The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-09-14
From The Southern Appeal.


of Yalobusha county, Mississippi, without dis
tinction Of parties held in Cofeevie, on Saturday
the 18th inst
On motion of c. O. Martin, esq, Hon. Thos.
Carbry was elected President, and DR.. r. w Wood
and Mr. $500 Nicholson, Vice Presidents. MIR.
Nicholson not being present, Col. l.. Cleveland,
was elected in his stead, but declined to act m
consequence ofill health. Mr. Joel Hill was then
called upon to act as Vice President, and took his
seat. The chair then appointed i j. N. Brdgers
and B. L. Cleveland, Secretaries, & t.a4.s ~ f5a
On motion Of Mr.. TilIe w Carr, the following
portion of the Farewell Address Of Gen. wash
ington, was read by one OF the Secretaries - ~
'm contemplating the causes which may dis
,turb our Unon IT occurs, as matter OF serious
concern, that any ground should have been fur
nlshed for misunderstanding parties by geographical
Northumberland and Southern--Atlantic
and Western; whence designing men may endeavor
TO excite belief that there is real difference of
local interests and views. One Of the expedients
or party TO acquire influence within particular
districts, is to misrepresent the opinionsu and aims
of other districts, You cannot shield yourselves
too much against the jealousies and heartburn
ings which spring from these misrepresentation I;
they tend to render alien to each other those who
ought to be bound together by fraternal af
fecton The inhabitants ofour western country,
have lately had useful lesson on this head, they
have seen in the negotiation by the Executive,
and in the unanimous ratification by the Senate,
or the treaty with Spain, and in the universal
isiaction at that event throughout the United
States, a decisive proof how unfounded were the
suspicious propagated among them, OF u policy
in the General Government, and in the Atlantic
States, unfriendy to their interests to the Missis
spp they have been witnesses to the formation
of two treaues--that with Great Britain, and that
with Spain, which secure to them every thing
thew could desire in respect TO our foreign rea-
tons, towards confirming their prosperity. Will
it not be their wisdom to rely for the preservation
of these advantages on the Union by which they
were procured Will they not henceforth be
deaf to those advisers, if such there are, who
would seventeen from their brethren, and con-
meet them with aliens'
isTo the efficacy and permanency of your Union,a
government for the whole is Indispensable No
alliance however strict between The parts, can be
an adequate substitute; they must inevitably expe
rience the infractons and interruptions which al
alliances, in all time, have experienced. Sensible
OF this momentuous truth, you have improved
upon your FIRST essay, by the adoption of constr
tuition of government better calculated than your
former for an intimate Union, and for the effica-
cious management of your common concerns
This Government, the offspring of our own choice,
uninfuenced, and unawed, adopted upon full in
vestigation and mature deliberations, completely
free in its principles, in the distribution of its
powers, uniting security with energy, ndcontan-
| ing within itself provision TOR its own amend
ment, has just claim TO your confidence and your
support Respect for its authority, compliance
duties enioined the fundamental maxims Of true
liberty. The basis of our political system is the
right of the people to make and to alter their
stitutions of Government, but the constitution
which at any time exists, till changed by an ex-
pcit and authentic act OF the whole people, is
sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of
the power and the right of the people to establish
government, .pre-supposes the duty of every in
dividuaI to obey the established government.
| /" All distractions to the execution of the laws,
all combinations and associations, under whatever
plausible character, with the implied design to d-
rect, control, counterfeit or awe the regular de-
liberation and action of the constituted authorities,
are destructive to this fundamental principle, and
of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction
to give it an artificial and extraordinary force, to
put in the place of the delegated will the nation,
the will OF party, often small but artful and
enterprisng minority of the community and, ac-
cordng To the alternate trumphs Of different par
ties to make the public administration the mirror
of the il-concerted and homogeneous projects OF
faction, rather than the organ of consistent and
wholesome plans, digested by common counses,
and modified by mutual interests. 81 ss.s
"However combinations or associations of the
above description may now and then answer pop
ular ends, they are likely in the course of time
and things, TO become potent engines, by which
cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men win be
enabled 10 subvert the power Of the people, and
to usilrp for themselves the reins Of Government
destroying, afterwards, the very engines which
had lifted them to unjust dominion. oaf hB
Towards the preservation Of your Government,
and the permanency of your present happy state,
is requisite, not only that you steadily discoun-
tenance irregular oppositions TO It's acknowledged
authority, but aao that you resist with care the
spirit of innovation upon its principles, however
specious the pretexts. One method of assaults
may be to effect in the forms of the Constitution,
alterations which will impair the energy OF the
system, and thus to undermine what cannot be
directly overhrown. In all abe changes to which
you may be invited, remember that time and habit
are at least as necessary to fix the true character
of governments as Of other human insttutions;
that experience is the surest standard by which to
test the real tendency of the existing constitution
of a country, that facility in changes, upon the
credit Of mere hypothesis and opinion, exposes to
perpetual change, from the endless variety of hy-
pothesis and opinion; and remember, especially, I
that for the efficient management OF your common
interests, in q country so extensive as ours, a
Government of as much vigor as is consistent
with the perfect security of liberty is indispens-
able. Liberty itself will find in such govern
nlent with powers properly distributed and adj |
iusted, IDS surest guardian. II is, indeed, little
else than name, where the government is too |
feeble to withstand the enterprises of faction, to
confne each member Of the society within the !
limits prescribed by the laws, and to maintain all
in the secure and tranquil enjoyment of the rights
Of person and property.
81 have already intfmated to you the danger orl
parties in the State, with particular reference to
the founding of them on geographical discrimina-
tons. Let me now take more comprehensive
view, and warn you, in the most solemn manner,
against the baneful effects OF the spirit Of party
generally S afel 5U R
After the reading, Col E. S. Fisher, presented
the following resolutions, which were read -
Resolved, That the Missouri Compromise line
must be construed in the nature Of treaty entered
into between the people OF the free States on The
one part and the people Of the SLAVE States the
other part. BY this compromise the people ofthe
slave States stipulated not TO introduce slavery into
any of the territories north ofthis free
States tactly agreed, in consideration of this con-
cession on the part of the slave States, to leave
the institution of domestic slavery exclusively nm
der the control of those interested in perpetuang
itin the States and establishing itin the territor-
les south OF this line. 3 n Lias
O. That in all cases in which the General Cow
eminent has since acted either in the formation of
territorial governments or the admission of States
into the Union, this principle has been respected,
as well in regard to territories or States not spe
cialiv included in this line ms otherwise.