The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-03-27


lie, aud so did Mississippi.
Mr.. SCUkRY. Ii the gentleman will per
nit me to interrupt him.
MIR. BROWN. Very briefly.
Mr.. SCURRY. The gentleman who ATTENDED
from Texas, did so against the large majority o
the district which he represented a majority
of that district voted directly and fatty agains
the convention.
Mr.. BROWN. Well, / am not going to in
quire how delegates came to be there. speak
Of history as it is Texas was represented il
the convention, whether by her authority | dc
not know, and what is more, at this time dc
not care. Il is not material. The Nashville
convention, in obedience to this call, and in
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
newspaper editor might be found to oppose II
but the great mass of the Southern politicians
and as far as could judge Of the Southern
people-Whgs and Democrats-we:e 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
head and front of Mississippi UNIoNIsM-to pre-
l
That convention put forth an address to the
people, followed by series of resolutions, as
serting certain propositions upon which tho
Southern people ought to insist. Still, sir, there
was no formidable objection either to the CON
yention, 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 discussion with too
many gentlemen at the same time. With the
falling of of these early ard 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, a Union convention, the
first ever held to my knowledge in the United
States-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 II
Southern Rights convention; it was not State
Rights convention' it was not Wing conven-
! ton it was not a Democratic convention; it
was Union convention, so it was called, and
so it assembled twas in advance ofany 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
| Ii was made up of the consistent few who OPP
| posed, and of the greater number who seeded
| from the Southern movement. With the az
IF in ssin
date the downfall of the Southern movement
| in that State; fall which was rapidly sue
ceeded by its downfall elsewhere. Virginia de.
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-.
sissippi 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 fands of its early frends-its fathers
| II is now very dead; and if | were called upon
to wrto its epitaph, | 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-
leved 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 tn 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 il as being like
Billy Prngle's pig:
"When it lived, il lived in clover,
And when il died, it died all over"
| Laughter
When those who had been chiefly instrumen.
tai in getting up this movement abandoned it,
could we be made longer responsible for il ?
They brought il into being, and by their hands
it fell; and now they turn upon US, denounce il
as monster, and charge its sole paternity on
u.s. We assume our due share of the response.
bility, and they shall take theirs.
1 The Southern movement was, / repeat, the
| Joint work Of both parties acting together. Thi,
is history. IL 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 10
resume its original position.
4 The Wings did not return TO their position
They halted by the wayside, and by the aid of a
4 few Democrats. formed the Union party. It wa
a pars not demanded by the exigencics OF the
| hour; but called into existence to subserve III,
\ views Of particular men. This brings me e
consider the present organization Of parties il
my State.
Il My colleague Mr. WncoK,l the other day
in what considered rather bad taste although
certainly shall not undertake to lecture hin
upon matters Of taste--spoke Of a bare minority
T of almost a majority Of the people of ouI
State as attempting 10 SNEAK BACK into thI
! Democratic ranks. That was the language ern
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 I
majority and in States where they were in III,
minority, generally acted with the Wing party
in opposition 10 the Democrats. They did no
after their defeat attempt 10 sneak back into thu
! Democratic party under the style Of old lin,
Democrats, as te secessionists Of The present da,
] are anmpting 10 d."
Now, | shall undertake to demonstrate thai
! the State Rights party Of Mississippi were
| l. al. IN a.