The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1850-06-07

published to the world, by leading men in Con-
gress that such would be the inevitable result?
Would you not, fell0w>citizens, in defence OF
your most sacred rights, have resorted to the
same course Of policy which the CalltornIans
pursued. undera full view of all the embarrassing
circumstances BY which they were surroundedf
Will you now condemn them for the exercise oi
the same high privilege guaranteed 90 the ;ree-
born sons of America every where beneath the
stars and stripes Of our country-a privilege
which you would not have hesitated to exercise
in your own case for single moment? Justice
and consistency alike forbid the wanton andcru-
Ell condemnation We OF tie South deny that
Congress has any constitutional polcer over the
territories; and insist that its exercise pertains
alone to the people of the States and territories,
| when they Sesire to form or modify their consti-
| tutions; and how can we, with any plausibillty
or safety, make the exercise of this right an
| objection to the admission of California. To do
/ so would strengthen the hands of our adversaries,
so that in future, when a territory with consti-
tuition toierating slavery should apply for admIs-
| sion into the Union as a State, we should be met
! and successfully repelled on the ground that we
| had denied this power to the people in the case
| Of California;-that as we had objected to her
admission on the ground of slavery restriction,
| they had the same right TO object to the admls-
| sion of such slave State on the ground OF slavery
/ protection, and thus, in spirit which We might
| and most probably would, characterize as tanati-
tical in the people of the North, we would aban-
don our constitutional position and render our
selves vulnerable to the assaults OF our enemies.
And yet simply because the people of Calitor-
MIA of their own free will and accord, have
seen proper in the formation OF their own STATE
constitution, to insert a clause prohibiting slave
| nv within their State limits. your senators and
representatives in Congress have addressed LETT
ter to his exceilency the Governor, IN which
they have characterized the constitution SO
framed. as The "Wilmot proyiso in annother
form" We deny that the admission of Caliior--
MIA with the slavery restriction clause in her
constitution is the Wilmot proviso in another
form because the power as exercised BY Con-
gress, and The power as exercised by the SOW
oregn people OF California are altogether differ.
ent-the first being wholly unconstitutional and
unwarranted whilst the other is universally
conceded to be right and proper, and legitimate
exercise Of the right of sovereign people
But upon tnis groundless assumption and abuse
of terms, they ask Instructions OF the Legislature
and of YOU, what course they shall pursue upon
! the subject. In answer to this inquiry, theLmas
j.. iority of the legislature adopted the foregoing
resolutions, in the eonelasieB of which they have
referred the decision Of this question to the Nash
/, vile convention, instead Of leaving the whole
issue TO you, the only rightiul arbiters and have
even gone to the mad extreme of pledglng you
to abide by and sustain the action OF that con-
veEtion-a convention to be held not by your
: delegates, out by the delegates created and APP
pointed solely by the usnrping majority OF your
e legislature.
!. We endeavored to prevent the appointment OF
delegates by the Legislature, and the consequent
S Reputation of those appointed at the October
= convention,-but in this we failed. We exer-
r ted ourselves to SO modify the resolutions as to
n refer the election of all the delegates to you,
ID the people. This was rejected; and the reason
e assigned was that you were not sufficiently
+ aroused to sense of your rights and your dan'
W ger-that you were behind the times-a mere
pretext. in our opinion, to cover an hnpIeceden-
10 ted and unjustifiable usurpation of power. But
Of it has ever been thus in the history Of govern
10 ment. Despotism, whether exercised by indl.
/. vduals or bv legislatures, always begins its in
roads upon the rights and liberties Of the citizen
la under the specous plea that the people are gno-
ID rant of their true interests
I'd We now submit to your consideration wheth-
lr er your legislature had the power. without IN
fe struclions from you, and without referring the
st matter to you, to alter your decision so dellber-
atey made at the October convention, on the
IN California question: subject which you then
u declared was rot fit question for the action OF
st the Southern convention to be held at Nashville.
n- But this assumption Of power, extraordinary as
s. it is, does not close here. A few days alter
d. these resolutions had been adopted by the legiS-
llature, the two houses resolved to 90 into joint
On conventionSAor the election OF delegates TO the
IS, Southern convention. Having repudiated the
Is: action OF your convention on the subject ,-hav
he ing presented an issue which you had rejected
to and having abandoned the positions which yor
al had assumed their next step in usurpation Is tt
ef- repudiate the delegates whom you had chosen, OF
H. at least portion of them. Having abandoned the
ct principles on which you call into existence the
on Nashville convention, they could not o. course
cohfde in the agents whom you had entrusted
,p. to exei ute your sovereign will.
Some Of the delegates chosen by you, the,
he c6ndescended to elect, but others they threw
on overheard, and elected ii their place such as the,
ce preferred. When we have said this much, !
he might be supposed that the list Of enormitle
lal and usurpati0ns was concluded: such, however
Of is not the case. The majority of your leglsa
it'll ture not only transcribed the power in changing
to- the issue between the South and the North a
by recognized b3 you-they not only transcende
ith their power III electng delegates Of their owl
i've to the Nashville convention, but without Law
ION or the constitution, and in violation OF boil
thrust their hands into yOlr treasury to pay tn
lre expenses Of their own agents, (not yoars) thu
we illegally appointed by them.
cts. It is with you fellow citizens, to coadem OF
BUS Justify these high handed measures Of the ma
the jority in your legislature 1t is for you to sa
rn. whether your representative government shall dt
by generate into that Of a diciatorial okgGrchy.
Ind is for you to say whether You will permit yot
ion servants to arrogate to themselves the authoril
en-. Of masters, and to dictate terms to you. IL
ded for you to determine whether you will recognz
his as your own, the agents selected without autho
the iy by the majority of your Legislature; and aSov
af all, whetheryou will 'ssand by and sustain wha
SER ever course Of action may be determined on
the the Nashville convention"
less We speak to you, fell.eitizens, not as whiI
nor as democrats, but as lovers of our countr
by Do not mistake us. We concede nothing
n Of Northern aggression. We are the firm suppo
ces ters of the constitutional rights Of the Sout
its andifever, in an evil hour, they should be invade
EN- which God in his mercy avert, we pledge OF
red selves to stand by you, and with you, in the
red defence, through veal and through woe. B
,eo- as to the attempt to make the admission Of Ca
s-e L. - Int fInaa