The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-10-24
MisSissippi.

The extra session Of the Mississippi Legisla
ture will commence, according to Gen. Quit
mans proclamation, on the 18th of November
Mississippi will therefore be the first State tc
decide on the late measures of Federal spolia.
ton, as she was the first to propose the Nash.
vile Convention to avert them. That conven-
ton itself will meet again but few days be-
fore the Legislature of Mississippi The dec-
sion of Mississippi will naturally have much in
fuence on the course of Georgia, and on the
other States of the South There has never
been since the formation of the present Union,
which such repugnant sentiments are entertain
ed Nor has there been such All array of official
State declarations so equally divided in number
Nor has the Federal Government ever before
taken the side of one portion against the other
30 signally. The rights, power, dignity, safety
of States never before were so deeply involved
as now. 1t is case, therefore, by which the
problem will be solved whether in our system
the States are capable, practically, of self de-
fence. When the Union was formed, the iul.
preston prevailed that the greatest danger
would be from State aggressions. That appre-
hension has been completely exploded. The re-
verse is the result.
A year or two ago the States of the South
declared, with an unusual approach to unanimi.
ty, their rights in reference to the great questions
acted on at the late session of Congress. Not
single decision of Congress was made in nc
cordance with that declaration except the Fugi-
tive Slave law, and that passed chiefly by the
votes of Southern members and the absence
of Northern members. The California bill and
the bill to abolish slavery in this District, both
in opposition to the sentiments of the Southern
States were passed by Northern votes chiefly
So as to the Texas bil-that was opposed gener-
ally by the Southern delegation down, until with
in the last two days of its tendency in the House
of Representatives, when, by mysterious STAN
pede of some twenty odd Southern men, it pass
ed that body.
Thus were the Southern States bereft Of their
common right to Federal territory, and even, SO
far as Congress could do it, of their exclusive
right to large portion of territory in slave.
holding State-the most gigantic system OF spo.
lation on record.
1t was pretended as a reason for these mea
sures that they would terminate agitation-o
itself great evil TO the South. But this ha.
been falsifed by the result Agitation is greater
than ever-at the North because an expressed
constitutional right of the South has been en-.
forced-at the South, because her right 10 an i'm
mense territorial domain has been confiscated
her people prescribed, her power crippled and
her future inferiority and overthrow decreed
We are now to see how many States Of the
South will submit to such an outrage, perpe-
trated on such pretences, followed by such con.
sequences. s
Mississippi is the first to speak Her elo-
quent patriotic and gallant sons, DAVIS and OUR
MAN, have already declared that the lands which
they contributed so eminently by their valor to
acquire in the field, will never be yielded in coun-
sel--that the men who are called on by the
country as not unworthy to lead her sons to bat
lie, shall never submit to be excluded from the
fruits Of victory-that the property Of the people
n tho United States, shall never be wrested