The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1858-11-20
VOLUME XXI. NO. vi.

ton of the terms Of the compact. and a
Jealous maintainancr of the reserved rights
OF the contracting parties-that the. con
stltution was to be followed to the very
letter-that in no case. however great the
seeming necessity or the promising good
should there be a departure from the in
strument. Hence, under this political
creed, like the great South Carolinian be-
fore him, was hc untlinchingly opposed to
all compromises between those who stood
on the same basis. a. equals in the same
government. He maintained that the very
idea of a compromise between equals gov
erned by the same Federal Constitution.
involved the sacrifice OF some guaranteed
right upon one side or tho other tha-, in
deed, there could be no compromise with
out the REIMBURSEMENT of some just claim
some cherished principle. Like Cal
houn, he often uttered sentiments as the
conviction of his own mind, that the be-
ginning of compromises between the SOW
ereign States of this confederated Union.
was the curse of curses to our national
prosperity; was the entering wedge to
restless ambition-was full of the bigotry
and fanaticism which were ready always
to prey upon the very vitals of the Consti-
est rights and liberties of the people
And, ask, has not the experience of our
government in Compromises for the last
forty years well nigh demonstrated the
rectitude Of the position so boldly assum-
ed by these distinguished statesmen p
And does not the dark cloud which has
rolled up from the East and North West.
within one month past, vindicate QU1T-
n vNplifip,, 1.s4 l.. L.
of his life, and tell us in thunder tones.
there is no faith in compromised
Standing upon this political basis. it is
easy to see why it was that OUr distin-
guished statesman was. so strenuous and
tenacious for the right inherent in each
one of the sovereign States. to regulate
its own domestic institutions: and why If
was that the noble mans heart was so in
dignant at the frequent and unauthorized
attempts upon the part of one half of the
States of this Union to interfere in mat
ters which belonged exclusively to Others.
| can best express his views upon this
| subject in his own peculiar and emphatic
language. In the Message referred to. he
! says: THE morality, expediency, and dur
| alton of the institution of Slavery are
| questions which belong exclusively to our
| elves. 1t would degrade the character and
| PROSTATE the dignity ola sovereign State
| to step down INTO the arena of controversy,
and discuss the morality, the propriety, OF
| the wisdom of her civil institutions with
| foreign powers. or self-constituted associa-
| tions of individuals, who have no right tC
| question them. 1t is enough that we, the
citizens of Mississippi, protesting to be
| actuated by as high a regard for the princi,
! Piles of religion and morality, as the citi
zens of other States, and claiming to be
| more competent judges of our substantial
| interests, have chosen to adopt and main
tain the institution Of Slavery"
1t is, indeed, passing strange, that both
| these distinguished southern men, for this
bold and manly reputation of the right
of interference by others in our domestic
| institutions, have been assailed Then
| opponents, conscious of their incapacity
| TO assail successfully. their positions have
| assailed the men themselves under the
| false charge of sectionalism Such were
indeed, base fabrication, and ought tc
| be so branded. 1t was their nationality
in the construction of the Constitution
which occasionod the cry brought against
| them of extreme southern mind and sec
| tionalism. 1t was because they saw the
constitution outraged, the terms of the
original compact disregarded and ten
dency upon the part of even many distin-
| guished men in our nation, to the belief
| that extra and super-constitutional legis-
| lation would contribute to the quiet and
| harmony, and consequently, to the pros
| perity of our great nation, that these men,
| perhaps more than any others, felt alarm
! ed, and the pressing necessity imposed
| upon them, to expose and resist the slight
| est departure from the Constitution. This
| departure in their Judgment, in every
| case, compromised some of the rights and
| interests of their immediate constituents,
and laid the precedent for another attack
| still more unreasonable than the former
| Knowing not where the thing might stop,
| under the conviction that evil, and moth
! ing but evil could be the final result O.
| such action, Calhoun first, and Quitmm
| next. planted himself firmly upon the
| Constitution, and plead that this fortres:
| must not be abandoned, this national cita
| del must not be given up, or with 1t mus
20 the integrity of the whole Union anC
the rights of the whole people. They be
lieved and announced that our hope o
safety, and perpetuity as a growing anC
spreading people, with diversified, and t.
some extent, conflicting interests unde
such a state of national legislation, was
wild delusion-could at best be but a fan
CIV of the brain. And hence, any sucl
proposition, and every measure of tn
kind met their unqualified condemnation
their manly, bold, and fearless resistance
For this manly defence of constitutional
right, for this evidence of model states
| manship, let the name of QUITMAN, il
connection with that of CALHOUN, 90 dow
to the last record made upon the annal
of American history as one among he
few statesmen who always stood firm, VIII
!, amid the jarring elements of party an
faction stood as firm as the rock, whic
far from land, lifts its majestic top abov
the waves and remains mistaken bv til
storm that agitates the heaving ocean.
In turning for a moment from the civ
and political career of our subject, to tn
place assigned him in the military achiev
ments of our soldiery, we find his positio
no less commanding, critical and respol
sible, and so long as the military proves
and bravery of the American army, in i
brilliant achievements upon the plains
Mexico shall stand before the gaze of ri
ing generations, will be seen conspicuoI
the name of Gen. QUITMAN, concertm
the plan of attack, and leading his bray
men in the most terrible battles. Tru
he was not bred a soldier-he was 1
graduate of West Point vet with a stron
active, acduisitive natural mind. at a vel
), early age QUITMAN had acquired passio
u ate fondness for military tactics. This W
; evinced, when at l2years of age, he hI
Is drilled into almost perfect military disci
, line, large company of boys in his ov
I, native town. After reaching the stage
, manhood, so attractive was he in demea
P or in his manly and dignifed bearing |
Is fore his fellow-men, and the developmel
sr of his well balanced and richly stor
N mind, that when a commander for V
r unteer company was desired by una
le nous consent in every case QUITMAN v
the man.
= When it became necessary under I
ie ;s administration of President Polk, in l
= prosecution of the war against the Me
"A can government, to increase the army
:, a large addition of volunteers, Quitma
Il, familiarity with military tactics, his kno'
:. cool and reliable Judgment mid excl
:, ment and in times of danger, and his for
~ ness for military life. designated him
!. once in the mind of the President 70
!; command. To him was offered the pc
/; ton of Brigadier General At this tin
- enjoying at home the affections of a lov,
- family, having already enjoyed the high
- honors which could be conferred by
- State, having amassed. by close applicat
y to his profession and hard industry. a &C
d, potency for himself and family, he had
- desire of place or emolument as the m
- motive to action in leading him to eng
= in the war. He had higher motives II
n. those which originate in unholy ambiti
~ He had been an advocate of the or
measure which gave to the union the st
- of Texas, and this by Mexico, had b
r. assigned as pretext for waging the v
~ and therein he felt there was thrown
inn fore him in the providence of God, a
In ting opportunity to show his creed by
M acts. In this posture of affairs, he de
nr. mined, without a moments hesitat
"a TO accept, and if possible, by his exam
aro bring an influence to bear in leadingotl
ra- to rally around the standard of his &C
I'D try, in this emergency.
ac- In less than two days after this appo
WI ment reached him, he gave up the
on and luxury Of quiet life at home,
to was on his way to the contemplated
his of action, there to risk his health, his
the and all, in sustaining what he deeme
Gu be his country's honor. In his re
the prompt and voluntary response to
the call of his country, at a season Of the
,os- which put in peril, and made shipwrec
up some OF the most robust constitute
tell having laid before him long march
Cd. the enemy's land, involving no ordi