Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-08-07

Gentlemen Recently on my return from Ar
kansas had the honor to receive your note of the
9Th instant, inviting me on behalf of the Democrat
c Central Association to address them at their next
regular meeting, or so soon thereafter as might
suit my engagements. Approaching highly the
compliment rendered by an association that
bers among its members many valued personal
friends and so many intelligent citizens, in whose
devotion to the true principles of old Jefersonian
democracy, to States rights and to the prOtec-
ton of Southern interests, | have much conf
dence it is with some regret that | announce to
you my determination, under present circumstan-
ces, not to take a prominent active part in the
bending Presidential canvass.
1t is due to you well as to myself that l
should at once and frankly state the reasons that
have influenced this course the more so, that in
this conclusion have the misfortune to differ from
SO many political friends, who have warmly en-
barked in this contest, and whose opinions | SO
highly respect, that nothing short of very strong
convictions of propriety could have induced me to
adopt different rule of conduct for my own guild
ance bat with me 1t IS q matter which involves
not only political consistency but fidelity to prn-
cple.
My personal incllnations also prompted differ
ent course. [ knew General Franklin Pierce per
sonally while we were In the service together and
since His high intellectual qualities, his quick
perception, and accurate judgement of men, Sc
cured nv respect, while his nice sense of honor,
his sincerity and his pure minded, dlslnterested
integrity sson my warm regard and friendship
His nomination highly acceptable to me-
When the intelligence OF this event first reached
us by telegraph, promptly wrote to some frienls IS,
who had asked my advice, recommending him
warmly to their support, unless the Convention
should place him upon false platform, by adopt
ing the sU-Calied Compromise article of the
party creed. | feared such might be the case
from the nomination Of Mr. King, whose course
on some of the Compromise measures was not ap'
proved by large majority of the democracy o
Mississippi, but until it known that the conven
ton had in substance endorsed the compromise
and declared it fnality, had determined to give
sincere and active support to the ticket.
That ill-iudged act has, however, created OBJ
jectons which seem to me insuperable to thos'
who have taken the positions and maintain the
opinions that l do.
Since my first connection with public life, M
convictions have ever led me to adopt the doctrines
of that political school in which Jefferson and Cal
houn were ilustrous teachers To assume tha
under our system, the sovereign power resides IL
the people of the several States, and the powers o
both Federal and State governments merely
delegated trusts which can be resumed by the SOW
ereign at pleasure That when the Federal gov
ernment transcends the powers delegated to it b,
the Constitution, each State for itself in It's
eign character has right to interfere and protec
consequently, as each State is the sole Judge c
the mode and measure of redress, she can, when
ever in her judgment the reasons are sufficient
resume the delegated powers; and secede from tn
Union.
The result of many years of experience, obser
walton and reflection, has also established in m
mind the conviction that the subection of the ne
gro to the white race is in conformity with the de
signs OF Provldence-that slavery is the natural
and of course the best condition of the neoro-an
that this social institution, so far from being a
evil, moral social or political, is beneficial to bot
races, and has been, and now is chief element {
the wealth, prosperity and power of these Unite
States.
With these opinions of our political and soc
systems, l have jealously watched every encroacl
ment of the government upon the right of tt
sraie. and every attempt to make odlous dIscrm
aatons AGAINST the Institution of slavery, and ha'
sympathized and acted with the patiicuc oal
who, for time, dared to breast the oyerwhelmlr
tide of consolidation and anti-slayery.
When the compromise measures of the last Sc
sion of Congress were first introduced they we
generally regarded by the Southern people, WI
the exception of those whose instincts led them
favor a strong government, unjust encroac
ments upon the rights of the slaveholding State
They were looked upon as indirect means to S
cure the effects of the Wilmotproviso 1t was su
posed that the tendency of these measures wou
be not only to destroy the equilibrium of POI
er between the ' . sections till then preserved
In the Senate. hus transfer all the polite
power of the 9 It to the opposite sectio
but eventual ktion of new States to e
able the Sta Slavery, by change
the Constitute Atty to destroy the domes
institutions of the Aority section.
It was my opinion and is now, that the spi