The Feliciana Democrat., 1857-10-10
Tbe felitiana 1emotrat.
SPEECH OF COL. JEFF. DAVIS.

NpIl VI u snteCu ltltls N'llN'l'h "
statesman at Holly Springs. the momentous ques-
tions now before the Southern people.
1t seemed his good or III fortune always TO be here
when n crisis seemed to be upon the country and the
public feeling was intense. IN 1851. when last here
we were Just passing through that ordeal which follow
cd the passage of the compromise measures OF lS50
and now the public mind IL more deeply though not
so violently exercised by the Kansas difficulties. lie
then believed, and tried to convince the people of Mis-
sssipp that aggressons had already been made upon
our rights. which they ought not to permit to remain
umcdressed. lie thought the South stopped too low
ay into the very dust when She accepted the prnci-
pie of no-interreHt0n While he maintained that Con-
grcss had no power and no right under the Constu-
ton TO exclude the South with her slaves from the ter
rores, he had always believed ii the duty of the
Government TO protect slave property upon the high
seas and IN the territories, equally with every other
species Of property. But the South did not even get
the much lauded noa-iaerHtion in those measures !:
for California hurried into the Union in imprhden
haste. with an anti-slavcry constitutions by EIccntire
interference. Thus. by this compromise, the cold alb
Stract princpie of non-iHcrenton was offered to the
South. while the fruits Of fsiera interference were sha
ken into the lap of the North He thought, too that
the abolition of the slave trade between the States
across the District of Columbia was an unauthorized
and unconstitutional exercise Of power by Congress
over the subject to which the South should not have
quietly submitted. But the people Of Mississippi then
thought different from him. That compromise was
proclaimed rs fnay-a~a complete settlement of
the veXed question for all time to come and in the
hope Of getting rid Of agitation, the southern States,
and Mississippi among the rest acquiesccd When his
own State spoke. be felt bound to submit with what
grace he could. to her sovereign voice.
Had agitation ceased! Had the North relaxed it,
cxertions to PROSTATE and destroy the South? Not at
all. The agitation u now greater than ever The
fnacism Of the North looms up in more fearful pro-
portions than before II y true that the North having
gained California, and finding nothing else just then
ready for the harvest, for time was quiet. And in
the Presidential election Of lsj2, those Democrats
"A N. IN :
back to the party. and again coalesccd with the Na-
tional Democracy III the election of Mr.. Pierce But
upon the passage Of the kansas-Ncblaska bill under
his administration the great body Of them proved to
bc traitors in the camp. and again went off, and to-
gcthcr with almost the whole army Of Northern Wings
and Know Nothings. formed the Black Republican or
ganiZation Forty-four Northern Democrats in Con
grcss proved rccreant 10 their obligations and voted
with the rccsocrs.
The agitation was renewed with tcn-fold fury. Abo-
ltionisn assumed sharpe and a consequence new
before attained in the history Of this counry-so
formidable. indeed. that il was only by united South.
with the aid Of such Northern Democrats still
to the Constitution and therefore held to their
national organization. that they prevented from
seizing the rcgns Of Government. and wrestling the
Constitution 10 our ruin
The organic act for Kansas and Nebraska having
been thus passed. it dcrolvcd upon the President 10
appoint officers for the territories singular msior-
tune had attended the appointments for Governor of
Kansas, and some sad blunders had been made: but
he du not believe the administration was 10 De blan
ed in any case. lie knew that Mr.. Pierce was not
Recdrr was the first appointment. lie himself had
made careful inquiry about Rccder. before his appoint
ment. for he knew the administration desired sound
man, and from all he could learn Rcedcr was as favor
able TO the South any man 10 be found in all the
North. But he turned ont 10 be as bad an abolition
ist as any. and was removed
Shannon was the next nppointee. lie was not aware
that he had ever deserted the South wavcrcd in his
fidelity. But being most of the time absent from the
territory and from want Of energy and other causes
being inefficient. he accomplished nothing.
The next was Gcary. another Pennsylvania demo
crat iecdcr. He, too. was regarded rs sound
constitutional Democrat Like Rceder there was no.
hing in his antecedents which could have induced IN
President 10 suppose he would abuse his trust, and
prostitute his position 10 the purposes of abolition.
On the contrary. they seemed to guaranty imparalty
in the administration Of the affairs Of that vcxcd terri
tory and that he would pursue course Of strict
interference on The slavery question. lie too, proved
failure.
The next and last, was Coy. Walker. the present
incumbent II was needless to say. that so far from,
the Souths ioreseeing any to complain OF his
appointment she had every reason, in viewing his an
accdens to congratulate herself and to expect that he
Nouldpursue satisfactory course. There was nothing
in his past history 70 rouse suspicion of his nnauhor
lied interference thcre and the character of that fin
reference. Hence his appointment at the time
satisfactory to the Southern people. Col. ID. said he
was personally acquainted with Mr.. Walker-that very
friendly relations had existed between thcm.--hc
thought lie knew Gov. Walkers views when he was
sent to Kansas. and never more surprised than
when he saw his inaugural address and Topeka
speech.
Gov. Walker. course was offensive to the South in
two particular, viz lii attempt to dictate to con-
yention assembled in pursuance Of law, representing
the legal voters of t" territory and to tell them what
they mast do and his arguing from climatic law
against the Introduction Of slavery into the territory
lie had used the prO-consular term "nust" He had
gone beyond his nstrctions-beyond anything In the
law under which the convention was elected. and en-
trely beyond the principles Of the Kansas Nebraska
act all Of which pursued the line Of nonintervcntion
"A doctrine to which Mr. Buchanan was pledged. He
confidently believed that the President would not
tain Coy. Walkers pocy-he had what he deemed
good authority for saying so. Besides, he knew Mr.
Buchanan wcll-had been on terms Of intimacy and
confidence with him, both when he was public man
and when he was private citizen. Their relations
were most confidential when Mr. Buchanan was in pri-
yate lile They had inerchanged opinions freely up
on the subject Of the Constitutional rights of the
South in the rtorcs and he thought he understood
Mr. Buchanans views well enough to say that If the
Kansas convention adopted pro-slavery constitution
and sent ii to Congress- the President would favor its
admission, whether ii had been submitted to vote of
the people not But, If he should not if he should
sustain Gov Walkers dctatorla interference and
throw the weight of his administration into the scale
then as the magnitude of the offence augmented
in proportion to the dignity of the offender, should
te censllre of the act be cOrresDOndingy greater He