The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-08-31
Eou the Charleston hefeayy.
How to meet the Sectional Issue.

A., Enrrap There are lew, | imagine
-, Ill ~ d;sposed to deny that the desire
w. VIZ I;asoi,,t;on Of the Union Is becoming
~ s.,oreer and more universally enter
t.;raJl tbrnnohout the southern states OF the
.s,lisJ "a. Few OF the thoughtful men,
49, attention is directed to pubc AFFAIRS
oa 80 roGa;n from acknowledging that their
conv;ct;on Is daily strengthened Of tne utter
;n,ross;b;litv Of any plan beng deNlseu by
,,-b;cb tha two contending sections Will sueh
,I; , oninions as TO vital interests, can
r., bronoht to live together IN Peacelui ana
friendly association. ,,a.,;.
Under these circumstances uis - si,s' e.
,,.b;ob would seem To arise most properly lor
crave pnblic deliberation, would 6e as 20 the
most ready means for bringing aoout, WIN
The least difficulty and embarrassment ~
Grafton 20 deyoutIy to be wished
10 Tits consideration venture 70 eh'oAe
\ small portion of the public attenllon'
# strikes me that while great aeal mas
been written and still more has peeh salu up
on the policy: propriety, and even NECESSITY y
dissolving the Union, by far too ht.le con,lN
lively has been suggested as to tne l ie "
procedure to be adopted in bringing apout "
even meeting. this event upon its occurren re
In short, although the aim and ODE. y ~
South be perfectly definite and diSun1'ty VIC
cernible there is. think almost on AL slues
reprehenslble inertncss OF dispositlon Senu
to leave the attainment Of their ends w i1ue
to the operation Of chance measures an -
certain contingencies. Surely, ~ nat.ol =
momentous as this, reelection, management
and selection OF opportunity slloulu ~. - -
gsrded as unimportaut, or as an"CINny
! consideration So far is it otherwise IN 2 soy-
he
zen is virtually forfeited by one who CLAIMS
immunity from the earnest attention ana WV
anxieties necessarily incidental to circnin
stances like the present, and their protaose
consequences 1t Is IA matter which y ever
mans business --which should be hroosh'
constantly before the people; and the DISCUS
sion of the plans for action, when these are
| plausible, should be entertained and encour-
aged so as to facilitate, on emergency the cnoce
of the most promising,-the. advantages %
methodical and preconcerted action IN all cases
of public comm0tion, being too manifest 70 re-
quire specification. But these propositions
rarely emanate from politicians. The ousi,
ness of these is with selected and approved
projects chiefly, while the private citizen may
at all times experiment at pleasure, and ven
ture upon the proposal of schemes, the aGop-
ton or rejection Of which will not compromise
! his interest in the public favor.
| Southern conventions and State action OF
various kinds have been proposed all either
directly and ayowedly aiming at the establish
ment of a southern confederacy, or with thr
| hope or chance ofsuch incidental consequence
But the chef difficulty has really arisen irons
the hesitation on the part of the southern peo-
! pie to assemble body of men who might
transcend their authority, and regard them
| selves as empowered to make changes IN the
constitution, to be followed, with more or less
certainty, by troubles and confusion. And
/ think that the want of unammity in their re
solves to take decisive step has BEEN more ~
consequence Of this dread than Of any other
apprehension.
These objections are not without foundation,
| but at the same time they are far from beng
insurmountable, and they may, It seems to
me, be obviated by the course which might BE-
adopted by the South in the approaching Pres
| idential election. This election may be made
to offer plain and direct result, entirely I'M
| tTammeled with uncertainties; and being d.
vested Of the ordinary revolutionary terrorS,
leave the public mind unoppressed by vague
and paralyzing approximations. The South
would know exactly what it has to expect.
| 1t can determine fully before hand as to the
adequacy of the results to satisfy its yearnings
and accomplish its objects-while the action
would be prompt, definite and unattended by
| the confusion and disastrous commercial dis
| turbances which so easily alarm the timid
and prudent citizens The approaching con-
test will be sectional-it will be between the
North and the South-between those who
seek to pervert and destroy the constitution
and those who wish to uphold and preserve it
between those who seek to transform the
| government into powerful and resistless en-
| CINE for the plumber and the destruction OF
the liberty and welfare ofone half the conieder-
acy, and those who desire to resist aggression
and maintain their just and chartered rights.
| The opponents in the halls of Congress are
not very unequally divided. 1t is to be sup
posed that the southern portion Of these rep
resentatiyes is to go to Washington to aid and
abet by their acts in the subyersion ofour con-
stitution, or even that they are to sit quietly
| looking on whilst its destruction is consum-
mated The idea of such conduct is prepos
ferrous. Upon such an erTand men and gen
tIemen they should not be scnhs or ifsent
as men and gentlemen they should refuse to.
60. There is course, however, open for them
and worthy of them. They are numerically,
physically, and indeed in every respect, power
full enough to bear themselves through it.
They have but to resolve upon it, under the
authority of their constituents. The northern
candidate Republican or free-soil-the advo-
cate of southern ruin-it matters not how
the nomenclature be determined) will have the
majority of votes The southern candidate
will Of course, be in the minority the South.
as usual, in all cases, coming off second best
Be it so. Let it on this occasion accept it's
fortune, for once, with becoming and praise
worthy satisfaction. But let the South IN
| ctrI1rt minority candidate S,nnrocaufina.
those striving to uphold the constitution, and
defeated in the race for the Presidency of the
whole confederacy, to proceed precisely in ac-
cordance with the usual forms consequent
upon election, and utterly ignoring the north
ern choice, to organize government as on all
former occasions, but for the southern confed-
eracy-ior all those States which may deem
it their interest, signify their desire to form
a part of that confedeacy, or rather remain in
it-for this is the true statement Of the mat
| ter-let, or rather insist, that the southern
chioce shall proceed pGyi passgwith his north
ern congener in complying in every respect
with every official form and ceremony observed
upon such occasons-that the oaths be stimuli
taneOusly administered one shall not
| qualify without the other-that they sit side
| by side in the halls of Congress, if you will.
and jointly occupy or claim the White House.
making the southern choice, like his rival.
| ''every inch' President. Two Presidents
or none and under these circumstances--in
| the heart of Washington city, in southern and
slave territory-ifa son Of Virginia, with an
organized government cannot make GOOD his
stand, and, moreover, aequire for his section a
| fair share of the public property of all kinds
what, alas may not be said not only Of the
sons of Virginia, but also of the sons of the
whole South, of the nineteenth century?
The constitution has been ever good enough
| for the southern States-has been always. and
| is still beloved and respected-in ali things
sufficient in ITSELF without change, to secure
| our prosperity and happiness and amply ade-
quate to the wants and habits of our southern
nature We cling to still, and are determin-
ed, ifpossible, to perpetuate it Let those
who have found it necessary to violate and
abrogate it to enable them to compass and car.
ry out their ends in life and government. in.
prove or renew it to suit their Yankee natnre
to their hearts content--but not at our en-.
pense. Like Skylock, they can buy wish us
| Christians and can sell with us, but cannot
live together under the same constitution. II
is in vain to make further efforts 10 do so.
But at the same time il Is not Absolutely nee
essary that we should fight and the prOba-
bilities are very strong that, when brought
| face to face, as above proposed, each with
plenty Of work ON hand for settlement, each
section would come to the conclusion that no
interests would be infinitely more advanced
by negotiation with, than by war upon each
other.
WILLIAMS MIDnLEToN.
SUBMARINE LANTERN TEsEEA.-T Non.
folk Day Book records "a interesting trial .of
Gould & Lambs submarine lantern, which
came off in presence Of . board of examiners
appointed by the navy department, on Thurs.
day the l4th ulte at Portsmouth navy ward.