The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-10-18
From the Rome (Ga.) Southerner.
Letters Received at the Kingston Mass
Meeting.
MoNrcoMERY, ALA. Sent. llth. 1885

MONTGOMERY, ALA. Sept. llth, 1850.
GENTLEMEN-I am in receipt of your invitation
to attend g Mass Meeting of the people Of Che
rokee," which will take place at Kingston, on the
w. and A. Rail Road, on Thursday the Goth Of
| this month.
1t would afford me great pleasure to witness the
gathering together of the men Of Cherokee, at the
time appointed.
My semi-annua Courts, however, commence on
the 23d inst.-and | am imperatively compelled to
deny myself that pleasure.
My sympathies, however, will all be with you.
We have just been informed by Geographic des-
patch that the great fraud, long in the concoct-
ing, has at last been completed in all its breadth
and depth-and has at length received the sanction
Of the Government. The time for action, then has
arrived. Upon an occasion Of far less importance,
Governor Troup advised the Legislature of Geor-
gia; that "the argument was exhausted, and it
was time to stand by your arms" The issue is
made up. You, in common with the South gen.
orally, have fairly notified the North and the Gov
ernment that we would not submit to the consum-
nation Of this stupendous fraud. You have de-
liberately planted yourselves, beside the people of
the other Southern States upon the time sanctioned
line of the Missouri 80, and
declared that Northern ACCESSION must there be
| stad.
| If it is indeed true that regardless of this
| solemn warning-regardIess Of our Constitutional
rights, the Government has enacted system OF
laws which excludes the South, not only from
| every foot of the common territories; but which
invades the limits of sovereign State and gives
an immense area of slave territory to free-soil
then indeed are we called upon /" to stand to our
| arms" or ignominiousy recede from our bold po
sitons, and forever after occupy an inferior posi-
ton among the States Of this Union.
Georgia has provided for this contingency. She
has determined to call a Convention of her cit
| zens; who alone can authoriatvely decide wha
| shall be the mode and manner of resistance, and
hat he safap ard WI ich wtll nirs
in ths the destruction of those ancient safeguards
provided by their forefathers.
In addition TO the intrinsic Importance to them
of this great movement, it derives additional inter
est from the fact that the course decided upor
will have a leading and great effect upon the
course which other Southern States may adopt
who have yet to commence the movement.
trust therefore that Georgia, recognizing heI
position as Leader, in this great crisis, will see
proper to recommend to her sister States of the
South, some mode by which, as in the days of our
glorious revolution, they may meet as States, and
confer together for the common benefit, and If need
be" form a more perfect union; establish jus.
tice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general welfare,
and the blessings fliberty TO ourselves and
our posterity." There should be, would deferen-
TALLY suggest, Congress of the Southern States,
deriving authority from the sovereignty of those
States. Sach body, called at the suggestion OF
the Convention Of the people Of Georgia, would
place our cause upon high, practical ground.
Such body would act with the light and expe-
rience of our revolutionary fathers to guide them,
would be sanctihed by the remembrance Of the
acts and doings, and aim Of the similar body that
assembled during our revolutionary struggle.
Thus would unity Of purpose, be brought about
and unity Of action be secured-and the result
would doubtless be, that our liberties would be
placed beyond the reach Of aggression from any
Abolition quarter. Yours, &c,
w. L. YANCY.