The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1851-02-25
IN, "Union" Meeting.

UHtONtSt&t soihttNH0 N
ISIS. on Saturday last. was so thinly attend
ID. The posters announced a nch' nteIiec-
as well as a st0Dadchicai repast, ana we
nad hoped to nave seen at least "a large
and respectable gathering" We are firmly
an advocate of public debate, and 1t Is al
gratifying to see the people eVince an
in public affairs by their attendance
on public meetings.
The audience in the room was so small
that we had no idea the meeting had been
organized, until we learned that the resoiu-
lions had been adopted, and that the orator
was on the stand. On entering, we were
surprised to see, in place OF Col.
Dick Stewart. Ii. T. Simrall, Esq" on the
stand. We did not hear the resolutions
and consequently can offer no comments
upon them. AS to Mr.. Simralrs speech 1t
was after his usual .manner-eIoquent and
highly romantic. He took up the adjust
ment bill, and discussed separately all Its
to each of which, he accorded his
entire support. He viewed the bill as EN-
inently qualified to promote peace and re-
store harmony but when he came to ana
lyze and depict its incongruous properties,
he had necessarily to draw literally on his
own fertile Imagination. He asked indu!-
gence while he expostulated deliberately on
the pitiable condition of California. which
he told US had been two entire years with
out even a territorial or other government
prior to it's admission. lie told us that our
people had gone to that distant land in search
of wealth. and showed how cruelty we
treated them, in delaying to give them a
government. But Mr.. s. never told us how
grateful and thankful these people were to
us when we did give them a government.
lie did not tell us that in return for our pa
rental consideration, our distant sons had ell
acted laws which prevented their sIavehold-
ing fathers and relations from visiting and
remaining with them. Oh no! he could not
mention this. He said no man could say
California had been admitted unconstitu-
tionally into this union but he could not
read to us the Constitution of the United
StatpC WhinI pracorihac that N oane,,c chalI
be taken-that the population shall consist
Of so many souls and far was he from tell
ing MS that Gwin and Fremont, who were
elected By the peopIe-not by the legisla-
ture. as the Constitution requIres-are now
sitting in the Senate.
He next took up the bill abolishing the
slave trade in the District of Columbia He
justified this bill on the precedent of the
law of Maryland, and of the Mississippi
territory. We refer the reader to our an
swer to the Natchez Coarier, for a refuta
ton of this absurd doctrine. MIR. Simral
assumed, as we understood him, the mon
strous and startling doctrine that Congress
had the same jurisdiction over slavery j
the District of Columbia, that the legisla
tnre of a State had in a State. Ii this
true, Congress then can abolish slavery i
the District when it chooses, and MIR. Sin
rail- stands on grounds opposite to Judg
Sharkey and all the the prominent wings
the State. OF course he would not dee
dissolution or secession justitiable il Co
gress were to exercise this power, and !
would stand up and urge the South to su
nit to the outrage.
Next on the epigram came the fugltl'
slave bill. Mr. Simrall here added a coat
feathers to the wings of his fancy, and a
, solutely flew out of all bounds There we
two parties of Disunionists-one at IL
; North who oppose this bill as a law, and
. the South who oppose it because the Nor
opposes it.
He did not tell us hat a. the North, mol
were occurring almost daily, and hal SoutI
ern men who go to reclaim their slaves al
at the imminent risk of their lives. He d
; not tell us that the bill had been nullifed [
the legislature of one State and by II
I people of nearly all the other Norther
States. Bat we have not time to race M
Simralls speech farther. He took mar
grounds, on each of which. his own argl
ments tripped him up. His speech was a
appeal TO the fears Of the people bnt ;
Southern men are not very susceptible
panics, we presume that the slumbers
those who heard him were not in the lea
disturbed by dreams of Northern sworc
and muskets.
Ooo-Our neighbor, we should iudg,