Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-06-21
The Meeting

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Union Association for the Town of Columbus,
was addressed by W. L. HARRIS, Esq, in a very
able and effective speech. Mr.. H. is candidate
for the Convention, and addressed himself directly
to his g" old Wing friends" He stated that he
had always opposed the dangerous and insidious
doctrine of ncn-intervention and in his opposi-
ton he thought the Wings had concurred. In
the Presidential canvass of 1848, he had repudia-
ted the satanic features of Cass' Nicholson letter.
giving to the people of the Territories the power
of exercising the sovereign right of even exclu-
ding the citizens of the South from the enjoyment
of their property within the limits of the same
And in this, too, the Wings had concured.
Again, in the canvass of 1849 he had repeated
his denunciation of intervention, and claimed
that protection of Congress for slave property
which would secure to the South the enjoyment in
the Territories, of those general rights of property
denied to others, but fully inuring to every
portion of the Union. And in this too the Wings
had heartily concured
In the same canvass he contended that it was
the duty of Congress to protect the property of
American citizens wherever its power extended
in the District of Columbia-the Territories, or
on the high seas. That the power of protection
never involved that of destroying the rights of
property. That under the Constitution the South
had the right to enter into the Territories and
Joy property of every description, slave or other
wise. That Congress should enforce this guaran-
tee of the Constitution by efficient Legislative en-
actment. That he never scorned, as some of his
opponents, to receive protection for his constitu-
tional rights. That it his constitutional right
to have trial by jury, but would not scorn to have
provisions necessary to secure it. And in all this
too the Wings did concur.
He then examined the territorial governments
of Utah and New Mexico, and showed that they
were framed upon the intervention principle
That, indeed, their acceptance on the part of the
South involved the REIMBURSEMENT of the duty of
Congress to protect property in slaves and placed
it under the ban of the government to be denounc-
ed and execrated but never sustained or protected
He asserted his consistency and wished to know
of his Wing friends why they had deserted their
doctrine of protection Two years since they all
had stood shoulder to shoulder, in support of the
same great cause-but noa0 panic had seized
them and their camp was deserted
They could not justify themselves upon the
ground of receiving the acts of the last Congress
embraced in the "socalled comprehensive a
compromise, for they contained no concession to
the south, constituting sufficient equivalent for
the REIMBURSEMENT of the right of protection they
had so long and warmly advocated
He said California was a State admitted into the
Union. She could not be driven out, nor her lin
its contracted, without her consent The Texas
boundary was settled and accepted by the Texans.
And these acts he would not himself disturb He
denounced the abolition of the slave trade in
the District of Columbia, and was unwilling to
yield his assent to the preparation of the deed
He thought that we ought to insist on amendments
to the territorial bills SO as to secure to the south
her equal rghts-but in case of refusal he was
opposed to dissolution of the Union. He would
entrust the legislature, through the convention. af
ter the lapse of given time, if Congress did not
discharge this reasonable duty to the SOUTH to
pass laws SO modifying our state revenue system,
as to raise revenue from such articles as were
manufactured in the offending States, or directly
introduced into them from abroad, at the same time
taking the tax off of the industry of our own peo-
pie and off of goods introduced into the State by
direct importation through southern cities from
foreign countries
lie administered merited rebuke to certain street
politicians, who were clandestinely endeavoring to
induce the people to believe that he was disunion-
lst or secesslonist. He denounced all such intima
tons as species of weak defamation, unworthy Of
the lowest cross-road politician
This is but meager sketch of his eloquent adj