The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-06-16
MISSISSIPPI TEN YEARS AGO.
From the Brandon Republican.

In the Yazoo Democrat of February 7, 1919,
wa find the proceedings of meeting in regard
TO the danger OF our State being overrun with
negroes, and the horrors incident thereto, which,
with the remarks of the editor, we give below
We publish them merely to show what an awful
mortality must have occurred within this State
among the slave population since that date, and
how the whites have increased to protect them
Selves, as we are now gravely told that not only
Rre more negroes needed, but that we can risk
millions of savage Africans in our midst:
From the Yazoo Democra, of Feb. ?, 1s49
PROHIBITION OF SLAVES AS MERCHANDISE
Z EXTRA SESSION OF TIE LEGISLATURE
: We subjon the proceedings of a meeting
held at Vernon, Madison county, on the 10Th
ult. 1t will be seen that the meeting petitioned
the Governor to call an extra session of the
Legislature, to enact laws to prohibit the in
gress of slaves into our State. We do not think
the emergency is of a character so urgent as to
require convention of that body. Such step
would be attended with great expense and
certainly, from present appearances, the State
will not suffer by postponement of the subject
until the regular session. But while we do not.
think that the Governor would be justified in
calling the Legislature together, we warmly ap-
prove of the suggestion that the people of the
State hold primary meetings, and express their
views on the subject. When this is done, the
Legislature can shape its action according to
'he expressed will Of the people.
1t has been mentioned to us by several gen
@emen that the people of Yazoo should hold
E..3eting at Benton, and give expression to
tSsr views in regard to the matter At their
fSquest, and in accordance with our own no.
tons, we would suggest that it be held at an
early day. What say our contemporaries of the
% III b1U au1 u Roror/{... 2t W. :.
them to name the time of meeting, should thew
approve the suggestion. The petition and the
proceedings referred to above are as follows:
To His Ercellency J. " Mathe,cs, Goce,7,oy of
the State Of Mississippi:
The undersigned petitioners, your fellow-citi
zens, residing in the State, and feeling deep
interest in our institutions, and an abiding con-
tidence in the wisdom and integrity of the func-
tionaries selected by the sovereign people to
guard their interests, beg leave most respect
fully to represent that they view with alarm the
efforts nov being made by the Aboitionists of
the North to interfere by legislation with the
rights Of the South. They have seen, with feel
ings of deep modification, an effort to dissolve
our glorious Union, by abohshing Slavery in
the District of Columbia, and applying the Will
mot proviso to our Territorial organization of
New Eex;co and California.
As the result of such action on the part of
our brethren at the North, we have seen efforts
made by the border States of the South TO call
conventions and manumit their slaves by CON
stituton4l laws, and preparatory thereto, hold
ing out encouragement to their citizens to
send their slaves to the South, in order that
there may be as few negroes amongst them at
the period Of their legal emancipation as DOS
sible.
The States of Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky,
and Missouri, where Slavery has ceased to be
Profitable, from the uncertain tenure by which
they are held, are now throwing an immense
black population on the extreme Southern
States, which is destined to increase with i'm
mepse rapidity until our State will be overrun
With population that Will constitute the most
dangerous OF all the eneniez re shall have TO
encounter.
When the present border States shall have
emancipated their slaves, they will in time Join
the Northern coRfederacy, until the day will
come when ne Gr oAr children shall have to
meet this question as citizens IL border State
and when, too, the black population in our
midst will present the most appalling obstacle
to cur success.
If ws are destined to be overwhelmed bv
our enemies, We do not desire to be driven
from our homes and the graves of our dead,
which will be the inevitable consequence of an
Issue to be met with the abolitionists in our
rea', and crowd of felon slaves, which they
have forced upon US, in our midst.
To avoid this evil we hold it to be our duty
to keep these slaves in the States north of us,
in order to force these States to stand between
us and those desperate fanatics who seem re-
solved to crush US.
By forcing these States to retain their slaves
within their own borders, they will never con-
sent 70 4snumit them, as they cannot permit
them to remain amongst them as free negroes,
and thus their interests will remain identified
with ours, and they will be forced to stand by
our side in the struggle for the constitutional
rights of the South.
Impressed as We are with these views, and