Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-06-07
He spoke: and with
Wit and words and worth.

! -'' w 1t and words and worth,
Action and utterance and power of speech,
That stir mems blood,
from two to three hours, he held his listening au-
dience in close, and rich, and varied converse a
bout their country's rights, and their country's
wrongs-the injuries of the past, and the dangers
of the future, and how, by united action on the
part of the people of the south, much might, yet,
be done to redress those injuries, and avert those
dangers.
He spoke of the obligations he was under to the
people, for the trust reposed, and the honors CON
ferred upon him; and how he had endeavored to
protect the interests, assert and defend the rights
of his constituents-the rights of the south-the
rights of the Staes-the rights of the people, a.
gainst the overbearing influence of federal domi-
nation, and the consolidating tendencies of the So
called adjustment measures.
He said he was no candidate for anv place of
trust honor, or profit, and had only come among
them, as it was his privilege and his duty to do.
in exciting times like thse to hold counsel with the
people, upon the present gloomy aspect of the
interests and dcstinics of the south.
He told Of the prospect presented in the halls of
Congress, at the time, when the whole delegation
Foote included) joined in letter to the Governor
of this State, setting forth the fact that they had
a ''aceH defined opinion that California rould be
admitted" with her free soil constitution, streach
ing over an immense territory, as State into the
Union, at the then session of Congress; and that
they ''rcgarded tie proposition to admit Ter as
State, u1der all the circumstances Of her appIicG-
ton, as attempt to adopt tie WInsot proUjso IN
another forma.' He thought so then. He thinks
so now The admission of California, under all
the circumstances, is but the passage of the VIII
mot proviso IA another .forna, extending over the
whole territory embraced within her limits Less
cannot be made of it. The deed was begun by the
President, and consummated by Congress He
said that letter asked for and elected instructions
from the Legislature, to the effect that the Sena-
tors and Representatives, from this State should,
to the extent of their ability, resist such admission,
by all honorable and constitutional nseans.''
The Colonel said he had abored to carry out,
and obey those Instructions because, in doing so
he was following the direction of his strongest
feelings and pursuing the dictates of his best udg
ment, after the most mature deliberation, he was
capable of bestowing upon the subject. Had this
not been the case-had he entertained opinions
ad0erSe to the instructions gyen and had these been
such that he could not conscientiously yield them,
he would have resigned his seat and returned
home
He said that he had opposed the admission of
California-he had opposed, with all his powers,
the whole of the so-called adjustment measures,
both when they were coupled together and when
presented sngly That the fugitive slave law, as
it was passed, was no part of the compromise
ares. That for that he had voted, because it was
but attempt to carry out the plain principles of
the constitution, and to protect the rights of the
people Of the south. 1t designed to effect
what the States, themselves, were, in good faith,
bound to do, under the constitution But he said
it was matter of very little interest to the people
of Mississippi, any of the planting States except
so far as they indirectly interested in carrying
into effect the provisions of the constitution, and
doing Justice to the border States. That when
negroes ran away from their masters in the plant
ing states they seldom, if ever, reached free
State.
He said that while the fugitive slave law bene-
fitted the border State alone, and while the plant
ing States had been assisting them to obtain thei
rights, the border States had disregarded the rights
f of the planting States, in instances in join
ing with the free soiers, toexolude us from an out