The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1851-08-26

which met at Jackson in June last. I'll,
l4th resolution of that convention reads a.
= follows:
, al. That the advocates of States
Rights are the true friends of the South
and of the Union and that no right
can be more clear or more essential ia
the protection of the minority, than
the right of State peaceably to with.
draw from the Union, without denial
or obstruction from any quarter what
ever; but whilst we assert the right.
we consider it the last remedy. the
final alternative and also declare that
the exercise of it by the State of Mis-
sissippi, under existing circumstances,
would be inexpedisnt, and is a propos
Sition which does not meet the appro.
baton of this convention"
This resolution is conclusive, there is no
getting round tit speaks for itself, and
plainly shows the true position of the
Southern Rights party. 1t declares eApli.
city that secession is looked to "as the last
remedy, the final alternative. That under
existing circumstances, it would be McU.
Pedtent, and IS a proposition ,chich does
not meet the appreciation Of the coHUen-
ttOn." What is now to be done says I'M.
ionists, privately, to friend, why! from this
resolution, we of the Union party are more
Of secessionists than they are we have
adopted the Georgia platform, and in the
4th resolution thereof we have struck out
Georgia and inserted the name of. Missis-
sppi ir its place. Here follows the 4lh
resolution of the Georgia platform
81. That Mississippi in our Judgment
will and ought to resist, even las last
resort to disruption of every tie
which binds her to the Union, any ac-
tion of Congress upon the subject of
slavery in the District of Columbia, or
in places subject to the jurisdiction
of Congress, incompatible with the
safety, domestic tranquility, the right
and honor of the slaveholding States;
or in any act suppressing the. slave
trade between the slaveholding States,
or in any refusal TO admit as a State
any territory heretofore applying, be.
cause of the existence of slavery there
in or in any act prohibiting the introduc.
ton of slaves into the territories of
Utah and New Mexico, or in any re-
pea.ing or materially modifying the
laws now in force for the recovery of
fugitive slaves.
Now, these are the grounds upon which
the so-called Union party of Mississippi
stand aud charge Southern Rights men
with being secessionists. Just look at the
palpable absurdity of The thing, they say,
" We aeiH resist cre'i (as a lust resort) TO
a dsS1uptton Of ecery Tie mhich binds as 10
the Uraion, any action Of Congress up0n
the SUBJECT Of sIqrcryin the District Of CO.
trn,5ia." Has not Congress already acted
upon the subject of slaveryin that District,
and abolished the slave trade there under the
penalty of freedom! VIII the unionists
disrupt every tie which binds us to the
Union for this If power is given Con
gress under the constitution to act upon the
subject of slavery in the District of Coum-
bia, so as to abolish the slave trade therein
why may it not under the same power abol-
ish slavery itself If it has power by the
constitution to act on the subject at all,
would the exercise of such power form a
good cause for "disrupting every tie that
binds MS to the Union Would the exer.
else Of a constitutional pow er by Congress
constitute a cause for secession This res
olution adopted by our Union friends as
part of their platform, further declares that
they will disrupt every tie which binds us
to the Union, if Congress shall repeal or
materially modify the law now in force for
the recovery of fugitive slaves" Has not
Congress the constitutional power to re-
peal or modify any law it can pass None
will deny this, although 1t might be fla.
grant outrage to do SO. But these are not the
most striking features in this Union party's
sccessionIsm they have cacnlated the val.
ue of the Union, and consented to deter
mine its value by weighing it in a scale
against an act which. so far as principle is
concerned has already been perpetrated by
Congress, and against the repeal or modif'
cation of law which is not executed but
notorionsly remains dead letter upon the
statute book. The Southern Rights party
hold this Union to be Of far greater .value
than a few slaves in the District of Colum.
bia, or law that has remained unexecuted
for near sixty years. They hold that the
States should resort to secession only as a
last atteynative, when the people in their