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

AuuuN " uAAPHtNs lib - uub tAS ~
third resolution IS far more important.
denies TO Congress the power to legislat
on the subject Of slavery in the DistIiC
Of Columbia, "Or 10 prOhibi. the slav
trade between the several States, or to pro
hibit the introduction Of slavery in the ter
%ritories Of the United States" This i
the very gist Of the dispute, and yet it i
passed over as Of no importance. This j
the controverted question of right, ASSERTED
on one side, and denied ORthe other, out o
which all the danger TO the Union has avis
en-. On this ground the convention i
: charged with having begged the question
Of aggression by the non-slaveholdinl
States, Il wish the South to mark you
language,) for this is the immediate cause
Of the quarrel. We conscientiously be-
lieVed, and still believe the North claimed
100 much; that Congress has no power
over the subject Of slavery in the terrific
ries, the common property Of all the States
We believe that the exercise Of such pow
er would endanger the Union, and to pre-.
vent this catastrophe we met. II we have
begged the question Of aggression, We
shall continue in that category. We were
sincere in oul expressions Of attachment
to the Union. believe the whole South
is attached 10 il, and that GO secret designs
are entertained against it in that quarter.
You, and Others like you, do most to un-
settle the foundations Of the government,
BY claiming for it power which it does not
possess-by trying to build up a consolida!
ted fabric on the ruins Of State sovereignty,
and Of the constitution. And il, untortu-
nately, the future historian shall be com.
PEELED to deplOre the ruin Of the govern
ment and TO traceiIs cause, you and your
class Of politicians will stand conspicuous
in the foreground on the caVass which
shall represent the great drama.
But your greatest alarm for the safety Of
the Union has arisen from a portion Of the
address prepared under the direction Of the
convention. That is regarded by you as a
full development Of the Objeci-a south.
ern cOnfederacy, The language alluded
TO is this Besides, and beyond a popular
convention Of me Southern States, with
the view and the hope Of arresting the
course Of aggression, and, If not practical
bic, thee to concentrate the South in will,
understanding and action, the convention
Of Mississippi suggests, as the possible al
%lernate resort, the call, BY the legislatures
Of the assailed States, Of still more solemn
conventions. such as should be regularly
elected by the people Of these States, TO
deliberate, speak, and act with all the soy.
ern power Of the people. Should, in the
result, such conventions be called and
meet, they may lead to alike regularly con
stituttd convention Of all the States, to
provide, in the last resort, for their sepa.
rate welfare, by the formation Of o com
pact and o union that will afford a protec-
ton TO their liberties and their rights. This
you call the project Of southern con-
federacy confessed-openly aud apparently
without conjunction dUowed, and CoGly
recommended to the consideration of the
Southern States" This is an unfair con.
S:ruction. The secondary is made the
primary proposition. The accident is
made the substance-the alternative the
primary object. The contingency on
which a southern eo~nfedeacy was alluded
TO, has been entirely overlooked-kept out
Of view. It was spoken Of in the address
only as a last resort in the event of a fail
ure 10 the hope of arrestiDg the course of
aggression" The address did not autho-
Iize you to say that a southern confederacy
was the object; it avOws attachment ID
Union as did every expression Of the
convention, and as do the whole people of
Mississippi. No men live who more del
sire the perpetuiiy Of the Union than dol
The slgners Of that address, II they carl
have it u%nimpaired. But they believed
with the entire South, that the North had
been pressing, and would again endeavoiI
TO press, the exercise Of power not delel
gated 10 Congress by the constitution, and
they believed moreover that the Soull
would not submit. Their first hope wa
TO avert the evil by q timely declaration 4
their rights, but if tha. should fail, i wa
natural 10 look 10 consequences and pre-
vide for them. The convention did MI,
as you say, |" &C. under the influence Of q
cited feeling" They met as men who hid
reflected well; who knew and felt the sl-
emnily Of the occasion. In surveying he
whole ground, it was but natural-t vas
prudent-Ihat they should look to lhepos.
sibility Of a failure il their fondest lone.