The Madisonian. (Canton, Miss.) 1850-1855, 1850-04-18

Your number Of the l4th 0
March contains an article headed 9TH
Proposed Remedy for The Evil Of the Day
Examined" which does gross injustice Il
the members Of the convention which me
10 this place in October last. The par
which it was my fortune to take in tina
convention, makes ii necessary that l
should forego inclination, and appear be
fore the public 10 repel an unfounded ca
lumny. That article is but the sequel o
several that preceded il Of less boldness.-
The public journalist owes it II the coun.
Try 10 deal eandidly andT fairly with the
conduct Of others, and p departing from
this duty he is like a swift witness; he
belrays his Partially at the cost of his in
tegrity.
Your article is lengthY, and shall con-
tent myself with noticing such portions Of
il as place the convention in The most
prominent point Of view. Your tile seem
ed to give promise Of discussion, but ySus
essay begins and ends in assertion and de-
annexation. You prove one thing howev-
er, which may have not been generally
known, an entire identity Of feeling with
the northin its high claims Ofpower on the
subject Of slavery. Your northern readers
will doubtless feelgrasiiied at yourdevo.ion
to their faVorite measure, but they will not
be much enlightened BY your argumept.-
Your Southern countrymen can no longer
regard you as neutral. am not willing
that the convention shall BE- judged by the
open enemies Of the South, and still less
willing that it shall be condemned on evil
dence and inferences not found in, or war
ranled by, its own declarations, and | as
sert, in the most solemn manner, that mo-
lives have been ascribed to the members
which they did not entertain.
Your ~allusiOn to the Hartford Conven-
ton is an article which requires no COM
ment 70 show its object. Its history is
given at length, and you conclude from the
mode Of composition, and the Objects"
the Nashville conventions more deserving
Of odinm. This is condemning il prema-
tuTely on assumed grounds. The convea.
ton has not met; It's composition cannot
be known, orat leas; but partially known.
Its objects are just what the convention Of
Mississippi expressed them to be-. When
men have openly and fairly declared their
object, i is unjust 10 ascribe 10 them mo-
Iives which they did not express, unless
the charge can be sustained on more con-
elusive evidence. Ny purposes is with the
MississipMl convention, and il you had.
dealt IS fairly by it as you have by the
Hartford convention, no Vindication would
have been required. The history Of one
is given atlength, but not so with The other.
The Hartford convention is pronounced an
innocent affair on the strength Of the de-
clarations contained in its proceedings; but
the Mississippi convention is not judged by
the same rule; lis declarations are disre-
garded, and motives ascribed 10 il which
were not expressed. One sat with closed
doors, and its proceedings were kept see
cret, at a time we were at war with a DOW
ferfnl foreign enemy, which had been Orpo-
sed and the justice Of which had been
denied BY q portion Of the people; yet its
motives are determined by the journal oil
its proceedings. The other sat with open
doors, published its proceedings TO the
world, and invited discussion; yet it is
condemned ~ what i. did not say.
You next allude to The Mississippi con.
venlion, and after setting out its resolution
say, "shese resolutions, certainly, upon no
sufficient ground in their averments. the
essential part Of which, CONTAINED in The
second resolution, J none but political fana.
tics, and hardly they, would be found to
dispute, but family outline lae purpose. Of
which late discussions in and cut Of Com
gress hardly leave q doubt, through the in
.strnmeDtality Of the proposed convention,
TO unsettle the foundations Of the govern.
ment Of the United States. They Sc, Out.
indeed with, protesting 4 devoted and
cherished attachment 10 the Uniou, but
they beg ne question Of aggression b.
nOn,slGDehoIding States, 10 order 10
suggesttb the idea that they (the people Of
Mississippi desire to have ii only such Is
they DESIRE" Here is q direct charge OF
TO unsettle the foundation Of the
government. Ii Is utterly denied that any
such purpose was designed. It's denied
hat any member Of the Mississippi con
Vertion had any such Objecsin view ; and
is asserted that every member there as
Is d friend % the Union. The
great, the leading object in calling i was