The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-24

| uAi. AANOvvNs 1CSt eli, AS""0' wv wv.
into tho Nashville convention 10 save the repub
lie, and so did Mississippi
Mr.. SCUKRY. Ii the gentleman will per
nit me to interrupt him.
Mr. BROWN. Very briefly.
Mr.. SCURRY. The gentleman who attends
from Texas, did so against the large majority 0
the district which he represented maJorit
of that district voted directly and fatty agans
the convention.
Mr.. BROWN Well | am not going to In
quire how delegates came to be there sPeal
of history as it is. Texas was represented II
the convention, whether by her authority ] az
not know, and What is more, at this time az
not care. Il is not material. The Nashville
convention, in obedience to this call, and il
pursuance of these proceedings, assembled.-
This was another step in the progress OF the
Southern movement. Up to this time, if there
was any strenuous objection to it anywhere, !, al
least, was not aware Of it. Here and there an
exception may have been found-here and there
a newspaper editor might be found to oppose 1t
but the great mass of the Southern politicians
and as far as could judge Of the Southern
people-Whigs and Democrats-were for it.
They were for it without distinction as to party
The convention assembled. 1t elected Hon
William l.. Sharkey, of my own State-the
| utuu anu ItOuI VI vltSsfooiPpi P'S'
side over its deliberations. He did preside
That convention put forth an address to the
people, followed by series of resolutions, az
serting certain propositions upon which the
Southern people ought to insist. Still, sir, there
was no formidable objection either to the con-
vention, or to what it said or did. The progress
| of the movement still seemed to be onward.
| Soon afterwards the compromise measures be-
gan to attract attention in the country and IN
Congress. A feeling of trepidation seemed to
steal over senators and representatives. Here
and there an old advocate of the Nashville con.
vention--one who had looked to it as the source
| from which apanacea was to come for all wound
and bruises, and purifying sores, gradually fell
| off. | might call names, if | did not wish to
avoid involving myself in a discussion with too
many gentlemen at the same time With the
falling Off of these early and sturdy advocates,
commenced the decline in the Southern move
ment--and with the passage of the compromise,
mark the first distinct evidence of its decay.
| In November, 1850, after the compromise
measures had passed, Union convention, the
first ever held to my knowledge in the United
SLates-certainly the first ever held in my own
State-was assembled at the city Of Jackson, the
seat of government of Mississippi. 1t was not a
Southern Rights convention; it was not a State
Rights convention; it was not Wing conven
ton; it was not Democratic convention; it
was Union convention, so it was called, aud
80 it assembled. twas in advance of any other
political organization in the State Of Mississippi
or any other State, growing, so far as | know,
out of the compromise. 1t rose as if from the
ashes of the Southern movement in Mississippi
1t was made up Of the consistent few who OPP
posed, and of the greater number who seeded
g. tbo S,utbarn With tho
semblage of this convention in Mississippi,
date the downfall of the Southern movement
in that State fall which was rapidly sue
ceeded by its downfall elsewhere. Virginia dc.
termined to acquiesce in the measures of the
compromise; Georgia acquesced Alabama and
the other States in the South followed suit, or
were silent To the Union convention of Mis-.
sssippi belongs the credit, if credit it be, Of
striking the first fatal blow at the Southern
movement From this moment IL rapidly de-
clined The movement regard as dead. 1t
died at the hands of its early friends-its fathers
1t is now very dead; and if were called upon
to write its eptaph, | would inscribe upon the
stone that marked is burial place, Requiescat
in pace will not make merry over the tomb
of an old friend. loved this movement. | be-
eved it was, in its day, full of patriotism, full
of devotion to the best interests of the country,
and eminently calculated to preserve the Union,
because it was eminently calculated to pre-
serve the rights of the States within the Union.
But it has passed away. A witty friend, in
speaking of its buoyant rise, its rapid progress,
and its early decay, described it as being like
Billy Pringle's pig:
when it lived, it lived in clover,
And when it died. it died all over"
Laughter.
When those who had been chiefly instrumeh-
| tai in getting up this movement abandoned it,
| could we be made longer responsible for it
| They brought it into being, and by their hands
| it fell and now they turn upon us, denounce it
as q monster, and charge its sole paternity on
US We assume our due share Of the response
| bilty, and they shall take theirs.
| The Southern movement was, repeat, the
Joint work of both parties acting together. This
is history If there was any rivalry, it was as
to which party was entitled to the most credit
There was in this movement fusion of parties
But upon all the old issues each party maintained
| its separate organization. And when the South
ern movement was abandoned, each was free to
resume its original position.
The Wings did not return to their position
They halted by the wayside, and by the aid of .
few Democrats, formed the Union party. 1t was
| u
hour; but called into existence to subserve tbs
views of particular men, This brings me tc
consider the present organization of parties il
my State.
| My colleague Mr.. WLcox, the other day
in what considered rather bad taste although
| certainly shall not undertake to lecture hin
upon matters of taste-spokc of bare minoriL,
/ of almost majority of the people of on
State as attempting to SNEAK BACK into tn,
Democratic ranks That was the language m
ployed In speaking of the State Rights mer
of 1891, after their separation from Genera
Jackson, he said:
"They stood aloof from the party, in armed
neutrality, in the only State where they had {
majority and in States where they were in th'
minority, generally acted with the Wing party
in opposition to the Democrats. They did no
after their defeat attempt to sneak back into thu
Democratic party under the style of old I'm
Democrats, as the secessionsts of the present ddl
are Attempting 10 do"
|, Now, shall undertake to demonstrate tina
the State Rights party of Mississippi wer'
never out of the ranks of the Democratic party
II q III ~, "a l, thauo mn