The southern press., 1850-09-07
THE SOUTHERN PRESS.
From the Alert .4iabaalian.
SKETCH OF
Governor Bagby's Remarks at the We
tumpka Meeting

SKETCH OF
Governor Bagby's Remarks at the We
tumpka Meeting.
The Hon. Arthur p. Bagby, who was present,
was called upon and enchained the attention of
the audience for nearly two hours.
Mr.. Bagby said, That after more than FIVE and
twenty years Of his life, faithfully devoted to the
service of the people Of Alabama, in various de-
ings Of the most heartfelt qualification he had
cepted the invitation Of his fellow citizens of Coosa
and Autauga, 10 confer and consult with them in
relation to one of the greatest questions that had
ever occupied the attention or disturbed the tran
guilty of a great and free people. He was not
clothed with authority 10 dictate, nor did he de-
sire to be, what in the present uncture of pub
lie affairs was necessary to be done. He only
proposed to submit his own views with respect to
the nature and cause of the evils with which we
were surrounded, and leave to the good sense,
virtue and intelligence of those whose interests
and destiny were embarked in the bottom with his
own, 10 apply the remedy. II his views should
meet the concurrence and appreciation OF his nu-
merous intelligent and attentive audience, he
should be highly. gratifed-if not, he should en-
Joy at least the consolation Of having had an op-
portunity Of expressing opinions formed upon
some reflection, and sincerely entertained. He had
laid down the general proposition, that the OBJ
who lived under it in the enjoyment Of life, Iiber
ty and the pursuit Of happiness. Ii the Govern
ment OF the United States had accomplished these
great objects, it is madness and folly to disturb il
If it could be shown that il had become de-
structiye of these ends, it The right of the peo
pie to alter or abolish it. This was the doctrine
Of the revolution--t WAS the doctrine of the Dec
laration of Independence--it was The doctrine Of
the constitutional had been the doctrine of free
men in all ages, and would continue 10 be the doc
trine while men continue to be free. He said they
all knew that the cause Of the unhappy controver-
sy between the North and the South, was the
question Of domestic slavery. They all knew
that slaves were recognized as property by the
Constitution. The higher morality party who
has flooded the country with speeches, papers,
tracts and pamphlets, and stunned the public ear
with their doeful and never ending Jeremiads,
had not had the temery to deny this He did
not intend so far to forget himself or what was
due respectable and intelligent audience, as to
pursue the discussion Of this question into the
purlieus Of bgotry and prejudice, or the dens of
unhoiy ianaticism. His obj ects were higher. He
intended to aign and hold up to view the action
Of the Government, and to expose to the glaring
and cay Light view of TRUTH the wrongs, injuries
and expressions inflicted through long series Of
years upon the people Of the South.
The beginning Of this system was anterior to
the adoption pfthe Constitution. The egg which
has produced this brood of mischief which now
threatens to overwhem the Constitution and de-
stroy the Union, was deposited in the Ordinance
Of 1887. BY that act, slavery was excluded from
that immense and fertile territory, Ceded by the
Commonwealth of Virg gina, in evil hour 10
the General Government, and now composing
several powerful States Of the Contederacy. The
next act in the national drama Of encroachments
upon the rights Of the slayeholding States, was
performed upon part of the territory acquired by
the purchase of Louisiana, " hen Missouri applied
for admission into the Union. 1t was then, for
the first time, that the knell of the Union was
rung, and the patriotism and devotion Of the
South appealed to, and the fatal doctrine Of COM
promising plain constitutional questions, was re-
cognised. The North insisted upon it, and the
South assented in order to save the Union, and
give quiet and tranquility to distracted country.
Next come the annexation Of Texas, which like
Louisiana was slave State; and she, too, had to
be severed by the line thirty degrees and a
half, in order to satisfy Northern rapacity, and
still farther to weaken the South. In that scene
was an humble actor, and did my best to avert
the encroachments upon the Constitution and the
rights Of the South, which that feature in the bill
involved. 1t the most reluctant act of my
public life, and never would have been yielded to
if had not had abundant reasons to believe that
such a course would have been pursued in bring
ing Texas into the Union, as would have rendered
the provision III regard to the Missouri Com
promise Ineffective. But other coupsels prevailed.
Up to this period the Southern States had been
either partially wholly excluded from a parti-
cipation in all the territories of the United States
except Florida; she was admitted slave State.
Then come the Mexican war-a war in which, no
matter what the eDvenomed tongues Of detraction
and fanaticism may say, aud no matter how re-
luctantly portion .of the people of the United
States may have engaged in it, or given 1t their
support, has reflected and will continue to reflect
as long as the light Of history shall shed its light
upon the deeds of nations, mpershable glory and
IL. - al. .lat
which followed its conclusions, another large ac-
cession Of territory resulted TO the United States
He need not tell you that that territory was ac-
quired by the joint blood and treasure of COM
mon country. And my distinguished friend and
much respected neghbor and fellow-citizen, Gov.
Fitzpatrick, has shown you, by the statistics ne
that the South contributed much more than her
fair proportion, both in men and money, as is
sometimes the case when there is money to be
paid or fighting to be done. The territory was
acquired, we fought and conquered it, and paid
for it into the bargain 1t was ceded by Mexico
to the Government Of the United States.
Here, fellow citizens, it becomes necessary to
inquire into the capacity in which the Government
Of the United States acquire and hold territory?-
He answered in the genuine, undsputed spirit Of
the Federal Constitution, that it acquires it as rus
tee and holds it in trust for The equal benefit Of all
the people Of all the States II can acquire and hold
u
lenged human ingenuity to show that it can. The
Federal Government is the agent, not the master
Of the people and the States. What disposition
is proposed to be made of this. territory This,
too is to be given up to the exclusive occupation
and enjoyment Of those who were opposed to the
acquisition oft and some Of whom expressed the
hope, pending the war that the American soldiers,
whose bones now bleach the plains Of Mexico,
might be welcomed to il, 1" with bloody hand and
hospitable graves" and The South is to be entirely
and forever excluded from il.
Thus you perceive, by merely following the cur
rent of history, that the Southern people have been
excluded and are about to be excluded finally and
forever from territory equal in extent to the Ro-
man Empire, in tue noontide Of Roman power
So much in regard to territory. What is the eff
feet OF your national legislation upon. property Of
another degor pton-prorerty recognized as such
and guaranteed by the CONSTITUTIONS The value
of The slaves in the United States is estimated at
sixteen hundred millions Of dollars. This amount
is to be put in jeopardy by the constant, ceaseess
agitation of this question. You are to be degraded
in the scale Of social moral and political exist
ence, merely because you are the owners Of pro-
perty which you found in the pathway of your