The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-08-29
In III NsslsAeetas
Electoral Discussion a. Trenton.
Trenton, August 2oth, 1886

Trenton, August zoth, 1860.
The citizens ID and around Trenton turned
ont generally to hear Messrs. Minis ana Mer-
win. There were about one hundred persons
present. The Democrats were largely IN inc
ascendancy. There were only ten n Twelve
BelI-Eyerett men on the ground ana not
single Douglasite can be found u the county;
Several Of the Opposition in this neIghDornoo9
have determined to support BreckInr1oge anu
Lane, on accout Of Bell and Everetrs oonoA'
ious sentiments on the slavery question
The Democracy are all right, perfectly salts
fed with their candidates for the Presidency.
But, to the discussion. Mr.. MerwIn spoke
first; and consumed his time in trying 70
frighten the people about the horrors Oh as
union. He mistook his crowd. This Is
South Carolina settlement, and three fourths
of the people present hail from the Palmetto
State. Hence he rendered himself extreme
ly unpopular by rehearsing the history ofthat
State, and denouncing her and her statesmen
for taking such strong positions on the slave
ry question and against the encroachments OF
the Federal Government He also attempted
to show that the State Rights party of Mis-
sissippi in 1851 were advocating disunion,
and in that connection showed his utter
ignorance of the great questions which agita-
ted the country during those days When
he reached the men and history Of the present
day, he failed to take up the authentic docu-
ments of the Democratic party and extract,
what he peases, to term dIsunion sentiments
from them, but confined himself to the unfair
and never-ending argument adj hoDsinem-
giving the good people Of this county history
of Yaneey, Spratt and others, and holding the
Democratic party responsible for his interpre-.
tation Of garbled extracts from their letters
and speeches.
So intent was he in endeaVoring to impress
upon the minds Of the people the importance
Of preserving the Union under Black Re-
publican administration, and so earnestly did
he strive to arouse their fears of dissolution
Of the Union and its horrors, ~ that he failed
to notice any of the Presidential candidates
and the issues between them.
Major Minis replied in an able and mastery
manner, indicating South Carolina and her
distinguished statesmen from the aspersions
of his competitor and the odium he attempted
10 cast upon them. lie also showed that the
charges of disunion, preferred against the De-
mocratic party by the gentleman, were un-
true. He indicated Yancey against his abu-
sive attack. He then presented the positions
and principles ofthe Democratic party and its
candidates in their true light-arguing that
the best way to preserve the Union is to pre-
serve the Constitution and the rights and
equality of the States. He showed that the
votes and doctrines of John Bell and his par
ty had done and are doing more to dissolve
this Union and destroy the government, by
submitting to and encouraging northern agrees
sions, than the acts and speeches of all the !
fre-eaters that have ever existed or do now |
exist.
He showed the incompatibility Of the posi-
ton of the Opposition to day and their position
in 1851, when in solemn Convention they
pledged Mississippi to resist Congressional |
interference with slavery or the slave trade in |
in the District Of Columbia If Mr.. Merwin |
is right now in advocating the power Of Con-
gress to abolish slavery. or the slave trade in
this District, the Union party Of 1851 COM |
mitted very heinous crime in pledging Mis-
sissippi to resista Constitutional act Of Con- |
gress. He showed the. inconsistency and
political engineering of his opponent in trying
to prove disunon and treason on the Demo-
cracy, whilst he admits that he stands upon
their platform and endorses its doctrines.
In his rejoinder, Mr.. Merwin attempted to
pass eulogy upon S. Carolina and her chiv-
alrous sons, but his object was SO palpable
that he failed to accomplish his purpose
His reply, like his speech, was a complete
failure and entirely out of place-as much so
as he is IN this section of the State.
1t was generally acknowledged that Minis
triumph was complete and overwhelming :
These South Carolinians q wish the State
was full of them are firm and fast friends of
and Lane. They are true to
the high toned principles Of the State of their
nativity. KAPPA