Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-12-04
Position Of Parties in Mississippi.

tesi in this State and agan SOW the seeds Of dscord
the camp the dominant party, andy division pros
trute and defeat 1t. We must step back beyond the
opening of the late campaign and examine the history
of the issue Of 1851, and the basis upon which that Is
sue adjusted, not by party, but BY all parties IN
Tie State. This course is deemed more just because 1t
will offer IN opportunity of presenting some record
testimony of vital Importance to understand
ing Of the present position of parties, and at the same
time it will strike from the hands of dsaection, the
weapon now employed against more close and tho
rouUh unon than has existed in the Democratic party
/ for years
The COMPROMISE Measures passed by Congress in
1885, were by the larger body Of the Democratic par
ty in this State deemed subversve Of certain Const
tutional Rights, and, this ground, many proposed
10 resist them by means recognized by the Fathers Of
the Republic and by the constituted authorities of the
Confederation entirely legal and CONSTITUTIONAL
1t may be true, that there those among u.s. who
looked beyond these means of resistance but they
were few and had they organized, they would never
have been enabled push themselves up to the digni
ty of third party holding the "baance of power" be-
tween the adverse parties Wedrop this faction then,
from our reflections and look alone to the two great
parties proper they stood organized under their
spectve nome de plume, States Right and Union
1t had been determined by the Legislature to pre-
sent the question of resistance under the limitations
named to the People fthe State in Convention. In
pursuance this plan, election orderedto come
off in September 1851, for the purpote of selecting
through the baot-box the delegates to compose that
Convention. The Convention had been called for a
specific purpose, andits delegates supposed to
possess under that call the sovereign power of the Peo-
Ill Al a.
them, in obedience to that call The decision of that
Convention far passed upon the action of Con-
gress, was, or not legitimate. The Convention
was convened for the sole purpose of saying whether
the State would Resist Acquiesce the Measures
Congress, known as the Compromise. Had it trans
cended this plain and simple duty, and asserted that
the State "Approued Of those Measures the Conven
ton would have usurped authority never conferred by
the People. Whatever else it may have done, it die
f not do this But make ourselves better understood
we present two Resolutions passed by the majority
: the Convention, showing they do, the decision o
that body in relation to the issue of Resistance
e The first Resolution adopted by the majority o
II the Convention, reads thus
LIST. ResolVed, That, in the opinion of this con
d vention, the people of Mississippi, in a spirit
cancellation and compromise, have maturely con
sldered the action of Congress-, embracing seri
! es of measures for the admission of California a
a State into the Union, the organization of Terri
torial Governments for Utah and New Mexico, th
lie establishment of the boundary between the latte
a. and the State of Texas, the suppression of til
~ slave trade in the District of Columbia, and tn
er extradion of Fugitive Slaves; and connected wit
IF them the rejection of the proposition to exclud
r. slavery from the Territories of the United State
.. and to abolish it in the District of Columbia an
~ aohilst they do not entirely approve will abide by
:! as permanent adjustment of this sectional col
WI troyersy, SO long as the same in all its featur
shall be faithfully adhered to and enforced.-Fro
ot the Majority Report.
or 1t will be perceived by the reader that this resol
"a ton does "entirely approve of all of those Mea
On specified but that is the determined will of
I'm majority abide by them permanent adjustment
re- &c. &c.
zee The 7th Resolution of the majority reads thus
It'll Resolved further That as the people of t
ch State of Mississippi, in the opinion of this Conve
cy, ton, desire all further agitation of the slave
rk- question to cease, and have acted upon and de-
IN ded all the foregoing questions, thereby making
orr the duty of this Convention to pass no acts with
the perview and spirit of the law under which
was called, this Convention deems it unnecessa
to refer to the people for their approval or disa
tho prevail at the Ballot Box, its action in the PREF
III ses.--IO.
orr This is conclusive to the majority, showing tn
Resistance well Agitation should cease in ref
on ence to these Measures.
n With regard to the Doctrine of States Rights
md say word 1t has been held that the true doct
oct of States Rights consists in ths-Obedience to
nc Sovereign will of the majority of the People of
State, when that Will has been constitutonally ey
nd ed and authorativey expressed. The larger body
and the Democratic party in Mississippi selected for arE
NOV, rament ofthe question whether the State should
~ sist, AcqueSce in the Measures known as the Co
won promise, Convention of delegates from the Peop
nd The question of Resistance or Acquiesence went
tho the People at the Baot-box and was there decid
ave The delegates to the Convention therefore,
h., ed the Popular Will. That Will is found embed,
md in the Resolutions above, and will undertake to
and that true States Rghtsman has, or will attempt
md unsettle it by the agitation of those Measures
ono This is the "Unon' side of the question and so
lie We have presented only the Onion" record N
the let present the States Rights side and its
ave for record it has, and we draw it from the same
Wild thoritative source, the Report of the Minority in
cu- Convention. The End Resolution ofthe minority r,
tho thus
onp End. Resolved, That this convention deems
in right and proper that full weight should be civ
no in its action, to the will of majority of the pt
~ pie of Mississippi, expressed in the election
90" September last, in regard to the slavery quest
The reader will glance back to the lst Resolut
and by the majority, found above and ascertain what
iy "a c1I