Daily national Democrat., 1859-07-06
Dlsunionists.

Much talk has been made about the action
Of the late Southern Convention, held at
Vicksburg, Mississippi Ex'Gov. Foote with
drew from it, on the ground that 1T was
body unfriendly to the perPetuity ofthe Amer
icanUnion. But he first made speech, ,denun-
ciatorv of its contemplated action, in which
he poured forth the most rapid and scath-
ing philippics that ever issued from the lips
Of an American orator. The Disunionists
whom he attacked writhed under the inflic-
tion, but still perpetrated the deed which
they had come to perform. This was no less
a thing than the passage of the following res
olution;
Resolrsd, That in the opinion OF this Conven-
ton, all laws, State or Federal, prohibiting the
African slave trade ought TO be abolished.
Here is distinct avowal in favor of the
opening of the slave trade-a trade which
has been declared piracy by every civilized
power of the earth. including our own coun.
try. This resolution was dopted as a sub.
stitute for other resolutions which proclaim
ed that slavery was right, and that being
right, it ought to be sustained that, further
more, it was expedient and proper that the
foreign slave trade should be re.opened, and
that the Convention should lend its influence
toany legitimate measure to that end and,
lastly that O committee consisting of one
from each Slave State be appointed to con
slider of the means consistent with the duties
of the States for reopening the foreign slave
trade, and that they report their plan to the
next meeting of the Convention. There
were found men in the Convention, and many
of them too, not wanting in an advocacy of
these sentiments.
One might suppose, from the resolution
adopted, that it was the disposition of the
Convention to acquiesce in the enforcement
of the laws against the slave trade, provided
they were not repealed. Nothing of the
kind Those who sustained and who voted
for the resolution openly declared their be-
lief that the law against the importation Of
Africans was unconstitutional, and that iuries,
trying cases brought before them, were com
petent to decide as to the question of consti-
tutionality. The most monstrous doctrine
ever put forth in the entire history of this
Union-a doctrine, the practical operation of
which would nullify every law that was ever
passed by the Congress of the United States,
and make that body cypher in the Govern.
mentl This resolution, therefore, is an in
dorsement of the verdicts of those recent
iuries in the Southern States who have ac-
Quilted men clearly proven guilty of piracy
by the importation of African slaves into this
country. The Convention may reasonably
be set down, then as Notification and Sc
cession body, assuming to take the place of
the Supreme Court Of the Union and pass
upon the constitutionality or unconstitution-
ality of a Congressional enactment; and as
suming Furthermore to authorize petit ju-
rics to do the same thing It's the universal
doctrine and practice of men who sustain law
and order to deny any discretionary powers
to jury whatever. in regard to legal or
constitutional questions, and to require them
to sustain the law as they find it.
Now, the men whom we find in this Con-
vention, and who did not, like Foote, with
draw, upon the passage of this incendiary,
if not reasonable, resolution, are men of
weight and character in the Lecompton par
ty, such men as Davis, mot Jeff) of Missis-
sippi, and Mr. Spratt, of South Carolina. So
far then as the Lecompton party in that Con-
vention were represented, the Lecompton
party are committed to the abominable, dis
unionist policy of re-opening the slave trade.
Wise and good men, as well from the South
as the North, enacted in Congress the statute
which prohibits the traffic in slaves import
ed from Africa, and affixed to the infraction
of the statute the penalty of piracy. The
Supreme Court Of the United States has
never pronounced upon the constitutionality
of the statute, but men learned in the con-
stitution and its history were those who en-
acted the law.
Sorry are We, indeed, to see leading South
ern Lecompton statesmen assuming such a
ground as this; advocating, openly and
above board, notification of the laws OF
Congress; deliberately declaring that the
Federal Government is entitled to no respect
whatever, unless the juries and judicial tribu.
nails of the South choose to recognize its au-
thority, and uttering opinions and sentiments
which are at war with the entire conserva-
tive and national spirit of the country. The
advocacy of a slave code for the Territories
was bad enough, but to insist uponthe inser-
tion of the policy of re-opening the slave
trade into the platform of the Democratic
party, is carrying things to an extremity
which may we'll cause even Lecomptonites
themselves, possessed of the smallest remnant
of eonservativism, to pause in their preeip:-
tate, headlong career and retrace their steps.
FoURTH OF July CELEBRATIoN-The cele.
bration at the Washington Grove "a hall
mile from town) was a very fine affair. The
i