The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-24
POSITION OF MISSISSIPPI.

POSITION OF MISSISSIPPI.
The message of the Governor of Mississippi
was laid before the Legislature of that State on
the 18th inst. Federal relations are the first
topic referred to. These, the Governor saws,
are about to become of most dangerous and
alarming character. After some remarks, Jus.
tlfying his motives in the recommendations he
is about to make, and asserting his devotion to
the Union, so long as it is maintained in its
purity. he says:
"Wil not the election Of an Abolitionist to
the Presidency, on purely sectional issue,
make it full time to ask ourselves the question,
What will be or situation with such a result
accomplished? There is, or can be, but one
answer and that is, that we are a conquered
people. Yes, as much conquered people as
IT we had been subjugated by the sword. 1t is
true that the form and mockery of voting and
sending members to Congress will still be al
lowed to US, but of what real value will this be :?
What good will we derive from the fact of hav-
lug Aembers there, who, on all questions af
fecting our interests, must forever vote in a
minority? This would be to us no protection
whatever and would be position of drgrada-
ton to which no man who was worthy to repre-
sent you could or would stoop. On such con-
ditons, you could only be represented by some
heartless, soulless wretch, who would at all
times be ready to sell or betray your interests
for the enjoyment of some petty office which no
AbOlitionist wanted You would then be in
the exact condition in which the British Gov.
eminent proposed to place your fathers before
the Revolution. That Government then offered
to the Colonies representation in the British
Parliament in proportion to numbers. The
meh of the Revolution, with Washington at
theis head, Indignantly rejected the proposition.
And why? Because such representation would
have been but nomnal-not real. Such
representation would have been a helpless.
hopeless minority, who could have been of no
real service to their constituents. If you are
willing now to accept or submit to such a posi-
ton, all the blood of the Revolution was shed
in vain. 1t was for you that your fathers sub
mitted to all the toll and danger and death of
a ssven years war. They conquered for you
Liberty and indie: Evidence. 1t is your duty to
transmit it unimpaired to your posterity."
Gov. McWill argues at length the question
of protection to Slavery in the Territories taking
the position that the right of property in slaves
is just as much entitled to protection as any
other property right whatever, and continues
81 am apprehensive that there are some,
though / hope not many, even in the South,
who, in the event Of the election Of an Adolf
ton President, will be opposed to making
direct issue with the North. The only apology
or explanation | can give for such conduct is,
tina. they know not what they do Their
course leads either to unconditional submission,
or the entire abolition of Slavery, with the utter
ruiE4 of the South-or q dissolution of the
Union"
The Governor makes the following recon-
meedations:
u would recommend, as necessary and ex-
ped,ent, that you by your legislation should
maze it the duty of the then Governor, in the
event of the election of Black Republican to
the Presidency of the United States in No.
ven Der, 1860, to issue his proclamation, order
ing an election for delegates to State Con-
ven.ion, to be holden on the first Monday of
December next thereafter, and that said dele
gatCs be appointed to assemble at the Capitol,
in he city of jackson, on the third Monday
Of tte said month OF December, 1860, for the
pur ose of adopting such measures as may meet
the .Sxigency of the occasion.
81, would further recommend that you should
ado5t resolutions inviting the other Southern
States TO cooperate with the State of Missis
sippi in the adoption of such measures as may
be necessary for the maintenance of their and
our rights, as coequal members of the Con-
federacy. This is all that for the present,
would recommend to be done. But, as the
time has come at which the public mind should
be strongly directed to the difficulties and dan
gers of our position, and the remedies for the
same, / would suggest that in my opinion, in
such an event as the meeting Of Convention
or Congress of the Southern States, we ought
to ipsist upon new constitutional guarantees
for orr protection. This should be a sine qua
non. 1t is absolutely necessary to our security
The North will them under the form of our
present Constitution, have the entire power and
control Of the Government-we will be utterly
powerless.
"With this view, in the event of Black Re-
publican or Abolitionist being elected to the
Presidency, would suggest that Convention
of the Southern States should throw open all
the Southern ports, making them free to the
commerce of the world-thus putting the bur-
den of the new Northern Confederacy upon |
the Northern people. This would be Just, as
the Government would be of the North, and for
the North; consequently, they ought to sup
port their own Government. In addition to
this, it might be polite, as a measure of warn
ing, to impose duty of % per cent. on all arti-
cles of Northern manufacture, (about the pres.
ent rate of duty on foreign manufactures
This would teach the Northern people what
the Union is worth to them in money, even i'll
they cannot be made otherwise to appreciate
its importance. The moneyed value of the |
Unica to the non-slaveholding States is incalcu-
liable. For instance, with the Union, no portion
of thu earth is more prosperous than Massachu-
setts-without the Union, none could be less
so than she would be. The grass would grow
In the streets Of Boston, her manufactures |
would stop, her commerce would perish, and
her ships would rot at her wharves, and wide
spread ruin would cover the State. presume
that it will be said of such a measure, that it is
a dissolution of the Union.
"This is not necessarily SO, unless the North
shall choose to make it so by refusal of our
just demands; so tar from being an act of dis
solution, it will be conservative Of the Union,