The organizer., 1850-04-20

sideration of the Southern States,
This is an unfair construction. Th,
secondary is made the primary prop
ositlon. The accident is made th'
substance-the alternative, the pri
mary object. The contingency OF
which a Southern Confeder acy wa;
alluded to, has been entirely over
looked-kept out of view. 1t wa
spoken of in the address only as :
last resort in the event of failure in
"the hope of arresting the course OF
future aggression" The address dit
not authorize you to say that a South
ern Confederacy was the object; il
avows attachment to the Union as
did every expression of the convention
and as do the whole people of Mis-
sissippi. No men live who more deN
sire the perpetuity of the Union than
do the signers Of that address, if they
can have it unimpaired. But they
believed with the entire South, that
the North had been pressing, and
would again endeaver to press, the
the exercise of power not delegated
to Congress by the constitution, and
they believed moreover that the South
would not submit. Their first hope
was to avert the evil by a timely
declaration of their rights, but ID that
should fail, it was natural to look to
consequences and to provide for them.
The convention did not, as you say,
"act under the influence of excited
feeling" They met as men who had
reflected wei who knew and felt
the solCmnity of the occasion. In
surveying the whole ground, it was
but natural-it was prudenl--that
they should look to the possibility of
a failure in their fondest hope. And
1t was only on that contingency that
a single thought was turned to
Southern compact as a means of Sc
curity, not of choice. | repeat, that
we desire no Southern confederacy-I
we desire the peIpetutiy of our pres
ent Union; but it can only be pre-
served by keeping every department
Of the Government within its consti-
tutionaI limits. And your assertion
IS without proof.
| quote further from your "exam.
nation" You say: at is no longer
natter of inference. There exists a
ilsaflection to the Union. more deeply !
seated than we had supposed-engen-
lering designs against it, which the
mass and body of the people of the
south are as little aware of, as we
we're three days ago I; the fisrt germs
nation Of which is this project of a
Nashville Convention" am greatly
mistaken if the "body of the people OF
be South are not fully aware Of all
he classification Of the Union which
xists here, and fully aware too, of
he causes of that disaiectiOn. You
ave impaired no information to them
n that subject. The first "germin-
tions' Of disafTection grew out Of an
tack upon their rights. 1t is singu.
II that YOU do not undertake to ac
ount for this disaiFcction, and TO /
now us whether it is we'll or i'll +,
Perhaps il may be justifia- I
Ie. 1t IS said that motive is the
npulse to human action, and oppres. |
on is the main spring Of revolutions. 4
ihen men desire change of gov !
an enlarged liberty is the
-eat object, and changes are never
,sired when the form of Govern a
cnl is the best that can be establish y
I, AS ours is Of that description, we
IN have no motive 10 change it the r
tempt to abuse it is what we com
ain Of II we are disaiiected TO, 4
aids the Union which | deny per-
Fps there may be cause for it, which $
removed, would restore harmony. Y
on have seen that there was deep
ated di.contcnt on the subject Of
lvery, and as friends 10 your coun- q
Y, it was your duty TO allay the v
il possible. You but n
ovoke the quarrel by taunting the y
'uth with infdelity TO the Govern. Il
mt. lf YOU wish 10 preserve the
Mon from danger, tell your Northern "
ends 10 press us no further; TO for q
Ar. That is the safe course, even a
the power be doutful. They claim q
exert tive deny their right. Fiji
~ act. they may violate the Con- al
tuition, but II they are passive they
mot. BY that means peace will b. te
stored. A free government must r
the voluntary homage Of p'
, people, and whatever tends to in
'aken their attachment, endangers
existence Irr