The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1850-06-25
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georgia, FtOfi0d, Alabama, lgHHcS-
see. Kentucky, Louisiana, T'er0s,
Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkaasas.
FELLOW CITIZENS
In obedience to the commands Of
( those we represent, we have assembled to-
( gcther to confer with each other concerning
ycur relation With the general Government
and the non.slave-holding States Of the I'm
ion, on the subject Of the institution of
Slavery. We deemit proper to lay before
you rs briefly as the subject will permit, the
result OF our deliberations and councils.
! In order that your condition may be UNI
derstood and the conclusions at which we
have arrived be Justly appreciated, il Is ne
cessary briefly to refer to few past trans
actions
IL is now sixteen years since the institu-
ton of Slavery in the South began to be
agitated in Congress aud assailed by our
sister States Up TO that time, the people
of the Northern States seem 10 have respec-
ted the rights reserved TO the southern
States by the Constitution, and to have nc
ted upon the conviction, that the subject OF
slavery being beyond the legislation of Con
gress all agitation with respect to it on the
part of Congress, was equally forbidden by
the Constitution. But at this time, a por-
tion of the people of the North began to as
sail, in Congress, the institution of slavery,
and to accomplish their object of dragging
it into tho vortex of congressional agitation,
they claimed the right of petitloning Con
gress upon all subjects whatsoever. AS a
petition is only the first step in legislation,
it was clear that right to petition legis-
Iatve body, must be limited by its powers
| OF oilcgisation. No one can have a right to
ask of another to do that which he has no
moral or legal right to do. Nor can any
| tribunal have the power to receive and con-
slider any matter beyond its jurisdiction
The claim therefore to present petitions to
Congress on the subject of slavery, was con
sdered by the Southern Representatives
| generally as an attempt indirectly, to as
sumo jurisdiction over the subject ITSELF III
all parts Of the Union. The object, with
ont disguise, was the overthrow Of slavery
in the States; but our asshilants framed the
petitions presented chiefly against slavery
in the District OF Columbia and our Terri
tories, and against what they call the intef-
hal slave trade---that is the transmission OF
Saves nun viiu e,s,,sls-..- &c. ., a.,aahas
| Conscious OF the fatal tendency of the agita-
ton OF slavery in Congress, to destroy the
peace and stability Of the Union, an effort
was made, supported by lnrge portion Of
| the Northern Representatives, to suppress
it by a rule in the House ofRepresentatves
which provided, that all petitions on the
subject of slavery, should be neither consid-
cred, printed, or referred, This rule was
assailed by the people of the northern States,
MS violating that clause Of the Constitution
which prohibits Congress from passing laws
to prevent the people from peaceaby as
sembling and pettioning for redress Of
grievances In December, 1914, this rule
fell before the almost unanimous voice Of
1.-THE North aud thus the unlimited power Of
introducing aud considering the subject Of
slavery in Congress, was asserted In the
mean time, the course Of the Northern peo-
pie showed clearly, that the agitation of
slavery in Congress was only one of the
means they relied on to overthrow this in
sttuton throughout the Union. Newspa-
pers were set up amongst #em, and lectu-
rers were hired to 20 abroad to excite them
against slavery in the Southern States
Organizations were formed to carry off
slaves from the South, and to protect them
by violence from recapturc. Although the
Constitution requires that fugitive slaves,
like fugitives from justice, should be render
ed up by the States to which they may have
fed, the legislatures OF almost every nor
thern State, faithess to this treaty stlpula-
ton between the States, passed laws design
ed and calculated entirely to defeat this pro.
vision Of the Constitution, without which
the Union would have never existed, and
by these laws virtually nulli6ed the act OF
1894, passed by Congress to aid its enforce
ment. Not content with the agitation of
slavery in political circles, the northern peo-
pie forced it also into the religious assocla-
tions extending over the Union, and produ-
ced separation of the Methodist and Bap-
tist churches. The result of all these varl-
ous methods of assalling slavery in the
southern States, was, that it became the
grand topic of interest and discussion in
Congress and ont of Congress, and one of
the most important elements of politics in
the Union Thus an institution, belonging
to the southern States exclusively, was
wrested from their exclusive control; and
instead Of that protection which is the great
object of all governments, and which the
: Constitution of the United States guarantees
to all the states and their institutions, the
northern states, and Congress under their
control, combined together, to assail and
: destroy slavery in the South. The south
S ern states did nothing to vindicate their
t rights and arrest this course of things The
8 Mexican war broke out; and instead of that
: patriotic cooperation of all sections Of tho
!, Union, which would have taken place in the
better days OF the Republic, to bring II to a
Z Just and honorable conclusion, ia the very
first appropriation bill to carry it on, the