The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-04-18

g tSuttVA' } 4A GtS&Ay mHaNeANA s0e
I " body Of the people Of the South" are moi
! fully aware Of all the " disafection to the
| Union" which exists here, and fully aware
100 of the causes of that disafFection. You
have impaired no information to them On
that subject. The FIRST "germinatiOns''
|, of disa8ection grew out Of an attack upon
their rights. II is singular that you do
not undertake 10 account for this disaffec-
/ ton, and TO show US whether ii is we'll OF
i'll founded. Perhaps il may be- jUssifable.
Ii is said that motive is the impulse to hu-
man action, and oppression is the main
spring Of revolutions When men desire
a change Of government, an enlarged lib
erty is the great object, and changes are
never desired when the form Of govern
ment is the best that can be established.
As ours is OF that description, we can have
no motive to change il; the attempt 10
abuse il IS what W. complain Of. II we
are disafected towards the Union, which !
deny, perhaps there may be a cause for il,
which, If removed, would restore harmony.
You but provoke the quarrel by taunling
the South with infdeliiy to the govern
ment. If you wish to preserve the Union
from danger, tell your northern friends to
press US no further ; to forbear. That is
the safe course, even if the power be doubt
full. They claim to exert tive deny
THEN right. If they act, they may violate
the constitution, but if they are passive,
they cannot. BY that means peace will
be restored. A free government must COM
mand the voluntary respect Of The people,
and whatever tends TO weaken their at
Iachment, endangers its existence.
In the further progress Of your examin-
alton, you array the proceedings Of the
South Carolina and Virginia legislatures.
These figure before your vision as most
appalling proofs Of disloyaliy to the Union.
They are but further developments Of tie
plan, the first examinations" Of which ap-
peared in Mississippi. see nothing
alarming In them beyond a firm deteTmi-
nation to maintain their rights; and il
there be a secret intention beyond that, l
leave you and the movers to settle it.
In your allrms for the safety Of the
Union ii is matter Of wonder lhatyo had
not discovered unfriendly indications from
other quarters. You have even heard Pc
titions for the dissolution Of the Union
presented 10 Congress from the North.
You have Witnessed an open, palpable in-
fraction Of the constitution by P~ennsylVa-
mia and other States, by the passage Of
laws annulliDg that provision 10 the consli-
tuition by Pennsylvania and other States,
BY the passage Of laws annulling that pro-
vision in. the constitution which secures TO
the owner the right TO recaptUre his Iugi-
tive slave. You have heard it proclaimed
in the Senate by a Senator from the North,
who was sworn 10 support the constitution,
that a certain clause Of that instrument
which protects US, was immoral, and, there
fore, not binding. You have heard the
terrors Of a dissolution Of the Union de.
scribed by the picture Of a vast gulf be-
tween the North and the South, TITLED
and heaped high with the slaughtered bod
les Of our cOuntrymen," yet this revolving
SIGHT would be endurel-the reality wit
by a member Of the lower house,
atber than he would yield his opinions and
lis object on the subject Of slavery. You
lave heard your wi especial iavorites de-
,lare that dissolution must come ratheT
han the WiImot proviso should be aban-
You take no alarm al these things,
,old and daring as they are. Much as
hey may show a total disregard for the
they are passed over as harmless.
You have never been suspected Of an over
devotion TO State sovereignty, or cOnstitn
lional restrictions, and if the South had
claimed power for Congress instead of
it, she would have found more
Ny only motive in making this commu-
nicaIion, is 10 yindicate myself and those
with whom ! acted, from the charge so un-
warrantably made, Of u~nfriendliuess 10 the
Union. We have been actuaIed BY a SET
tied conviction, throughout, that we.were
right. We believe cOn~scientiously that
Congreee bee 10 Pa-sa- Ss~.IAa..,;o.
Of slavery, either permissive or prChibiIory,
and that any action on the subject would
be a gross infraction Of that instrument,
We desire to see the question banished
from our national council house, and har-
mony restored but we warn the North I
not 10 expect Us to submit. We ale quite
as firm 10 our resistance as they are in