Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-09-13

A0Qs Biz u 6upkC00Ny -
fullv established as its execution is certain Of;
which. no man who is acquainted with the
character of the present administration can
have 4 doubt President Fillmore stands
erect before the American people with the Con-
~stitution in bis hand and wears a shield OF pat
riotism, invulnerable to the shafts OF calumny;
supported by a Secretary of State who Yields
the club of an intellectual giant-a Secretary
of War, who wears q breast plate OF polished
integrity- Secretary of the Navy who bears
q helmet of deliyerance-a Secretary OF the
Treasury, who wears the gauntlets upon his
hands and firmly grasps the law OF the land
= Secretary of Interior, whose brazen WALL Is
that no man can reproach him with crime-a
Post Master General, whose Greaves are i'm
peryious alike to the northern blast or South
srn heat and an Attorney General whose
loins are girt about with truth and whose feet
are shod with the preparation Of the Constitu-
ton OF the Union.
And why should it not be fully executed!
The clause of the Constitution, authorising its
passage, is certainly one that admits OF no
difference of opinion. 1t was passed by a una
nimous vote in the convention that framed the
Constitution. But, sir, we are told that, not
withstanding the unqualified determination OF
the President, to have the Law faithfully exc.
cuted, he will not be able to do so; first, be.
Cause the Northern States have passed laws
withholding State assistance in the recovery Of
4 fugitive slave, and second, that the people of
the States cannot be called out by the Mar
shal to assist in the execution of the Law. To
the first objection, l reply, that / admit that
there has been legislation by the northern
States on this subject which is disgraceful to
a sovereign State, and l have no doubt, but
that the succeeding generation will view these
acts, as does the present those in relation to
witchcraft enacted by the fathers of the same
people; and as it respects the inability of the
Marshals to obtain assistance in the northern
States to enable them to execute the law, this
10 not a matter of serious thought with the Pre-.
sident; he has no fears on that ground; for he
has great confidence in the fidelity of the peo-
pleat the North, and you must r%ecollect he can
call to his aid the Army of the United States;
It it proves insufficient, he can call upon the
Navy, and should this still prove insufficient, he
will appeal to a force that is fully able to COM
mand submission-he will call upon the "First
Mississippi Regiment" who snatched victory
from the jaws Of defeat and saved our %victori-
Gus flag from an iDgIorious captivity at Buena
Vista. But sir, let it be borne in mind, that
these State laws have never prevented the re-
covery of a single slave; and that they have
ever been viewed as the offspring of a clouded
tatuity, rather than the will Of the people.
Bot, sir, it matters not from what source they |
originated, is it prudent or just, at the moment
when the friends of law and order have gained
the ascendancy in the several States; and mani
fest a willingness and determination to repeal
all laws that are opposed to the execution of
The fugitive slave iaw-does it look just, I ask,
that we should at this time enter upon a cru |
SADIE against those battling for our rights and !
run 4 tilt against the North, which is we'll cal
culated to embarrass our manly President, de- |
feat our rights and ultimately lead to conse-
quences as deplorable as would be the dismem-
bered fragments of this glorious Union.
Sir, we are told that the estate Rights"
principle constants us, either to compel Cali
fornia to relinquish the Territory South Of So
deg. 80 min., or else we must secede from the
Union. All, my countrymen, will you make a
shipwreck Of the rich inheritance bequeathed
to Us by our fathers!
Now, sir, | claim to be the author of the first
notice ever published in Mississippi calling a
State Rights Association; and | believe up to
this hour, no gentleman has ever questioned
my orthodoxy on that subject But / aver,
l would pu: the mark of Cain upon the
forehead of him who would attempt to intro
duce such a plank in my State rights platform.
Besides, Mr.. President, 1 object to the mode
proposed for reaching the remedy. | never
will, never can consent that my American
rights and liberties shall ever pass into the
hands ola convention, the authors of which re-
fused to submit to the people the question
whether it should be called or not-a conven-
ton that may prove as others have done-inde-
pendent, if not above the people. Your con-
will be composed Of delegates elected
by the reople-whichis all very well; but who =.
are to represent you in the Southern Con-
gress? All, sir, may it not be restless and
aspiring spirits, who will force you into a col I
lission with the Government of the United I
States and thereby sever the Union! or cause /,
yon to recede ingloriously from the position
which they have marked out for you! con-
Tess, l avow to you, that / have no confidence
conventions of this order, and least Of all
where, like that proposed, they are of an excl
ed, political, party nature. Its pledges are a +
rope of sand. /
Sir, / witnessed enough in 1882, when the
great battle was fought in this State, which de-
the question whether the people should >
DO free or not--that is to say when the election I
.ystem was applied 10 all State and County of. i
as many of you know, by the side Of G
TOUR own fellow citizen, Judge Smith-unfurl- t
ID the first banner that the breeze of Heaven r
'ver waited over Mississippi soil, with the :
/.
80 "lT Is THE PEOPLES RIGHT TO RULE" 6
The peoples ticket throughout the State
and three fourths of the members
took their seats to revise the Constitution
Mississippi were pledged to submit the re- s
ised Constitution to the people for their adop. d
ion. Did they do it? Motto their shame be b
spoken, they did not! l believe it then, as s.
do now, to be the best Constitution in the 3
'orld, and voted for its submission--I plead -
or it to be submitted, but alas! in vain-and =
ct you ask me to submit my liberties as a free n
american citizen IN the keanipr nf . ro.vo. 7