The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-08-17

come what may, the trle-hearted southern
man, who is ready and willing to risk the al
legged and apprehended dangers of separation
and q southern conIederacy, has the consola-
ton to know that Congress can do neither of
the acts embraced and prohibited in that bold
and defiant declaration, without producing
disunion and bringing about the ultimate and
permanent protection Of our institutions in
another and better government Let the abo-
litionists of the North take the federal gov
eminent, if they can, and put our pluck to the
test by violating any portion Of the Georgia
platform. Let them do it if they can-let
them do it if they will-let them do it if they
dare. But is there no other cause, no other
action of the free States, which would Justify
separation and probably produce it ?
Fellow-citiZens, | have said elsewhere. 1.-The
election Of northern President, upon see
tional and anti-slayery issue, will be considered
cause enough to Justify secession. Let the
Senator from New York, Mr.. Seward or
any other man avowing the sentiments and
| policy enunciated by him in his Rochester
| speech, be elected President Of the United
| States, and, in my opinion, there are more
than one Of the southern States that would
take immediate steps towards separation And
sir, | am free to declare, here in the Senate.
| that when even such event shall occur for one
| shall be for disunon, and shall if alive. ex.
ert all the powers | may have in urging upon
the people Of my State the necessity and pro
priety of an immediate separation
This deliberately said on the floor Of the
Senate in the face Of our enemies-this de-
liberately say here to-day in the presence Of
friends and neighbors should consider such
an event fraught with the greatest danger to
southern institutions, and would not wait
| for the development Of its results. | would
min the danger in the bud, and take immedi-
ate stems to unite the South in a movement
which should end, either in safety within the
/ TInion or safety out Of it. A movement to-
wards separation. even by a single State,
would bring the northern people to their sem
| SEES. il anything could open their ears and
hearts to the voice of reason and justice
The North does not believe that the South
! will dissolve the Union for any cause, and that
/ they NAV push their fanatical schemes upon
us with impunity Convince them that the
South is in earnest, by an imposing step to-
wards separation, and even fanaticism will
nause and s'look before it leaps" The Union
| ( far more necessary, useful and important to
them than to us, and they know it. They
would not probably drive us to the alternative
| of separation, if they were advised and believ-
ed that such would be the result OF their hos
tile demonstrations against slavery and the
rights of the southern people. In 1870 when
a movement towards secession was made In
/ Georgia. and few Of the neighboring States,
and there seemed to be some danger OF ex-
treme measures, the northern mind began to
recoil-the northern papers, for the flrst time
since the Union was formed, began to calcu-
late its value and to urge the danger and I'M
policv of driving the South to extremlues.
Meetings of the people were held and safety
| committees were formed to rebuke anti slavery
agitation and suppress the power OF the abo-
| litionists, and if the South had acted with
spirit and manliness then, the whole subject
! would have been settled at once and forever
by such constitutional guarantees as would
I have placed our rights and our safety upon a
sure and lasting basis But, unfortunately
1 for the South,.we had then, and fear we ever
shall have, too many ambitious public men,
who were looking to national honors, and who,
from interest or fear, were willing to sacrifice
our rights ito preserve a Union from which
! they expected so many personal blessings.
| sFellow-citizens, if the people of the South
would preserve their rights in the Union, or
obtain their independence out Of it, they must
take the subject into their own hands speak
out their sentiments with boldness that be-
comes freemen, and teach politicians the salu-
tary lesson, that she who dallies is a bastard,
and he who doubts is damned" Whether the
election of black republican President upon
a sectional anti-slayery platform, and by
sectional abolition party, shall be considered
sufficient cause for alarm and separation by
a majority of any one or more of the southern
| States. remains to be seen. | do not hesitate
| here, as have elsewhere and everywhere, to
express my own opinion that it ought to be
SO considered; ; and If the time shall ever ar
| rive and the event ever happen, come what
NAV, in office or out of office, if alive and
able, shall raise my voice in vindicatiOn Of
the sincerity with which | have uttered the
sentiment
Fellow-citizens, let no man suppose or nier
| from what have said here or elsewhere, that
| | am in favor of dissolying this Union as
matter of choice 1t is true that much of my
confidence in it has been shaken-much OF my
respect for it lessened-much of my love for it
weakened, by the events of recent years. 1t
cannot be denied that in respect to some of
the most important elements with which it
was intended to be invested, and many OF the
objects of its creation, it hgs proved astailure
was intended as government OF defined
z~e.d limited powers-it has become one of con-
struetive and almost unlimited, consolidated
powers 1t was intended to be creature-it
| has grown to be a lord and master. From its
| formation to the present time, its powers have
been gradually enlarged, whilst the powers of
the States have been diminish until the lat
ter have scarcely any left that are worth pre-
serving, and the former scarcely any wanting
necessary to absolute dominion. The States
their honors, their interests and their pow
ers-and all overshadowed by the more daz-
cling and seductive attractions of federal hon.
ors, federal offices, federal interests, federal
powers Constitutional barriers are broken
down with NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. rights
are trampled under foot without remorse, re-
gret or redress Sectional interests, sectional
preiudiees and sectional power, If they have
| not already, soon will, control all the Opera
| tons Of the Federal Government and make it
| little less than despotism, subject only to the
capricious will of numerical majority. Not
content to exercise the powers granted in the
constitution, this majority, composed of the
bitter enemies Of the southern people, do not
! scruple to usurp powers not granted when
ever their interests or prejudcies dictate the
assumption.
Heretofore a national party organized upon
the basis of State equality and State sover-
eignty-of equal privileges, and equal bur-
thens to all and upon sections OF the Union
has, to some extent, withstood the encroach-
ments of this irresponsible majority, and pre-
served the Union from destruction. But that |
party is fast melting away before the repeated |
and vigorous assaults OF our northern foes, and |
the discordant character its presents ele- |
ments affords little hope or prospect of its flu
ture ability to preserve the constitutional
rights of the weaker section.
Such, fellow citizen are the present candi-
ton and future prospects of the American
Union presenting but a faint hope to the pa
triot or the statesman of the perrnanence of
that true republican constitutional government
upon which our rights alone depend. Still,
habit is second nature, = and early affections,
ancient associations, and habitual love and
reverence for institutions founded by onr faith
ers and cemented by their blood, appeal with
power difficult to resist to all the feelings of
the American heart They affect me, they
affect you, and doubt not affect every son of
the South. | would surrender this Union
only when convinced that it had failed Of the
great objects of its creation, that its powers
were perverted to unholy ends and, that in
stead of proving blessing it had become
curse to the southern people, Union ad-
ministered for the equal benefit of all-respect-
ing the sovereign rights aud interests Of the ]
people of all sections Union which confines {
he governing power to the limits Of the con-
stitntion, and carefully guards, observes and '
protects that sacred instrument, would have
ny love, my reverence and support, to the |
atest hour ofmy existence. But when see |
md feel that the great paramount objects of its
reation have been or are about to be defeated |
md prosttuted to uphold the power, promote 7
he interests and pander to the prejudices Of q
me section-to exalt one and Cypress another f
f its equal and constituent parts-to bring
blessings upon one and curses upon another
ortion of its wide domain, amready to sur
ender it at any and all hazards, and to try
mother experiment for the preservation ofthose 9
ights which are dearer to you and to me than
he existence of any government or union on a
arth If this be treason, let those who call 9
so, make the most of it. Twill not take y
ack one jot or title of the declaration. Nor
0 consider it absolutely essential to the b
rosperity and happiness ofthe southern States s.
nat they should remain in the present Union. t.
hey have the abundant elements Of both n
-ithin their own borders, and they would a
oSSess and enjoy in a confedeTated govern N