The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-05-07
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FG0Nk coRREsroSDENr IN TaE WEST.
IL viii he remembered ihai one AZ The
sehsmes Of The iasi Nashville Convention
was The appropriation II the mouths NJ
the Mississippi and The control 81 no ma
sigz ian. As harIng direri bearing upon
thai subject. we n.aieed recently The or.
dinsnre or lhe Convention al the Stale ol
Mississippi. which larmed iis Cansliiu-
lion in 1917. sud which Is appended 10
that instrument The fallsxiag Is an ex-
tract:
Whereas il Is required by he srl Of
Congress undrT whirh this Convention
isassemblrd that certain provisions should
be made by an ordinance af ihis Con-
yenii0n therefore. this Convention, for
and in behalf Of The people inhsbiling
ihis Stale. do seree. ardsin. and declare
that - . ilre river Mississippi. and Inc
navigable rivers aud waters leading INFO
the same. ar inio lhf Gulf of Mexico.
shall be common highways aud forever
free. as well io The inhabitants OF this
State as Ia her citizens OF The United
States. without any duty. tax. imposi. or
toll therefor. imposed BY tbs State; and
this ordinance is hereby declared irrevo-
cable without The runseui Of the United
States"
We believe that there are in that State
hut very lev who are disposed 10 MAIN
tain The South Carolina doctrine OF 81 the
right of secession" Even they would
be compelled 10 admit that The State could
never, in any event. assume any righhnl
control of the river Mississippi wiihnus
the consent of The United States" Our
object in this quotation is 10 draw. a,ten-
lion 10 The utterly revolutionary character
Of sny scheme proposing 10 place that
great river under The conirol of distinct
nations No portion Of the United States
would ever consent 20 any such appro-
prialion. II is uus that M ordinance was
required 10 show thai fact. The immense
interests Of the great valley Of that river
would forbid IL, as well as this solemn,
nnalierable compact. whrh is expressly
binding !" foreyer" upon The people and
State Of Mississippi. IL is worthy Of no.
tice that similar compact il made. in
almost HE same words. by the ordinance
of The Convention Of The Stale Of Alabama
in 1919. in reference TO !. all nayigable
waters within" that State.
The good people nf Mississippi doubt.
less have just claims 10 ask the General
Government TO improve the navigation Of
Tie Mississippi. the Stale having. by the
ordinance above quoted. yielded all right
TO impose a toll or tax fnr that or any 9th
or purpose. They are as murh inIeres-
ted as the people Of any Stale in such i'm.
provemen,s being made. either al its mouth
or IN any portion of its whole length. In
deed. this declaring all navigabIe waters
forever free, is making them emphalically
inland seas. like the Mediterranean. las
Mr.. Calhoun said al the Memphis Con.
veniion.) open 10 the commerce Of the
whole Union. These ordinances certainly
give an additional argument as 10 The duty
Of Congress 10 improve such rivers.
Al this iuncinre Of onr affairs il is sa>
iulary 10 contemplate what an infinite
multitude oi causes for war would exist
II the accnrsed schemes Of disunion were
ever consamma,eI. What. for instance,
could be more pregnant with difficulties
than this subject Of the navigation Of the
Mississippi. The States on It's upper
waters could ever point 10 this irreroca-
Die ordinance as ground for their demands.
they could say that il gave them a fee
simple TO iis navigation more absolute and
perpetual than that by which they could
swn an acre of land. But this is but one
OUT OF arouniiess number ofcauses for con.
iroversy and war which would inevitably
arse.
We believe that il would be useful "a,
oui country men 10 bear in mind The utility
az our tininu in anticipating. preventing
and settling disputes and causes OF war be.
tween coterminnus or neighhoring States.
4 his subject has heen lnrcihIy touched
upln BY the Hon. Edward Everett. in his
recent speech. copied into your paper
and delivered at The celebration Of the
22d february, in New Yo,k city. Ii j:
easy 10 recnr 10 the numerous examples
IN which warm disputes have arisen be.
tween bordering States; for instance, be-
tween Iowa and Missouri. between Ohio
and Michigan. between Pennsylvania anl
MARYLAND, between Massachusetts and
Rhode Island. belw en- Vermont and New
York. and in the old Confederation be-
tween Virginia and Maryland. In some ol
these instances il is well known that there
was imminen, danger Of collision by arms.
even while wili.ia the Union. If they had
been independent naiioas. fexuiiing in
their sulky solitary gradear and in lheis
boas:ed prowess.) nothing in many oi
these cases could have prevented long and
bloody wars between them. Such is the
weakness of poor erring human nature
and such are The fierce passions and belli.
gerenl appeiiiies--a Pandora's bog
which, lay dorman, in The breasts Of oul
build. proud Saxon race! Thus does j
clearly apnesr that our Constitution is a