The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-09-07
The Eatchez Courier Down Among "the
i ~. Fossils

What practical benefits can result from suci
a labor, we leave for the antiquary of thu
Courier to explain. We would as soon thini
OF exploring his design, if it be not the one
\ we have suggested, as to enter into a formal
disquisition, in these times when practical ne
suits are to be reached, upon the ever-chang-
ing party Gf it really now exists) to which
he processes to belong. What right has he to
jabber about the Inconsistencies of other par.
ties F? What is his own party, but an airy alb
straction-a medley of incongruities-which
has changed its color, its occupation and name
so often, that it has almost lost its very denti-
ty, and dwindled to such insignificant proper
tons that it is the pity alike of friend and foe
| Here it is black-there it is blue-again it is
drabbish, and then mulattoish. To-day it
idly vaunts its boldness; tomorrow it puts a
paddock on its lips and "pretermits'' the ex-
preston of its opinions. 1t has fed on provi-
sions, declarations, protests, opposition but
scarcely ever lifted itself up to the dignity of
ayowing principle.
In the present attitude Of affairs when grave
measures require discussion, it would be a
waste of time to reciprocate the courtesies of
the Courier and to show up the multiform
phases of its Chameleon party; and we have
no taste for the business If in the lapse of
time, the thing exhibits signs of returning life,
we may turn to kick it. For the present we
will devote brief space to the vindication of
our own party from the unjust accusations of
the Courier A single extract paraded into
its columns, transferred to our own, will
explain the whole and serve the purpose of
reply
When the editor of the Aberdeen Indepen-
| dent censured Mr.. Polk for yielding the un-
limited control of Congress over slavery in the
Territories, the Yazoo Democrat replied as fol-
lows, Sept 19, 1849):
aBut suppose Mr.. Polk did yield such a
power to, Congress; is not the Independent
supporting the claims of the Taylor Republi.
can candidate for Governor who in effect SAYS
the same thing? We are prepared to prove
that in his speech at Benton, Mr. Lea opposed
the nOn-intervention doctrine Of Gen. Cass, and
if Il is once admitted that Congress haze any
poaee. at all orer the question, 1T Jolloacs that
it has just much right to legislate one soay as
another or, an other auoTds, that Congress
haze unlimited control orer SLAVERY in the Ter
ritories.r
Now what was this but avering that any
interference by Congress on the question, any
acknowledgment of power to legislate at all,
was to acknowledge its unlimited control over
slavery
The editor of the Yazoo Democrat who thus
spoke in 1849, is the present editor of the
Mississippian who recently introduced to the
Democratic State Convention the resolution
that this doctrine of ''non-interyention" is not
! nor was it -intended to be in conflict with an
assertion of the power Of Congress to protect
slave property in the Territories. We shall
certainly not accuse him of now holding, be-
cause he believes in intervening to protect the
doctrine of the unlimited power of Congress
over the subject. And yet tnat was what he
virtually charged on his opponent in 1849-
| We are glad he has made the advance he has
upon the subject but he ought not in con-
| sistency still to contend for the same old doc
! trine of "non-intervention" The new blade
and the new handle are certainly fatal to the
claim for its being the identical old knife.
When the power to legislate on the subject
of slavery in the territories is denied to Con-
gress, the doctrine is asserted that the federal
government has no authority to legislate for
the purpose of establishing or prohibiting the
institution. But the assertion of this doctrine
does not imply that Congress has no right to
afford slave property, when there, whatever
protection its owner may need to render him
secure in its enjoyment. 1t is one thing for
Congress to decide that slavery shall, or shall
not exist in the territories, as the case may be,
and quite another for it as the joint agent of
the States, to protect their citizens in the pos
session of whatever property they may choose
to hold there. Thus says Chief Justice Ia
ney, "The only power conferred on Congress,
is the power coupled with the duty to guard
and protect the owner (of slave property
in his rights
When the Southern Democracy supported
Gen. Gass in 1848, they protested against the
Squatter Sovereignty Interpretation Of his
Nicholson letter; and thereby protested
against the corrollary of that doctrine that the
power of the first settlers in the territories
over slavery, is unlimited, and that Congress
possess no right to protect the STAKEHOLDER from
the consequence of its arbitrary exercise.
While on this subject we will summon to
our aid few extracts worthy of special
note, to show that the Democracy of the
South have never surrendered the doctrine
of Intervention for the protection Of their rights
in the territories.
With one accord the Democracy of Missis
sippi joined in the movement of both parties
which led to the Convention held in this city
in 1849, in which the doctrine Of protection
was distinctly declared.
The Nashville Convention of 1850, reflect
ing the views of Southern Democracy as well
as those Of their opponents who chose to be
represented in that body, distinctly affirmed
the doctrine saying:
That the territories of the United States
belong to the people of the several States OF
A-aoAli - Glcu CO1llluOh
the citizens Of the several States have equal
rights to migrate with their property to these
territories, and are equally entitled to the pro-
lection of the federal government in the enjoy
ment OF that property, so long as the terri
tories remain under the charge Of that govern
ment.n
Mr.. calhoun, who more than any other
man OF his time, represented the opinions of
tne Southern Democracy, held similar views,
as extracts from his speeches and addresses
embodied in an article in the last issue of
.hls paper amply attest
Inc National Democratic Platform of 1848
declared, as it nov does, that
Every citizen and every section of the
country has an equal right to demand and in
slseoh equaiity Of rights and privileges, and
= = solnpiete and ample protection of persons
aaa property from domestic violence or foreign
aggression.
non. defi. Davis, with the approval of the
whole Democracy of Mississippi, in 1850 of
iered an amendment to the Compromise
measures which asserted the doctrine of pro-
lection.
WIN the like approval of his constituents,
non. A. G. Brown in speech at Eldwood
springs, Nov. I'd 1850. said:
we should demand the same right to go
.o .L ~ me territories with our slave property
s.'as uie citizens of the free States have to 60
sa Mlsn my species Of property, and we should
tsa. s.anu ); lor our property the same protection
h1a.h .as Z gwen to the property Of our Northern
"a 1907, the Democracy Of Ala, adopted
'ns l0lowlng resolution in their State Con-
vention:
;Aesolgsd That the acquiescence of the
ssl1lsns o. this State in those acts of Congress