The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1850-08-03


9TWe must with due delerenee'
Join issue with our contemporary around
the corner as to the CORRECTNESS OF bis
position, in assuming that Senator Foote
has violated instructions given by the
last Legislature Of Mississippi to our
Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress. We do not SO understand it.
The Legislature, os such, had no right
to instruct Senator Foote, or any one
else, as 10 the curse he should pursue
upen any Question that did not enter
into the canvass, aPd was not fully dis
cussed before h etPeOple, whose SERVANTS
they are, as well as he. In assuming
this position, the Madisonian claims for
the Legislature the right at any time to
instruct a Senator out Of his seat, il he
cannot ccnscientiously comply with their
mandate. upou q question that was not
contemplated at the time Of his election
or theirs. This position we hold TO be
erroneous. The PEoPEE, ia their soyer-
1eign'capacity and the people alone, have
this power. When they have declared
their will through The baIlotjbox, or in
any other unmistakeable manner, 1t be-
comes the duty of the representative to
conform thereto-if he cannot do so
consistently with the dictates Of his own
Judgment, the alternative is easy and
plain.
What evidence have we that the 9Th
resolution, quoted by the MadiSOnidn,
does, in all Its bearings, and in any and
every aspect which the slavery question
might assume, reflect the will of a ma
jority of the people of Mississippi? That
it reflects the "LegiSlatite toiA"- or did
at that time, and under the cireumstan-
ces then existing-no one will deny.
But the face Of affairs has materially,
changed since then, and with it, public
sentiment may have changed also
Temporal mutantur, sic nos mutamur in
ills. We believe that is the Latin.
1t is political maxim, as well as an
axiom in law, that every man has a right
TO be heard in his own defence, and 10
be tried by his peers, before he is con
demned. When the resolution referred
to by our cotemporary was passed, the
present plan of adjustment, as reported
by the Committee Of l3-the South hav-
ing q majority on that committee-was
not before the country; nor was it ever
supposed that such a committee would
be raised, or that a bill SO favorable to
the South, and disposing Of the slavery
question in a manner so fair and equita.
bic to all parties, could be secured. Ii
was then the opinion, among democrats,
at Jackson, that the Wjlmd Prooisb
would pass Congress, in some shape or
other, and that was the great c~ontingen.
cy contemplated in the resolution. We
do not believe that the mere passage Of
a bill ~inhibiting the Sla0c trade Uithia
the District Of Columbia, (not abOlishing
slavery in the District, mind you,) would
have warranted ever the Democratic
Legislature of Mississippi, in taking the
extreme ground recommended in the
9th resolution OF the series reported by
the Committee on Federal Relations.
We hold, then, that the acts Of the last
Legislature are not at all binding on
Senator Foote, as relates to this dues
ton. When the Compromise Of which
he is the advocate shall have been fully
and fairly discussed before the people,
and their bill clearly and satisfactorily
a%scertained, it will be the duty of Gen,
Foote, as no doubt il will be his pleasure,
to abide by their decision. He says so
in the conclusion Of his speech, which
we publish to-day, and We believe he lie
sincere. Let US abide, then, The wiH Of
the people.
THE NEW CABINET.