Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-06-06
RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
FRIDAY MORNING. JUNE q. 1851.
THINGS IN MISSISSIPPI.

S' , :, .d,,. for the same office. The former, as
i, appears stands upon the Virginia and Georgia PLATFORM
oonst secession what has been DONE bur IN aVos OF nc
,nescoo a, once in the plan OF adjustment and restoring
tho country once to quiet and concord Inc a''cf
t.n onitman1 while most positively renouncing the South
Carolina platform of separate State secession insists upon
unavoidable conditions which, if made uimaf"n o
any considerable portion OF the SCUM, must iesu' " "
rupton Of the confederacy.
In Tho roprse of the discussion Gen. Footc having been
charged with shameful inconsistency, publishes cufu "
self defence AS part of the history OF Inc 'hes we
below portion of his card. together win uh iP'' ''
Ter of Mr. Calhoun. Gen. r. shows mat nc was WARM
and adviser the assembling OF seneia ooueh
Convention at Nashville for the purpose OF uniting ue
whole South in some legitimate and eHectua schee OF re-
,s 70 certain oppressive legislative acts then menaced
nv the enemies OF the South in the halls oil Congress.
While in Virginia in the summer OF lo49 he received eeis
o,n LEADING citizens of Mississippi requesting him TO hold
correspondence with MIR. Calhoun and other prominent
Southern statesmen regard the course proper TO De pu-
sued by the Mississippi October Convention expected TO as
semble that fall He accordingly forwarded 70 jackson (}
LETTERS from Mr. Calhoun Mr. Hunter OF Virginia and other
Southern which constituted in part the basis OF
ocon adopted BY Convention These letters did not
counsel amendments of the Federal Constitution recon-
mend secession either separate joint The Mississippi
October Convention refused make the admission of Cali
su.ion whu,evcr and their address contained the follow
ing sound and emphatic language:
sour strength as nation-our success in gaining The
commerce of the worlGuur future growth IN wealth anu
throughout the world depend upon our Union as IS lie.
u. let US preserve the ohion ano leave
slavery 10 the natural course OF events
General Fooe further says
rhe fact is that October Convention adopted plat
form in all corresponding with that adop
led by the Union Convention Of Mississippi last Autumn
They resolved against the Wlmot ProVlso-the aootoh Oh
slavery in the District OF Columbia and all kindred measures
and declared the determination OF the convention TO resist all
such oppressive and ntoeabe legislation lat all hazards ana
10 The last extremity" This precisely Union platform
of the present hour that having obtained an efficient
fugitive slave law since the October Convention was hea
have declared determination also never 70 suoh 10 lis
repea and insist upon its faithful enforcement IN all time
to come"
The extrac, from Gen. Foote'S address, which we publish
below gives further history Of Undressing scenes In WASH
ngon and elsewhere showing change in the policy OF the
Nashville Convention, which originally Qndeed the hst
paper in the State) warmly advocated as measure OF
union We still firmly believe had that Convention been
fully sustained and the South therein been fairly represen
ted that it would have led far different results and the
agitation both the North and The South been TO great
extent done away with The letter OF Mr.. Calhoun is i'm
important as showing that his views very different at
its date from wha, they in March 1851, when,
in his otherwise great Speech he advocated amendments oil
the Constitution and when he declared that las things now
stand the Southern States cannot with safety remain IN Inc
Union" Strongly impressed as we were with the ability
and power that his last Speech could not but enter
our protest. the time against his novel and perious pro-
position and declare most solenny that we were satisfied
with the Constitution as it is In this position we had the
concurrent sanction of the strongest Southern Rights men
in Congress- who assured us that Mr.. Cahouns special
view this respect entertained solely by himself and
partaken of by those who hahnHlv acted with
I'rt i. per hn, should add that the National lnel
gencer defends itself against the charge in the first
graph of Mr. Caheuns letter. by contendng that has al
ways freely published the address and other articles from Mr.
Calhoun's pen.
Gen. Fooe in declining the invitation Of the students OF
Cumberland University, Lebanon Tenn to deliver ad-
Dress says:
THERE'S very serious danger that single county our
gallant State ssissippD will secession delegates
approaching September convention.
THE CANVASS IN MISSISSIPPI.
Extract from Letter from Gen Foote, published in the
flag Of Tie Unionn May %.
beg leave call attention for the fact that
in the month OF March, 1850 and upon the 10Th day o. that
month, made il my business, during the morning hour TO
address the Senate in explanation of the objects held in view
by ississpp October Convention in proposing
era Southern Convention in Nashville The action OF the
State of Mississippi bad at the time when this explanation
was given been greatly srepreened in several quarters
and had been charged with aiming the destruction OF
the Union itself believed the accusation to be untrue and
resolved 10 meet il at and eIuc it cectualy by
able men. For this purpose read the greater part
published account OF the proceedings both Of the October
Convention and Of the State Legislature and conclusion
averred what think all present willing admit be
true that had proved first that no organized
looking secession had that period occurred; and
Republic had been seriously contemplated much less insisted
upon, in any part of the South" confess that the
inclined make this early and explicit exposition Of
the attitude Of Mississippi in regard the pending qCes
ons because had discovered that Mr. Calhoun and other
Southern gentlemen seemed be looking with confidence
our State for the adoption OF extreme measures which did
pith prn rfiripag
sanction This explanation be il recolleccd, made in
the Senate, in the month Of March, 1885, than a
Mr. Barksdae published last week; il is a renrarka
BILE fact that no newspaper in the Stute of Mississippi
yentured 10 call my declarations thus publicly made all
IN question Then the scheme of prompt and peaccable
secession, "oint separate had been announced
our citzens then the project OF welding The whole machine
ry Of the Nashville Convention for secession purposes had
not been dyuged. knew WELL though and had suspected
for months before that such PROJECT had been formed
and that its execution would be in all probability attempted
1t had been distinctly prupounded in various forms
and had most enphaticay denounced it. declared thai
TO use the Nashville Convention for such unhaowed purpo
would DC in my Judgment the Missisp
p with gross injustice and with something like pcrdv
went still further Finding that nothing but The severance
OF the Union itself would satisfy certain cnerpsng person
ages in and out OF Congress- and that nothing which could
say them in atena conference could dssuade them from
their mad design made effort postpone meeting OF
the Nashville Convention until Congress should have ad.
ourned without adjusting the questions controversy This
did partly al the instance OF distinguished citizens of
Mississippi delegates the Nashville Convention who ad-
summoned various Southern Senators in
of the Capitol and when they had together proposed
TO them 10 unite with recommendation that the ses
sion of the Convention should be postponed as above de-
scribed majority Of those against the propo
son and had TO reinquish it. My mind full Of sulci-
tude and at addressed letters Judge Saksy
gentlemen in Mi, warning them in the solemn man
OF the movements which in all likelihood be essay
ed the Nashville Convention aud urging them special
ly upon their guard against certain intriguing politicians
whom expected to attend the Convention s. Carolina
limitations had been given from time time the plan
OF the conspiraors TO demand through the Nashville
Convention amendments of the Federal Constitution of a
nature to be refused upon the denial which formal
ordinance OF secession BE- adopted either by South
Congress second Nashville Convention 1t began
be rumored also that the line Of the Missouri COMPROMISE
would be likewise demanded BY the Convention which was
known every Of in Congress equally GER
tain not to be adopted but the refusal adopt which would
II was hoped, impart additional pausbiy the project OF
secession beg that il may be forgotten that Mr. Cal
speech Of the 4th of March had then been delivered
ahu my protest against the Objectionable portion il
oseh olma!y entered This nearly months before
10y et'et u Aprto M EukSae That speech among other
hng mao set up the demand OF constitutional amendment
WIN Tue plan OF dsunion then conlectured
% 10 progress saw plainly that il this part OF the speech
should be suffered 10 pass without objection from Southern