The southern press., 1851-08-07

Ia H81st Congress of the Unltsd Mates,
three h11lk were Introduced; on6 of 4 territorial
chsrasluE ono OF Judicial, ard one brought in
by Benton. These bills were opposed by HOuth-
esn nsn. because they were calculated To be An
injury aad wrong to the South. A committee
was formed to modify the bills, and u give the
Sonth whist she was entitled to; but when that
committee met, two men claiming TO represent
the slaveholding States (Clay and BelD were
present, and Mr. Clay was made the chairman.
The evil to the South WAS admitted, but finally
the policy prevailed that II was best to take q
lesser evil, and make great compromise out of
the whole. He opposed the bills singly. because
they were an evil and he opposed them when
taken Ia their compromising form, because he
could not see how, by tacking them together,
the evil was lessened but the bills were passed,
And how were they passed! Simply through
the Southern deserters. Somehow, whenever
desertions took place, they were from the weak ,r
side. In an army they never heard OF desertlons
by the men when victory crowned the troops
with Iaurels; but when misfortune, defeat, weak
ness, sad and heavy arrived, then they could al
ways hear of d sertions. Thus it was with
voters in reference to the compromise bills.
The North had a majorIty-it had its offices--its
emolumeCts to bestow--and the smiles and fa-
politicians, to the injury Of the South, and to
the loss, inequality, and injustice of her people.
These same deserters--the very men that
sacrificed and bartsred away their rights now
come forward to the people Of the South, and
asked, for what! asked to be justified, to be sup
ported in their unholy acts and sought to be
again made leaders Of the people and holders of
the confidence of the constituents. Would the
people reward such infamy and disgrace? Would
they heap hppors on the wrong -doers and de-
ceivers. and pass unheeded by, those who strugg-
led for Southern rights, and justice! Ii they
did, few in future would be willing to do battle
for them few indeed would there be who, hav-
ing done their best in preserving Southern in
stituti0ns and Southern honor, would be willing
again to represent them, If on return to their
constituents they were met with reproaches and
condemnation. Oh 4! what evils would they thus
be showerng on their best friends. lie did not
expect, after serving them in the best manner
that he could, after arguing, discussing and
reasoning with their enemies abroad, to return
home to the people of Mississippi, and have to
feel it necessary to come before them and argue
the very questions that he had discussed with
tho Northern free-soilers and opponents of
Southern Institutions He did not expect that
for fighting his best for the South he should be
reproached, and it was really painful for him to
stand in the position he then did. He was will
ling as he had done previously, to sacrifice
every tie of friendship and private regard for his
country, and to make his affections of domestic
character subservient to the great principle of
his life; yet what were his feelings when he
found that instead Of obtaining appreciation he
mis- ght see by some Of his constituents that his
conduct was reproiched, and that his opponents
were favored merely because they went to Con-
gress and sacrificed the South, whilst he had
pndeavored to serve and protect her Interests
But he would not believe that Mississippi could
so far stutify her own principles applause).
The first great object in the formation of the
government, was to give community of protec-
ton in all the dep rtments, and thus to gain the
desirable end Of joining by common interest a
union and constitution. And hence arose the
first great question how should the government
be formed to prevent one section Of the country
from gaining a preponderance over another Sec
ton, W ere the interests were 40 diversified and
the country 40 wide spread Mr.. Madison there.
fore worked to secure one House of Congress
to represent one section, and the other--the
Senate-to represent another section, and hence
after long labor, the present Constitution was
adopted with its checks and balances. Undue
pressure upon one portion of the country, and
unfair favors to another portion, were by no
means not anticipated, and in reference to
equality Of protection Mr.. Madison, in his Ran
dolph letter, evidently anticipated greater power
by the North than the South, and endeavored to
prevent transgressions. Scarcely, however, had
the Constitution gone fairly to work, ere some
jealousy of disposition arose between the two
great sections of the conntry-North and South
Nbuu hat fha Of Of
Vermont to secure balance of power, on the
Introduction of the State of Kentucky. And
when Missouri was brought into the Union
Massachusetts divided her territory, out OF
which was made the State of Maine So great
was the fear of undue preference, that the States
generally were brought in by pairs to the Union
each side gaining an addition, but, at the same
time, both preserving their balance Of power,
and maintaining that equilibrium which had been
established in the first instance. All along the
same principle had been observed, until, by de-
grees, the North trifed with the Constitution,
and, at the present time, had secured the ma
jorities in all the departments of the govern
ment. The introduction of the last new State
was an act for which there was no justification,
and the result was secured through the timidity
or the faithlessness of those who ought to have
been true to the South.
He himself might have been untrue; faithless
to and regardless of the interests of the South !;
reckless of their instructions if he had plrsned
any such plan as assisted to give an increase to
Northern power, but when he turned to the sew
eral counties in Mississippi, and ,und that de-
cided opposition was raised to the int reduction
Of California; when he found the legislature
equally opposed TO the same measure; when he
found that Jefferson county equally called upon
him to support the Constitution; how conld he
violate the pledge to serve them. Jefferson
county told him the feelings of its citizens in
these terms:
Resolved, That in the formation of a consti-
tuition on the part of California, and her applica
ton for admission into the Union, the usual
formaty of passing through territorial gov
ernment rs heretofore required Of territories,
has not been observed yet, notwithstanding this
non-con sormance to precedent, we refer her sp-
plication to Congress, and would cheerfullv con.
sent TO her admission, if with it is connected such
n settlement Of the slavery question as will be
entirely satisfactory to the South; but that un-
laas the rights of the South erp fullv aacnrad vo