The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-11

qualification he felt at the manifestations around
him of the Ie-union OF all Democrats, for the
support OF those great principles, which now, as
in days gone by, formed the distinctive charac
teristics of the Democratic party. II was true
that unhappy divisions had recently existed, but
these could not be otherwise than temporary
the power of eternal truth was attracting the
disintegrated PARTICLES, and must soon hold them
in one harmonious mass, resolved, with concen'
trated power, to vlndicate the principles and
maintain the measures which had wrought so
many blessingsto our common good, peace and
security. This family re union, he said, was no
occasion for the consideration of late family dis
putes The purpose for which the party was
sembed, rather led them back to days of happy
association, and willis. it directed their vision to
future events, should elevate their hearts to mob
Ter reflections than the individual conflicts which
had so sadly disturbed the conf ence and de-
stroyed the power of the Mississippi Democra-
cy 1t was cardinal point in their party faith,
that the delegate should be limited in his acts
by his letter of authority and faithfully reflect
the will of his constituency The letter OF
au hority was to appoint delegates to the Ma
tional Democratic convention, which would as
semble to nominate candidates for the Presi-
dency and Weep Presidency Of the United States.
The will Of the Democracy of Mississippi--as
shown by the primary meetings IN many coun-
ties-was to consider the question recently de-
cided by the people among the things which
were, and without reference to local consdera-
tons, as questions purely belonging to State
sovereignty to unite on their old platform Of
national politics, and, shoulder to shoulder, go
into the approaching contest for the election Of
a President. He said tie right ola State under
any contingency, to resume the grants made by
her as a sovereign party to the federal compact,
had been denied by men who claimed to be the
peculiar friends of the Union. What Union p
it could not be the United States, if as some
asserted State had no higher right than a
county, a mere right by force to overthrow their
government
If this denial was directed against the abstract
right asserted by the Democratic party, as be
longing to each State, the right to Withdraw
from the Union without obstruction, whenever
the people OF the State should resolve that such
was the only mode by which they could secure
for themselves the hjecls for which governments
were instituted among men t re-atfirmaton
of the position taken by the Democratic con
vention of Jane last, would not decide The issue
But if it was proposed to refer this question to
the national convention, then the proposition
would be worse than nugatory. A reserved
which have not been granted--can only be sur
rendered by the people of the State and for
enc, he would pro est against the reference of
such question to any other tribunal than the
sovereign people who mads the grant--who
for ned the compact--and, in the last resort,
must Judge Of it's infraction He urged upon
the convention the improperly Of introducing
into It's action any other matter than that which
properly belonged to the special object for which
they We're assembled or which would be de-
parlure from the line of conduct indicated by
the invitation in accordance with which primary
meetings had been held and delegates APP pointed.
To recant declaration--to abandon principle
lis another and very different thing from alb
staining to assert opinions unnecessarily or i'm
properly. This he illustrated by tho case Of the
division of the State into new Congressional
districts, and asked what member of the con-
ventioD would desire to express in resolution
the opinion of the body in relation to that case
He referred to his course during the past
summer, IA evidence of his readiness to assert
and maintain principles whenever and wherever
the occasion required it. lie had gone volunta-
rily into canvass, which considerations OF ease,
interest and health, prompted him to avoid. He
had gone not to defend or explain his own
course, for he only asked to be judged by the
record; not as a candidate for oilice--there was
none be desired in exchange for the high station
with which the people had already honored him.
He went to plead before the people the cause
of Mississippi, which then, as now, he held to
be the cause of the Constitution. If any sup
posed he regretted the course he had pursued,
because of the personal sacrifices it had cost
him, to them be would say, those sacrifices were
to him source of pride, and were dear to his
heart as offerings freely made upon the altar of
his country, made for principles from which our
Union sprung, and which az an Union of free
men, it could never survive. His regret at the
result arose from the conviction that it would
long and deeply injure the cause of State rights
that it would serve to weaken the Southland
would encourage further Northern aggression
upon those constitutional rights which we in
herited, and which it was the sacred duty of this
generation to preserve, and, unimpaired, to
transmit to posterity.
He said, among the many Misrepresentation
which had been made of his political conduct
and opinions; there were two which would serve
as sample, and to which he alluded, because
they were connected with his present position
as member Of this convention. The first was
the statement that in public speech at Macon,
in Noyubee county, he had replied to the inquiry,
whether or not he would support the nomina-
ton of the national Democratic convention? p
no, he would not. This was rs false as the as
sertion previously made that he had, in 1S43,
been the advocate of the Union bank bonds.
He said that when he was asked whether or not
he would support the nominees Of the Baltimore
convention, he replied afirmatively and was
proceeding to state how and under what circum.
stances he would support the nominees, when
the question was modified 50 as to make il the
nominees Of the Union party he then answered
that he had understood the question to apply to
the Democratic convention, but as now put, the
nominees of the Union convention, he answered,
no. he would not touch them with ten-foot
pole.
The other Misrepresentation, to which he re-
ferred, was, that in speech made before the
Democratic convention of June last, he had
proposed to purge the party of those who had
taken ground against it in the pending contro-
versy He hoped all who knew him personally,
felt that it was impossible for him to have been
so presumptuous, so ridiculous as to have as
sumed to himself the right to excommunicate
Others from the Democratic church. If this
were even attempted by mass meetings. or by
!. Ia oh lpto al I'd