The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1850-09-10


constitutional Prsteus!ons and aggressious.
YOU do not rule yourselves. louare rulcdby
the North, IN defiance Of your will and the
Constitution, through the Government of
the United States aud with the Govern
men. VI tie United STATE, ~ enforce these
unconstitutional pretensious and aggressious.
You cannot and do not protect yourselves;
nor can you keep of, in Congress or out Of
Congress, the dangerous agitation OF the
subject of slavery. l put the question TO
You, are you a free people, under the pract-
cal operation OF such Government, IN the
protection and security it affords to your do.
ma,tic institutions!
1fsuch then be the true character Of the
Government Of the United States with re-
spect to the institution Of slavery, and the
taxes it imposes and expends, the question
occurs: What sort OF Government doesit
practically establish over the South Is it
that free Government and that Union the
Constitution was designed to establish ?
These are all we require For them we are
prepared to live and 10 die. III maintaining
them would fulfill the faith to which our
fathers pledged us, as would my baptis-
nal vows But the Constitution has been
put aside aud the Union perverted from the
purposes for which il was created and in
their stead a pragmatlcai, avarjci0us, and IA
natca despotism has been erected over the
South To endure 1t permanently is to
give up all pretensions 10 liberty and equa..
ity IN the Contederacy and to sink down 10
the position OF degraded and ruined co onies
Is there any reasonable hope that the Gov.
ernment may be reformed, and mought back
to the limited free Government OF our Con.
stituton
My friends | have been nineteen years a
! Representative Of the people, aud twelve
years a member of Congress, During this
time have watched with all the nte.i-
gence Ipossess, the operations of the Gov
ernment of the United States. Il was no
disunionist in 1928 and 1889 desired to
reform the Government, then taking in the
| imposition Of the taxes departure from the
Constitution which would inevitably lead,
as | thought, and then declared, TO a similar
departure on the subject of slavery. was
as sincerely desirous Of saving the Union by
enforcing the Constitution, IN the strong
measures South Carolina proposed as any
of those who resisted them. In 1887,
went to Washington as member of Con
lgress, and after witnessing the operation o
the Government for seven years, in 1874 an
icipatng the repeal of the 21st Rule, by
which jurisdiction over the subject OF slavery
would be assumed by Congress, came tC
the conclusion that it was impossible to re
form the Government, and keep it within the
i'm tttions of the constitution. My person
al relations, as well as a sense of duty, indu
ced me to communicate my conclusions tt
him who was ever esteemed in South Caro-
lima as her Wisest counsellor and friend, anC
by the whole South her mightiest arm of de
fence. He differed with me; and still
thought that the Government could be re
stored to its integrity by proper ExeCutiv
. administration. At last however, even he
as devoted friend to the Union as existed
within its broad limits before he died, des
| paired, it appears to Inc, of reforming tn
f Government. When he proposed new gual
a antics to the constitution in the last speec
g he delivered in the Senate of the Unite
r States, it was practical declaration, thu
i the Government could no: be reformed, j
I the usual course of its administration. Th
I. constitution as administered, was not enoug
If to protect the rights and liberties Of th
If South, Desparing of any reformation, whic
:. will bring the Government back to the lin
It itations Of the oustituton,-desparing
If any amendments Of the constitution Whic
d will give us new guarantees, see but or
e course left, for the peace and salvation OF III
Il South--a dissolution of the Union.
r. There are but two ways under Heave
!. by which written Constitution, establis
e ing free Government, can be preserved
}. good fSitb and iorce. The former is in
e piled in all contracts; for without it no col
n tracts would be made. If our fathers WI
I. entered into the compact which the Cons
D tuition establishes, had toreseen the prcsel
,e state Of things in the South, think you the
r. would ever have made it! Yet, when hi
d good faith restrained the North from any Vi
ID lations of the constitution, which their int
of ests or prejudices have demanded! Al
=. now, that by the inevitable course ofthing
ID the whole power of the Union in Congre
"a is about to be transferred TO the free State
10 hopeless Of change, which must be the de
lv tiny of the South in the Union? BY sk
m full use of her minority power, between Il
a. parties of the North she may for few yea
ID ignobly keep off the catastrophe; but Il
"A fate of a slave country, under the dominic
mi es esssk the ffse people Of epE 1AoetheEa States
IN hardly a matter of doubt or speculate
le From the origin Of the Government, wheth
et from sheer indifference to their faith, ol
n conviction that they must become tne fix
s. majority Of the coniederacy (and thereto
,o that 10 make the Government Of the Unit
IS. States omnlpotent, is to make themselv
IS omnipotent in itsafairs) consolidation b
re been their policy. 10 provide for the co
5? mon defence and general welfare" is in TIN
rs view of the constitution, the only lmltati
- IL imposes on Congress- And what "t