The southern press., 1851-12-29

il would be Inconsistent III seems, with his Po
sition as a Senator--a part Of the government; /;
and inconsistent with his oath to support the
Constitution. Now, in the first place, | do not
think this has, heretofore been the course Of the
Senator from Mississippi, Mr. FooTE. When
ever he is very violent in impugning any course,
only watch him little while, and you will find
that il is because he has praetsed it before him
self That is very much the case here. Did
not the Senator but yesterday on this floor de-
clare, that he got up both the Mississippi Con
ven'ion and the Nashville Convention? Well,
the Mississippi Convention which proposed the
Nashville Convention, put forth an address to
the people of the Southern States. The Ma
tional iateligencer Of this city, quoting the par
agraph shall read, denounced this address, as
proposing another Hartford Convention-and
Southern confederacy. And the Senator got
up here, and in offering his Mississippi resolu-
tions, and the address defends and supports them
upon the floor OF the Senate.
Mr.. FOOTE. | declared that it was Union
document.
Mr.. RHETT. will read what this address
says, and what he says, and then the Senate can
decide what sort of Union document it is
lie read to the Senate the following words
from the address of the people of Mississippi TO
the people of the Southern States:
"Beside and beyond popular convention Of
the Southern States, with view aud the hoI g
Of arresting the course OF aggression, aud if not
practicable then 10 concentrate the South in DiN
understanding, and action, the convention of
Mississippi suggested as the possible ultimate
resort, the call of the legislatures of the assaled
States Of still more solemn conventi0ns-such
as should be regularly elected by the people of
those States--to deliberate, speak, and act with
all the sovereign power of the people. Should,
in the result, such conventions be called and
meet, they may lead to like regularly constitu
ted convention of all the assailed States, to pro-
vide in the last resort for their separate welfare
by the formation Of a compact Of Union that ,cM
afford protection 10 their liberties and rights. In
such crisis, in the language of Madison. 'one
spirit will animite and conduct the whole"
Such are the words; and the Senator from
Mississippi, not content TO read them, undertakes
to expound whilst endorsing them He says
"If, in these important points, the North should
prove unwilling to do justice-whch Heaven
forbid--if the offensive enactments menaced (our
exclusion from our territorirs) shall be adopted
and the grievances already confessedly infic ed,
shall remain unredressed, then the Southern
States will assemble in convention to consult
for their own safety and welfare; and if justice
shall still be withheld, after all pacific and con-
stitutiona expedients have been tried in vain
why then the Southern States may feel it to be
their duty forced upon them, Of seeding in the
last resort from The Union"
There is secession advocated in the last resort;
and nobody advocated it under any other terms
There is Southern confederacy proposed by
the Mississippi convention, and supported by
that Senator, as last resort; and nobody pro-
posed it in any other contingency. 1t was dis
tinct declaration to this effect: deprive US of our
territories and give us no redress, and we will
secede from the Union and set up Southern
confederacy.
Mr.. FOOTE After all pacific and constitu-
tional means had been resorted to in vain.
Mr. RHEFT. | do not care what qualifca-
tions the Senator makes They do not alter his
position He supported first the proposition,
that in certain contingency, most probable and
which did occur, there should be Southern
Congress, in which the Southern States should
appear in their sovereign capacity, and should
+" secede from the Union" Where was The SEN
ator's oath and tongue when he laid this propo-
sition before the Senate He supported the
further proposition, that the seeding States
should form a Southern confederation. Are
these measures not measures affecting the con-
tinuance of the government, of which the SEN
ator is part Senltor? But yesterday he
was deDouncing, in the vulgar slang of the day,
those whom he termed fire-eaters. Why, sus-
pect at the time he laid the Mississippi address
and resolutions before the Senate--certainly
little before--he considered both here and
elsewhere a chief among them. You know,
sir, that he came here with very self compla
cent and triumphant air, Il was told, was not
here,) and announced to the Senate that on
Saturday morning next ensuing, the Union was
to be dissolved. He then expressed none of
those rhapsodes for the Union in which he now
boasts. His tongue moved freely and his bosom
did not burst with horror. Even the Southern
caucus, which assembled in this chamber, was
considered neither at the North nor the South
to be very decided expedient for upholding the
Union. Yet the Senator claims the paternity Of
that, too. In fact, he is identified with every
movement which threatened the Union before
his compromise passed. Yet he now talks of
his oath forbidding a Senator to do anything
which may tend to overthrow the government or
the Union. Sir, do not blame the Senator from
Mississippi for the part he played in any of these
movements. In my opinion he acted well-he
did what was right There was nothing that he
said or did which in the least degree initiated
against his duty as a Senator. The duties of
Senator are not confined to the business or
interests Of this government. lie is not sent
here merely to carry on and support this 90
ernmeDt. Here the States are represented in
their sovereign capacity.
senator stands here sort of ambassador,
to superintend and carry out an agency, (the
general government) which his State has in
common with other States, established by
compact (the Constitution,) for very limited
purposes. Under these circumstances, my view
of his duty is, that not only should he faithfully
support the Constitution" but, should it be
perverted or violated by Others, he is bound to
inform his prncipal-the State he represents
of the wrong d me to her. He is bound to do
more he should make it his duty to inquire and
inform his principal, whether the integrity of the
violated Constitution can be restored. He is
bound to do more: if, in his opinion, the other
parties to this constitutional compact will not
observe it, and it is be ter that his principal
should renounce it, and separate from the other
parties, he would be recreant to his duty, if he
did not counsel separation. That is my view
of the matter. A consoidationist like tie
Senator from Mississippi may, | admit take
very different view of his duty. lie may sup
rose the s ates not to be sovereign, but a sort
of infario pornorafiona and their eanutore to ho