend
such protection, or by passing any law, or doing
any act calculated by its provisions or in its ef-
fects, to impair these rights of the citizens, be-
comes guilty of "a plain and palpabe violation of
the Constitution. Some of these plain PROPOSE
tons, being controverted by portions of the
American people, the convention actuated by a
sincere desire to preserve the Union and give
tranquility to the country, expressed its readi-
ness to acquiesce in compromise by which the
line of SO deg. 80 min. North latitude, known
as the Missouri Compromise line, should be ex-
tended across the continent to the Pacific coast,
on such terms as may secure to the people OF