Southern reveille. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1851-185?, 1852-05-19
SPE ECH
OF
HON. A. G.. BROWN.
REPLY TO HIS COLLEAGUE, HON JOHN
d. FREEMAN, ON THE STATE OF
PARTIES IN MISSISSIPPI

This disposes Of our resolutions 50 far as
find them copied in my colleagues speech
with but single exception, and that is an i'm
material one. Here it is:
"16. Resolved, That it is a source Of
heartfelt congratulation that the true friends
Of the Constitution and Of the rights and hon.
or Of the South, ef acltateuer 9arty name,
are nol0 united in common cause, and can
act together with cordiality and sincerity"
And here is my colleagues commentary on
il:
What beautiful specimen Of old line
Democracy Black spirits and white blue
spirits and gray"
When before was it doubted that the "old
line Democracy "were the true friends Of
the Constitution ?" When before were the
true friends Of the South sneered at as black
spirits and white, blue spirits and gray =
When before was it considered matter Of re-
proach that the friends Of the Constitution
and Of the South acted together with cordiali-
ty? leave my colleague to answer.
The gentleman is at great pains to leave the
impression on the minds Of those who shall
read his speech, that the Democratic party Of
Mississippi approved Of and made part Of
its creed the address, or resolutions, or some
other Of the proceedings Of the second session
Of the Nashville Convention. Now sir, ] say
emphatically that he is mistaken. Wenever
did, as party, in any manner, shape, or form,
by resolution or otherwise, indorse, approve,
or sanction the proceedings Of the seco'd ses-
sion Of that body. He admits his own and
his party's responsibility for the first session,
but attacks the second session Of the Nash
vile Convention. The second was but a con-
tinuation Of the first The gentleman's party
never indorsed the acts Of this Stc0Hd session,
nor did mine. For the proceedings Of the
JUNE Nashville Convention, my friends and
myself made ourselves responsible. But if
nv colleague shall show that we made our
selves responsible for the acts Of the NovEM-
BER session Of that body, he will show what
/ have not vet seen.
My colleague argues that the Union move
ment grew out Of the doctrines contained in
the Quitman message, and the acts and resolu-
tions Of the second session Of the Nashville
Convention So at least, understand him.
The Union movement in Mississippi could not
have grown out Of that message, nor could 1t
in any way have been Influenced by the second
session Of the Convention at Nashville. The
Union party was organized at a mass Union
meeting in jackson, on the 18th November,
1850. On that dag the Governors message
was delivered to the Legislature, and on thai
dag the convention assembled at Nashville,
Tennessee-four hundred miles of. The
Union mass meeting was not. therefore, assem-
bled to deliberate upon the one or the other
Of these things OF both, the members Of
that body were profoundly ignorant at the time
Of their assemblagc. The Union party was
organized BY this mass meeting. 1t held
convention in April, 1851, and under the style
Of Union men" put its candidates in the
field. The Democratic State-Rights party /"
met in June, 1851, and made It's nominations,
calling them Democratic State Rights men, "
Our position in the canvass was, that State
bad the abstract right to secede from the I'm
Jon, and to do it peaceably. For taking this
position, we have been denounced as seces-
blonists and disunionists, although we declared
Nm the same sentence in which we asserted the
tight, that it was the last resort, the final
alternative, and that we opposed its present
exercise"
What was the position Of my colleague and
his party! They designated six distinct acts
the doing Of any one Of which would Justify
resistance, and among these was the repeal
Of the fugitive slave law, or its material mod
ifcation. Ny colleague, believe, indorsed,
and perhaps yet indorses, the Georgia plat
form. It declares that Georgia win resist,
even to a disruption Of every tie that binds
her TO the Union, the repeal Of the fugitive
slave bill !" and further, that, in her judgment,
the perpetuity Of our much-loved Union de-
pends upon the faithful execution Of that
law"
When / say am for resistance, my col
league says mean secession, or disunion.
And pray, sir, when he says that he is for re-
sistance, what does he mean 4? lie will not
secede, but he viii resist if the fugitive slave
law is repealed. Yes, sir, he win resist, egea
70 a disruption Of every tie that binds him
70 thc Union but he win not secede. He
will perpetrate no such "abominable heresy
asPeaceable secession. lie win resist he win
sever the ties that bind him to the Union; but
he will not DO il pcaceably-that is a heresy