The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1850-07-05

see, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas
Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas
FELLOW CITZENs:-
In obedience to the commands os those we
represent, we have assembled together TO confer
with each other concerning your relation with
the general Government and the non-savehold-
ing States of the Union, on the subject of the
institution of slavery. We deem it proper to
lay before you as briefly as the subject permits,
the resnlt of our deliberations and councils.
In order that your condition may be under
stood, and the conclusions al which we have
arrived bejusty appreciated, it is necessary brief
ly to refer TO few past transactions.
1t is now sixteen years since the institution of
slavery IN the south began to be agtated in Con-
gress and assailed by her sister States. Up 20
that time, the people of the Northern States
seem TO have respected the rights reserved to the
Southern States by the Constitution, and to have
acted under the conviction that the subject OF
slavery being beyond the legislation of Congress,
an agitation with respect to il on the part OF
Congress, was equally forbidden by the Consti-
tuition. But at this time, portion Of the people
oil the North began to assail, in Congress, the In
stltutlon OF slavery; and to accomplish their OBJ
lect OF dragging into the vortex of Congression.
al agitation, they claimed the right Of peitloning
Congress upon all subjects whatsoever AS
petition Is only the first step in legislation, il was
clear that right to petition legislative body,
must be limited BY its powers of legislation. No
one can have right TO ask OF another to do that
which he has no moral or legal right to do. Nor
can any tribunal have the power to receive and
consider any matter beyond its jurisdiction.
The claim therefore TO present petitions TO Con-
gress on the subject Of slavery, was considered
by the southern Representatives generally, as an
| attempt indirectly, TO assume Jurisdiction over
the suSjectltself, in all parts Of the Union. The
object, without disguise, was the overthrow OF
slavery in the States; but our assaiants framed
the petitions presented, chiefly against slavery
| IN the District of Columbia and our territories,
and against what they call the nterna! slave
I trade-that is, the transmission OF slaves from
one southern State to another. Conscious OF
the fatal tendency of the agitation OF slavery in
| Congress, to destroy the peace and stability of
] the Union, an effort was made, supported by
large portion of the northern Representatives to
suppress it by rule in the House OF Represen-
tatives, which provided that all petitions on the
I subject of slavery. should be neither considered
! printed, or referred This rule was assailed by
| the people of the northern States, as violating
| that clause of the Constitution which prohibits
| Congress from passing laws to prevent the peo-
| pie from peaceaby assembling and petitoning
! for redress OF grievances. In December,
| 1874 this rule fell before the almost unanimous
/ voice Of the North: and thus the unlimited pow
er Of introducing and considering the subject of
! slavery in Congress, was asserted. In the mean
| time. the course of the northern people showed
| clearly that the agitation of slavery in Congress
/ was only one of the means they relied on to
overthrow this institution throughout the Union.
| Newspapers were set up amongst them, and lec-
! turers- were hired TO 90 abroad to excite Them
! against slavery in the southern States. Organl-
cations were formed to. carry off slaves from the
| South, and to protect them by violence from re-
| capture. Although the Constitution requires
that fugitive slaves, like fugitves from justice,
should be rendered up by the States to which
| they NAV have fled, the legislatures Of almost
every northern State, faithess to this treaty sti-
pulation between the States, passed laws designed
and calculated entirely to defeat this provision Of
| the Constitution, without which the Union would
| have never existed, and by these laws virtually
| nulified the act of 1894, passed by Congress to
aic its enforcement. Not content with the agi-
tatou of slavery in political circles the northe n
people forced it also into the religious assocIa-
/ tions extending over the onion, and produced a
separation OF the Methodist and Baptist church
es The result of all these various methods OF
assailing slavery in the Southern States, was,
| that il became the grand topic OF interest and
discussion in Congress and out OF Congress, and
one of the most important elements OF politics IN
the Union. Thus an institution, belonging to
the southern States exclusively, was wrested
from their exclusive control; and instead n that
| protection which is The great object OF all gov
ernments. and which the Constitution of the
limited States guarantees to all the States and
their institutions, the northern States and Con-
press under their control, combined together, to
assail and destroy slavery in the South The
southern States did nothing to vindicate their
| riqhts and arrest this course of things.-The
| Mexican war broke out; and instead of that pa
triotic cooperation of all sections of the Unon
which would have taken place in the better days
of the Republic, to bring it to Just and honora-
bic conclusion, in the very first appropriation bill
IN carfy it on, the North endeavored to thrust
the subject of slavery. Throughout the war,
thew kept up the agitation; thus clearly manifest-
limo their determination that the general Govern
ment. in none of its operations, internal or ex-
ternal. shall be exempt from the introduction oil
this dangerous subject. The war closed with
honor; and an immense territory was added to
the United States. Their previous threats were
realized: and the nonlslaveholding States imme.
diately claimed the right to exclude the people o
the southern States from all the territory acquir.
ed, and to appropriate it to themselves. If this
Ipretension arose from mere lust of power, il
would be hard to bear tie superiority and mas.
tery it implies. 1t would degrade the southern
States from being the equals of the northern
States, to position oe colonial inferiority. But
when your exclusion is not from ere lust oi
power, but is only further step into the progress
of things, aiming at the abolition of slavery in
the States, by the extension and multiplication
of non.slavehoding States in the Union, the-pre.
tension is seen TO be as alarming as it is insult.
ling. The southern States, in their legislatures
set sorth with great unanimty the rights in our
territories belonging to them in common with
the northern States, and declared their determin.
alton to maintain them; and finding in the north.
thern States no disposition to abate their de.
mands. the Convention in which we are assem-
bled, has been brought together to take counsel
as to the course southern States should pursue
for the maintenance of their rights, liberty and
honor. s t
Such is a brief, but imperfect statement o.
mast transactions: and they force upon us the
question, in what condition do they place the
Southern States7 And first, what Is their CON