The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-09-28
Mr.. smedes on Slavery Agitation and
Congressional Protection---Another
Indication of Sound Opinion"

We had something 10 sageat our last writ
ing about the original and wonderful nostrum
which Mr.. Williams d s,hedes has but recent
ly advertised for the cure Of the ills that af-
fiict the body polite
His panacea has taken its place in the po-
Gtical pharmacopeia of the Constitution news
paper, and will win for him an immortality
which the patent medicine men of the pres
ent age may well envy. IF Jones has won
the admiration of the public by the efficiency
Of his preparation for the cure of dropsy, con-
sumption and neuralgia; and if Brown has en-
titled himself to a place in the roll of fame
for curing Mrs. Fitzgammon of phthisic and
the govt in fifteen minutes by administering
fourteen vegetable pills-whata large volume
ought to be written in praise of the inventor
of the plan by which the terrible evils of Abo-
litionism may be torn up by the roots, the
slavery controversy closed forever, and the
fraternal relations of the two sections of the
Union restored And the idea eliminated by
the last named benefactor is so simple too. 1t
is only necessary for the conservative men Of
the country, in contradistinction from the tex
tremists," to meet and resolve that the agita-
ton of the slavery question must cease that
lit shall be withdrawn altogether from the
political arena when, presto! thecure will be
at once effected, and the Union relieved of its
ills, will stand erect in the confidence that Mr..
Smedes, by his marvellous specific, has spun
the thread of its life out to millions of years.
1t is true the Democratic party, in National
Convention, has repeatedly resolved against
agitation and now boasts that very idea as
one of the planks in its platform-and it is
equally true that the old Wing, and the still
later American party, did the same thing
but there time for all things and when
those resolves were entered upon the re-
cords of the Democratic, Wing, and American
parties, the ''time'' had not come for the appE-
cation of this wonderful remedy.
1t must be remembered, however, that the
plan of Mr.. Smedes contemplates Congress
sional non-action even if Intervention should
be necessary to protect the slave owner in the
possession of his property from the exercise
of unauthorized power by the territorial au-
thorities; and installing spcck in his own
telescope for a blotch in the sun, he has made
the marvellous discovery that his views are
sustained by the decision of Judge fancy in
the bred Scott case
Mr. Smedes thus blazes out his middle
way which he positively declares to be. the
''via tuta:''
What shall be the condition of the terrific
ries during their pupilage as to the institution
of slavery? Shall the theory of Squatter
prevail, or shall the demands of
Southern politicians for the iatesrentiogl of
Congress to protect slauery in the territories be
GlIosoed? Or is there some ria medfa which
shall also prove Uia ,uta, that may be adopt
ID which will escape the Scylla of Douglasism
,Squatter Sovereignty on the one hand, and
the Charybdis of Wiseism Congressional In
terventionJ on the other There must be i
some Compromise here The South would not
submit to the theory of the former, as takes
away the substance and leaves hardly the
shadow of right. The North would not
yield to the latter because it requires of it a
DositiUe act to protect 1ssot their people beEiere
to be icTopg for tbens By their active agency to
uphold and maintain. This theory of pnotec-
hon By Congress is based on paragraph of a
decision of the Supreme Court in the bred
Scott case, IS Of recent origin, and finds many
advocates at the South who do not reflect up
on the impossibility of promising such legis-
Iation Of Northern men. IL IS sufficient for
sLarery If IL is let alone in the territories
Here the doctrine of Congressional protec-
ton is distinctly denounced /; and specious
reasons are put in the mouths of North
ern anti-slayeryists why they ought not
to permit Congress to afford security to the
slave owner who chooses to settle with his
property in the territories The public is
warned against it as the Charybdis equally to be
avoided as the ScyIla of territorial sovereign
ty upon which Douglas and his faction are
striving to drive the country with view to
the destruction of Southern rights so far at !
least as they relate to the common territories. |
1t is stigmatized as demand of Southern |
scheme sof recent origin" |
claiming its paternity from garbled para
graph in the bred Scott decision
Now we want an intelligent and fair-mind- |
I'd public to bear these declarations in mind |
while it reads the following resolution adopted |
1y the Opposition Convention in Vicksburg
IN june last, trhiob nominated Mr. Wm. C.
Smedes for the Legislature, and com rising a
'art of the Identical platform upon solich he is
aOso running for a seat in that body 1t is re-
,rodnced by the Sun, from whose columns,
We have transferred it to our own:
Resolred, That the right of every citizen of
he United States to hold slaves within any
f the Territories of the United States is guar
nteed by the letter and spirit of the Federal
constitution; and it is the opinion of this
Convention that it is the bouade,s duty of Con-
lress to protect that yiqst-not by mating to
ZEE If there should be "unfIesadly legislation
n the te1Titories-iaor6y saOR-aeion'' or nom
as taught y Northern Democrats
md Republicans, and Gteir Southern Democrat
c auies-BUT 1T is THE DUTY OF
CONGRESS- TO PROTECT THAT RIGHT
DE- THE STAKEHOLDER BY A LEG
ACT SO CLEAR AND SPE-
CIFIC IN ITS TERMS AS TO BE FREE
FROM MISCONSTRUCTION OR MIS-
We have not word of comment to add
This resolution in favor of the demand of
Southern politicians is SO clear, so explicit
that it requires no explanation. It speaks
for itself; and everybody will see that M. |
Snuedes' Platform completely disposes Of the
politico-diplomatico hocus pocus machinery
known as his letter to the memphis Com
mittee' or his "Ready Relief for anti-sIayery |
agitation. 49,
P. S-The Constitution will not forget to
copy this indication of sound opinion'' from
.-the great State of Mississippi