Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-11-21
Fra-n fhe fAla.l sta.s ca ( Alr.

Register the following lu iielous and well
timed observations upon the importance
of harmony. union and organization in the
Democratic party. We commend them to
the careful consideration and attention of
the Democratic party throus shout the State.
LATTER OF HEsRY CLAY Consolidation
Teaaen-ies-The long and elaborate letter
Of the retired statesman OF Ashland. in re-
ference to the political state of the country,
is The most powerful argument which has
ever appeared, against the right and policy
of secession He has put forth in its COM
position all the power of his intellect,
which would seem to be not impaired by
his advanced age. The argument, howe
yer is highly federal and fallacious. 1t is
the philosophy of consolidation. No grea-
ter authority IS reco snized in a State. to
prevent the cx+ension o. an uncoasti;u-
ton law. than belongs to an unorganized
mass of people. Such was not the faith
of Jefferson or Madison; but it Is fast be-
coming the established doctrine of our gov
ernmen. The saddest fact connected with
the recent political controversies, and their
deaoaemeat in the elections, particularly in
the South, is the impetus they have given
to hight consolidation tendencies. In the
refusal of the rights which have been claim
ed for the States, a current has been estab-
lished IN the opposite direction, which
threatens to sweep down all barriers TO Fe
deral authority and usurpation. The doc
trincs of Alexander Hamilton are more in
the ascendant to-day, than they have been
at any period since the death of that Illus
trious champion of the high prerogatives of
the General Government. The creed that
was c,asecrated in 1898, under the auspi-
c;es Of Nr. Jefferson, and was carried into
orl2 &c theol .hou; his administration, and
tha of several Of his successors, is no lon
ser cherishe ! by the people with the same
violence As il once was.
The ndscriminalion-the ultraism-of
the advocates of the great Republican doc
trine Of the seperate sovereignty of the
States, has given this advantage to their
opponents. By attempting to push their
principles to extremities,-by threatening
to resort to the exercise of their reserved
rights, when the occasion did not demand
such recoufse,-the indiscreet eXponents
of the true doctrine have produced Il revul-
sion Of public sentiment which in its over
throw of their particular measures, bids
fair to swallow up many of the most con-
servative principles of our Confederation
to merge all power in the hands of the
| General Government.
| The letter of. Mr. Clay is an illustration
fof the truth of these apprehensions. He
was once, (s'long, long ago - disciple
OF the School OF State Rights. Even oi
late years we had not thought that he en-
tertained such extreme Federal views as
Mr.. Webster and the political scholiasts OF
New England. But now he appears deep
dyed in the faith OF Timothy Pickering and
Oliver Wolcott. The States, 10 his seem
ing, have no rights but such as are subor-
dinate to the General Goyernment-but
such as may be tolerated by the Central
Authorities, and these they hold upon
suIierance at the will aud beck of the Pow
er which they themselves created Like Sat,
urn, this national god can swallow up
when he chooses all the other diyiniiles OF
our political olympus.
We are The advocates of the doctrine OF
Seccesson, as a Constit utlonal right; but we
favor no violent resistance to the authorizes
at Westinghouse have never done So
but We cannot view the epolliicaf tendencies
of the time,-the drift and current OF pub
lie opinion, as to the relative powers of ihe
States and the Union, as Swallowed forth IN
such labored and impressive epistles as Mr.
Clay s,-without serious apprehension
In shunning the ylla of Secession, our
people are IN danger of rushing into the
Chary bris of Consolidation. 1t needs
some wise Ulysses to steer between these
antagonist dangers.
| In our opinion. the only true and safe
policy for the country, for the South par
licularly, is to fall back upon the creed and
practice of the democratic party. Our Fe-
deral Union is to be preseryed,-and that
can be, in its purity, only by adheriny to
the old rule OF a strict construction OF the
| Constitution. Let us strive to limit our
national functionaries - the plain meaning
and intent of that instrument. Let no
doubtful powers be exercised by CONGRESS
and the rights of all sections. and of all the
states will be preserved. This is true De-
rlocfacy--these the cardinal tenets OF
til4g party. By them only can our Gov
ernsaens DC saved rom becoming one broad
an. anrssiris,ei elag.Te-a depositism with
.he a0ad at !. ,si..n,seii,
We cali then ioT Reorganization OF
the Democratic party. It has been dor
nnant the past two years. from the choatic
confusion of the tunes. Now things are
beginning to round themselves back into
shape-lo reassume their organic relation
1t behoves the people TO see thai they have
not been waited IRON their former moor
ings, and that they are not drIied upon a
VIDE and unlimited sea of hazardous ex-
pertinent. Every patriotic and refiecsing
man will review his opinions, and give
them that direction which The long expert
mens OF the past, and the close siudy OF
the complicated nature OF the government
has demonstrated to be wise ami safe.
| For ourselves, we see no safe or saga
cious course, but TO return to those party
relations and that policy which the wisdom
of Jefferson and Madison devised and esta-
blished, and the practice of Jackson and
Polk illustrated, and adorned. This will
be the best remedy for the false philoso-
ply taught by Mr.. Clay and the deep laid
schemes Of federal aggrandizement which
are enacted behind the curtain, and are to
be developed by Messrs- Fillmore and
Webster.
The letter of Mr.. Clay is too long for our
columns, but it can be found in pamphlets
form, and in many papers. and its persual
will exhibit the dangers to which We have
referred, and enforce the pfopriety Of the
course which we recommend.
SSow.-Our exchanges from the East
are speaking OF the early indications oi