The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-09-28
The Memphis Appeal.


We are truly sorry to see that this paper il
Illustrating how easy is the downward road
and how speedily it can be travelled 1t has
not been many months since it was bitter
denouncer of the Squatter Sovereignty her.
esy, and of the infamous apostacy of its fore.
most champion-suddenly it discarded the
language of condemnation-nextit it apologized
for his treachery and spoke kindly of his her
esy-then it became the unblushing advocate
of both-and now it prostitutes its columns
to the defamation Of the true, the great and
the trusted statesmen Of the South, such men
as Jefferson Davis, Albert G. Brown, Alfred
Iverson, c. c. Clay, and others, to whose
keeping she has entrusted her rights and her
| honor.
In recent issue Of that paper, we are as
tonished to find an anonymous communica.
ton tecming with abuse and yillifcation o.
those statesmen--a communication overflow
ing with misrepresentation and calumny dis
tiled from the fangs of some crawling reptile.
The character of this assault will be ascer-
tanned by reference to singing reply from
! the Avalanche, which we have transferred
with infinite satisfaction to our columns.
To show that we have not misstated the
former and better position of the Appeal, we
desire specially to refer to the following article
| from its columns of December LIST, 1858.
"And yet, although it may practically ap-
pear, from the mode of reasoning, that the
doctrine that a Territory may omit to legis-
late for the protection of slavery, and thereby
fail adequately to protect slave property, and
there is no remedy for it there being no con-
stitutional power which can compel terrific
rial Legislature to act, yet we would have
been better satisfied with Judge Douglass po-
sition if he had declared that THE TERRI
TORIES, being the COMMON PROPERTY
of all the States, adequate protection to the
property Of all is aOhat they haze a right to
eIpect a0lile they remain territories. We hold
it to be the right Of tie people Of the South to
carry their Slaves to the territories of the Uni
ted States and to demand that they SHALL be
PROTECTED in their possession
The illustration furnished by Judge Doug
las relative to the taxation of horses, the Il
cense upon merchants, and the prohibition of
the sale of liquors, undoubtedly falls within
the province OF local legislation in the terri
tories. And SO would taxation upon slaves
or license for the sale of slaves. But posses
sion and enjoyment Of private property is an
other question, and in order to possess and
enjoy it, it is necessary to pass laws to prevent
trespass upon private right to all species of
property. That kind of protection ought to
be adequate, and not mere mockery. Our
admiration for the character, services and gen.
eral soundness of Judge Douglas cannot blind
Ills to the fact that he does not come up to the
standard which has hitherto been approved
by the State Rights Democracy on this point.
We should hare been glad to hare seen him 90
one step farther, and sanction the doctrine pro-
claimed by Senator DaUis, of Mississippi, that
the RIGHT e1tSts an the PROTECTION of
SLAVE PROPERTY, By Virtue of the terri
tories being the COMMON PROPERTY OF
ALL THE STATES, and If unfortunately
that RIGHT as DENIED Jetnrs a territory
comes to form her State consultation, or the To-
cal lao omits adequately 10 protect the owner
of staeeS, it arises from the failure to provide
a remedy for the evil Unfortunately for us,
there is no remedy for such condition of
things but revolution, and it would be for the
people of the South themselves to determine.
on the occurrence of such an event, whether
the evil is Of sufficient magnitude to justify a
resort to the remedy" y"-NeD1phis -4ppeal,
Dee. 1st, 1858.
P. S.-Sinee the foregoing was put in type,
we have received number of the Appeal dis
avowing the calumnies of its correspondent
upon the Senators whose names we have men
toned above. We are much gratified at this
disclaimer although it seems to have come at
late day, and under the pressure of irresist-
ible public sentiment. Let it repent in sack
cloth and ashes the deep wrong it has been
the medium of infiicting upon the South;
and hasten to free itself from the defilement
of that infamous production. Naaman was
made to dip seven times in the river Jordan
before he was cleansed.