The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-17

ola. by Southern men. Democrats and Wings"
recently assembled in convention al miiledge-
Vile, and asking my acceptance call thus
made, do not feel at liberty TO decline. With
my profound Acknowledgements to the conyen-
ton, for the confidence implied IN The nomlna-
ton, assure you, AS its organ, that II It's eiec-
ton should be ratified by the people, every obii-
CATION imposed on me by the constitutions,
State and federal, and the laws enacted IN con-
formity thereto, shall be faithfully fnlflled
You will permit me to say, that the voluntary
sacrifice of old par feelings TO the cause OF
constitutional freedom, as evinced by the pro-
ceedngs of the convention, affords the most
gratifying evidence that the party of the Con
stitution is determined TO sustain the Union OF
the States, on the principles on which our ven
Grated ancestors, with the blessing OF God, es-
tablished it, On no other foundation can IT
stand. If the beaut'hed principles OF equality
and Justice on which il rests are disregarded and
set ut naught, wha. is there to bind the alice
tons of the people to il The habitual viola
| ton of these principles 10y the federal authori-
| ties, Nheneyer the interest OF the Southern
planter is to be affected by their action, has
shaken the confidence of many of the good citi-
zens of the country, in the disposition of the
general government TO respect the constitutional
rights of the people OF this section OF the Union
| In no instance has there been more f1agrant
and fatal violation OF them, than IN the adoption
| by Congress OF the measures referred To IN the
seventh resolution Of the convention. 1t is
claimed for them that they are compromise. 1t
is fraud upon an injured people to call them so.
| The proposition was made in the Senate by
senator from Kentucky known to be favorable
to the gradual abolition of slavery in his own
State, and entertaining the opinion that the law
of the Mexicans, prohibiting slavery, became
law to their conquerors, and over-rued their
WIS and political regulations by which slavery
is tolerated. 1t nowhere appears that the mea-
sures were concerted with senators holding diff
ferept opinions. and representing interests to be
! affected by hem. They were referred to COM
mttee of thirteen, on the election OF which a
bare majority of senators voted. The report of
the committee varied, in some degree, the pro-
position of the senator; and put in the form of
an offer of compromise, amounts to about this
"If the Southern States will give up all preten-
sion TO the erection of slave State on the Next
can territory if they will agree that Texas shall
sell an immense territory on which, according to
the compact with her, a free State cannot be
erected without her consent; If they will permit
territorial governments to be erected IN Utah
and New Mexico, with the understanding that
the Mexican laws are of force there, and us eff
|
mot Proviso, if enacted, could do, then the said
territorial governments shall be erected on prin-
ciples of non Intervention !; and more efficient
laws shall be enacted for the execution of the
provision of the Constitution by which tuoitves
from service or labor required to be delivered
to their owners.
But even this proposition, when made as
compromises proposition by which the South
YVES to surrender every thing--all right, now
and force er, to the territories of the Union, as
consideration that clear constitutional engage
| ment should be fulfilled, was rejected On what
principle could it have been rejected but on the
ground that the dominant majority in Congress
| iods unloHing 10 pass u as a compromised bar
gain not to lie Violated law not TO be repealed
| or altered 1t is no answer to say that the mea-
sures embraced in the proposition were after
wards amended and passed. On the contrary, it
established the position for the same N jority
that amended them as separate measures, had the
| power to amend them as they came from the
committee of thirteen. The serious resistance
made at the North to the execution of the fugi-
tive slave law, and their election of Senators and
Representatives on pledges that they will insist
on its repeal, or essential modification, SO M 10
destroy its value as a remedy, under the COnsti
tuition, prove that it is not regarded there as
compromise by which the interests of the weak
err party are sacrificed. The rapidly increasing
slave population of the South is pent up there
is no outlet for it. The slaves are to remain
here, and the work Of the Abolitionists is to be
accomplished, either through the vast multiplica-
ton of the race or by the change of the consti-
tuition to be affected by the early formation and
admission of free States into the Union. Con-
siderations like these induced me as one of my
States represen natives, in the Southern Conven-
ton, to endeavor TO bring about united action,
on the part of the States interested in this great
subject, to arrest the progress of usurpatons,
which, if continued, must result in the overthrow
of constitutional liberty and the subversion of
the Union~-A demand of their rights, embracing
but the equality and justice guaranteed by the
Constitution, made with frmness and moderation
by all the Southern States united as one man.
must have exerted the happiest inhuence.--lr
my humble judgement its effects would ere now,
have been seen in its fruits of justice in the gov
eminent, and peace and harmony among the
States and the people. But this could not be ac-
complished and the wrong having been done,
each State must Judge for itself without consul
tation with the rest in the matter. Georgia. in
advance of her sisters, has met in her sovereign
capacity, and her people have determined, to pre-
termit the outrage committed on her rights, by
the admission Of California into the Union as a
State with her highly Objectionable constitution
This they have done, not from any affection they
have for the measure or policy which dictated IT,
but from their extraordinary forbearance, and
encouraged to hope, too, by the agreeable proca
nation Of some Of their sentinels on duty, that
sails we'll Their decision ought not to be dis
turbed, however much it NAV conflict with in.
dividual opinions. In government Of law and
order, such decisions must be considered author
tive. They are the will Of the people. If the
people have authority to say, that they will resist,
and to determine the extent Of that resistance
they have the like authority to say that they win
not resist This principle ] hold to be incontro-
vertble, and necessary to the safety and happi-
ness of mankind
The right of State, in virtue of its indepen-
dence and sovereignty, to secede from the Union,
whenever the people thereof, in their sovereign
capacity shall determine such step to be me-
cessary to effect their safety and happiness, flows
necessarily from the nature of our governmental
i organization The government of the Union