The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-10-27
JEFFERSON DAVIS ON NATIONAL POLITICS

JEFFERSON DAVIS ON NATIONAL POLITICS.
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NE visws IN rsssrsncs Co Cuba, uicaragsa
ana ths kiibusts rs-T hs Compounds aea-
sures OF ls5O-Chs squattsr Sovereignty
FsLsCy-rhS Kansas aud slavery QusS
t10ns-Go~. " alksr's Inaugara Osnou ced
The Kansas Constitution mot 10 be suomit-
ssd TO the People Congress 60 vots Direct
ON tine Admission % Kansas-Mr Buchanan
msnacsd with Southern DsssrrioD, &C., &c.
Mr. Jefferson Davis, United States Senator from the
State Of Mississippi, recently delivered speech to
his constituents at Mississippi City, in which he dis
cusssd the course Of the last and present admins IRA
TONS and gave his views on the various political
questions Of the day.
After al exordium fattering to the patriotism OF
h,s hearers, and after having referred to various
events in the early history of Mississippi, he pro-
ceedeo to say that though young in the family OF
States, her record was one to which her sons might
point with pride, and in which they would find a
standard worthy OF emulation. She had never vi0-
lated the compact of our Union, and uaresistlngy
horne dispropor donate burtheDs for the support OF
The general government in peace had never, by her
complaints, her wrongs or her interests involved
the country in foreign war; yet at the hrst Call Tor
soldiers maintain the honor OF The national flag,
had, like Spartan mother, girded the sword upon
her sons, who well knew they could never return TO
the maternsl embrace unless they came Covered
with honorable fame or wrapped in the shrond Of
death. Thus has Mississippi fulfilled her duties to
the Union, and thus she has given assurance that,
in whatever contingency the future may bring forth,
at whatever sacrifice she may be called upon to
make. she will tread the paths of constitutional
principle end of duty, lead where they may. In the
free interchange of opinions, which he (Col % de
sired aid which were appropriate 10 the relatlon OF
representative and constituency. it would be neces-
sary to take brief retrospect Of the past; and he
said, if he should omit to notice any point in re.
lation to which his audience desired to hear him,
he would be glad to have his attention called
to it.
Here a voice called out, "What of General Wal
kerr
Col. DAVIS replied that if General Walker should
be able to maintain himself in Nicaragua, aud so
Amercanize that country that stable government,
representative liberty, institutions like those OF the
United States would be ordained and established IN
it, he should resice in the result. He also said
that in the course OF his remarks he Intended to
speak more specifically on that subject. He said, as
one of the Senators of Mississippi, he had opposed
the so-called Compromise measures OF 1850; and
upon their adoption he had as citizen OF Missis-
sppi urged upon his countrymen the propriety of
stamping those measures with their emphatic con-
den nation; he ia them the violation Of Southern
rights, the abandonment of safe prec edents, and
could ouiy anticipate from them the degradation OF
his section the collision bet Heen the States which
he sincerely desired to avoid and strove to avert.
He scorned the idea of submission to federal
| patton but he had declaved his purpose, when the
| question was submitted, to abide by the decision
Of the people of Mississippi whatever 1t might be.
| Tha. decision has been in favor of acquiescence,
against his convictions and against his ideas OF the
true policy Of the State. In good faith he had made
bis action conform to it, his opinions the result Of
deliberate convictions, he had no power to changes
unless the course of events had shown him that he
was in error Had the peace and fraternity promised
had the finahty on the subjec. Of slavery been
realized, was confidently foretod none would
han nsa1f N hp n
a prophecy which his observation compelled him to
disbelieve. The rapid current of events has borne
us SO rapidly onward that the distant future, OF
which specuated but six years ago, rs already
spoken Of as trials to which posterity might be sub
jected are already at hand; the generation which
sowed must also reap, and he feared they would
gather the whrlwind; 1t was well, for the policy
has been unworthy and unmanly which sought to
transfer 10 posterity the issues we ourselves had
made nay, more, 1t was unwise to postpone when
we possessed the knowledge that the next gene
ration would be relatively weaker than our own.
The policy which had been announced as thai Of
non intervention by the federal government in re-
lation to slave property be held To be an evasion OF
the obligation 10 give equal protection to all kinds
Of properly and he had never been able to treat
| with respect the argument, that II the power to
protect was admitted " necessarily folio owed that
| the power TO destroy must also be conceded Go
to he supported by the people rested on the SUPPOSE
{ on that government would perform the functions
for which it instituted. We paid taxes, dele
gated powers, and rendered individual services TO
secure rights personal and political; and ii conld
only be by such strange perversion as fear or fraud
alone could suggest that any one could have reached
the conclusion that to claim protection was to re-
cogrize power In the government to rob us OF our
property or deprive OF our political rights. The
South however, waived her rigth TO such protection
in the territories and such recognition OF her equa-
ty as would have resulted from full performance OF
its duty by the federal government, and accepted
rat md 1o 1af 20
determine the institutions Of future States aud that
the people thereof would be left free TO decide all
such questions for themselves. How utterly
fruitless the concession had been, and how
fallacious the assurance had proven, let the
Legislative charters to incorporate companies to fill
up the Territory Of Kansas with mercenary abo-
tionists answer. And how far the deusve hope Of
substituting peace and fraternity for hostile aggres
sion has been realized, may be learned from the
crime. the discord the civil which have charac
teiized the effort TO maintain civil government In
Kar sas. With sorrow, with humoled pride, and i'm
paired confidence in the character of the American
people, he had witnessed the necessity for the en-
ployment Of the federal troops 10 maintain civil
government and enforce respect for the regularly
constituted authorities and duly enacted laws OF the
Territory. he now looked back upon the disorders
in Kansas as the bitter fruits Of the substitution of
expediepcy for principle, the penalty OF the at
tempt 70 evsde the duty OF the general government
by the transfer OF its trust TO irresponsible hands,
The fallacy of the doctrine Familiarity called squat
ter Sovereignty" had run its course even soouer
than he anticipated; for, though he had never
doubted its entire failure and inevitable abandon
ment whenever ~ should be applied to foreign
territories, the acquisition OF which was contem-
plated, he had thought IL might answer in
Territories of the United States settled By
citizens migrating from the States OF the Union.
In relation 20 that 10 all other Of the questions
presented by the measures Of 1850, aud decided by
the people Of mississippi in 1851 he bad desired 70
see the experiment fairly made; for though he had
received The decree in sorow, he gave 70 II no sui
len submission, and his pledge of obedience contain
ed no mental reservations In that state OF public
affairs he had entered the Cabinet OF President
Pierce. Had he pursued his own inclination, and
been governed by his own interests, he should have
followed out his original intention, aud have de
| clibed a Cabinet appointment. He had desired TO
see the end of the controversy Of which he had been
part TO reargue before Che people OF the State, In
| 1853 thoae questions on which, he believed, by q
false presentation, Judgment had been obtained