Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-10-09
Gen. Quitman'S Letter to the Southern Rights
Convention.
MONMOUTH, (near Natchez,
September s. 1852.

Dear Sir: The mail of yesterday brought your
letter of gath ult., requesting my views upon sew
eral matters presented, and especially asking re-
sponses to some nterrogatories enclosed.
Honored by the assurance which you give me,
that the Southern Rights party of Alabama have
mistaken confidence in the existence of common
feeling and sentiment on.Southern Rights, between
them and myself, 1 can only express my regret
that the necessity of an immediate andprompt re-
ply, to reach you in time, will compel me to dis
pense with that full expression of my views which
the Importance of the subject, and my high respect
for those who solicit my opinions, would render so
desirable TO me. I shall, therefore, briefly re-
spond, and refer you to the documents which
forward herewith, viz: An address written by
me in 1884; my Message to the special Legisla
ture of this State, in 1851 and my late polished
letter to the Democratic Central Committee, for
fuller exposition of my views on some of the sub
ects presented by your letter.
| rejoice to learn that the Southern Rights party
of Alabama stiH retains its organization. An or
ganized opposition to the despotic doctrines which
gave birth to the obnoxious compromise measures,
is indispensable to the safety of the South and the
preservation of State Rights. If the people of
the whole South finally settle down into quiet
acquiescence in the precedent set, and the en-
croachments made by these aggressive measures,
they will soon have nothing worth contending for.
/
scoffed at, their Institutions branded with obloquy
their property not only placed without the pale of
the protection of the common government, but its
powerful agency used to render it more precarious
and hazardous, and less valuable, and by these
means their great credit impaired, their spirit bro
ken by sense of inferiority and their confidence
in themselves lost, they will gradually sink into
hopeless dependence, and be content with holding
their political rights and their slave property al
the mercy of their powerful confederates.
Whether as an organized party, you shall enter
into the presidential contest, question of policy
which you alone can decide. If it be likely tc
give strength to the party the cause, it should
be done, regardless of other consequences. But
! as / am pushed for time, beg to refer you to my
!. views on this subject communicated few day
: since to one of the committee Mr.. Moore IN re
Div to a letter from him proceed to the inter
Erogatories (my answers are
LIST. The Federal Government has no right
anywhere, to interfere with the institution of sla
very, in such manner as to impair the relatlonc
T master and slave.
e Cd, Al citizen of the United States, possessin
e slaves, has right to carry them into the terrtor
belongingsto the United States and hold them ther
as property; and it is the duty of Congress- with
! in their constitutional jurisdiction, to pass sue
laws as may be necessary to protect such property
Of as well as any other. When the common govern
rent refuses such protection. it would disregar
p the object which called it into existence.
a. Sd. The abuse by Congress of the power deli
rated, to regulate commerce between the State
b. 6y interfering in any wise with the free transpo
4 Itstion Of slaves from one slaye-holding State
d another, would be violation Of The spirit Of 4
compact--so fragrant an insult to portion of Il
u sovereign States Of the Union, and 50 dangerov
- to the harmony of the whole, as to demand u
ial executive veto to any bill having such purpos
be 4tll and 9TH By Sovereignty, understand "
uzlpolitical power which can ultimately controi !
e. other powers. This power, IN our system fesid
e alone in the respective States and not elseWhel
be- As sovereigns, tie States have merely delegat
to their State governments. and 70 their comm
r. government, certain specified powers to - ~