Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-11-20
Message OF Gov. Brown OF Georgia.

Message OF Gov. Brown OF Georgia.
The Legislature Of Georgia met at Alillc,ige
vile OH the Sth inst, when Gov. Brown sent il,
n special message. The following is summary
Of the first half Of the message:
He thinks the constitutional rights of the
people Of Georgia have been violated by scyc.
raj non Slavchulding States, 10 the extent u!
justilying, in the judgment OF civilized nations,
The adoption of any measures necessary to the
full protection Of their rights.
lie referred to the patient spirit IN the origin
Of our Government, and portrayed the series
Of unconstitutional and unlrcndly acts subsc
qucntly. lie is pointedly severe on MasSachu
sets law, and SAYS if the laws Of MaSsachll
setts callse plumber from Georgia's citizens,
that State must be compelled 10 compensate
them
lie advises rcpriSals, and says: Let us ncet
unjust aggresSions and unconstitutional State
legislation with just retaliation" lie rcconl-
menaS the enactment Of laws authorizing the
sezing such amount of money " property of
any citizen Of such offending ard taitl.lcSS
State, for ndcmnfyiug the losses Of citizens Of
Georgia. lie recommends legislation to drive
the manufactured articles oi such offending
States out Of Georgia.
He says Georgia has the right Ms soon
rs Northern goods are brought into Georgia,
to tax them Us she deems proper" lie ad-
vises the passing Of y law taxing goods and
merchandise twenty-five per cent, to he intro
dnced after the first day Of January, if manu-
fctured in or brought from Massachusetts,,
Vermont, Michigan, Maine Rhode Island, New
York, Wisconsin, or any other offending nom
slavcholding States, and to be renit,ed when
the uniriendly legislation is repealed
Should such legislation prove inetlrctna he
recommends the repeal Of all parts of the penal
and civil Code protecting the lives, liberties
and property of the citizens of the States where
such un!ricndly laws exist He says: "In my
opinion, the time for bold and decided action
has arrived, and ho is unworthy the confidence
Of the people Of Georgia who refuses to vindi-
cate her honor at any cost and maintain her
|! Constitutional rights at any hazard
lie believed the legislation recommended
will tend 10 strengthen rather than weaken the
ties Of the union Of the States. 1t will destroy
sectional controversy, and narrow down the is
sue 10 contest between individual States
! He says: " IL the legislature fails to enact laws
| recommend that the people should rise in
their might, and at the ballot-box demand their
enactment"
The following concluding portions We give
in Governor Browns own words:
! earnestly invoke the attention of the peo-
pie of Georgia to this subject: and trust the
General Assembly may take prompt action for
! the protection Of their rights and the vnca-
| ton Of their honor. In my opinion the times
demand the legislation which now recon-.
mend, and the people, should it be denied
them, will and ought TO rise in their might,
and at the ballot box demand its enactment. -
! Should the retaliat0ry laws be enacted while
| have the honor to be the Executive Of Georgia,
| shall be prompt and decided in their enforce
mcnt. The present is most appropriate time
! for this legislation.
! The Black Republican party organized upon
sectional issue, and standing upon platform
Of arowcd hostility to our Constitutional rights,
| have probably triulnphed over us, 10y the cleo
| ton Of their candidates for the Presidency and
! Vice Presidency. Should such Ge the case,
this dominant party in the northern section Of
! the Union, among whom fanatciSm rules the
, hour, and mob Law too often maintains its as
! tendency, will consider themselves as victorS.
! and the people of the South vanqu;shed. In
! that event, the adoption Of other safeguards
the rights and honor Of the savelioliing States;
! as degradation, insult and injury, will proHa-
bly be the only reward which Georgia and tl'c
other slave States, can then expect TO receive,
for continued association with them in the
Union, and subjection 10 their foul domination.
| So soon Us the Government shall have passed
into Black Republican hands 4 portion Of our
citizens must, if possible, be bribed into trcach.
cry to their own section, by the ai!urcncnts Of
office; or, hungry swarm Of abolition ennis.
snries must he imported among us as office
! holders to eat our substance, insult US with
their arrogance, corrupt our slaves, and cngcn-
der discomfort among them; while they Hood
the country with nilainnatory Abolition doc
nmcntS and do all in their power TO create in
the South a state Of things which must u!ti-
mately terminate in war of externination be-
tween the white and the black races.
Whether eight millions of frcemen in the
Southern States will consent to permit this
state Of things TO exist among them, and will
bow the neck in willing subsection TO tie yoke,
is question to be determined by them in their
sovereign capacity.
Whether the sovereign will Of the people of
the Southern States shall, in this crisis, bc as
ccrtaincd By q general convention Of all the
States, hereafter TO be called, and all shall act
together in concert, or whether each State shall
decide for herself without conference with the
others, are questions upon which diversity Of
opinion may exist.
entertain no doubt Of the right Of each
Stale to decide and ask for herself The Union
is compact between the sovereign States Of
which it is composed. Each State in the Union
is, in point Of sovereignty. the equal OF every
other, and neither is dependent upon another
for any Of the attributes of sovereignty. SO
long aS all the States abide i'll good faith by
their constitutional engagements to each other,
and the compact is not violated, no State can
withdraw from the Union without being guilty
| Of bad faith to the others. IT, however, the
compact is violated by relu:H Of 4 part Of the
contracting parties to abide b.. t. and submit
| to its burdens, while they reeve the benefits
arising from it, the other parir : arc no longer
bound by it, but may declar> t nulity, and
refuse to abide by it on their iart. 1t is an cs-
Scntial part Of the law Of c ,nlractS, that both
parties are bound, or neitirr is bound, and if
one violates the contract, the other is no long
cr bound.
But may be asked who is to judge Of the
violation of the contract | answer that each
sovereign State from thu vrt' nature ol the
case, must Judge and dcc'hr hlr herself There
| is no common aybiter bet ~rrn them. Each
being sovereign, acknowledges no higher pow
er on earth The Federal Government is but
the limited agent Of all the states, and has no
right to assume to dictate 10 the principals
| from which it derives all the power it POSSESSES
nor to sit in judgment upon the conduct of the
! Creator, whose creature it is, and by whose
consent alone it exists for single day. II is
not to be presumed that Il State will seccdc
from the Union without just cause. Of the
suficlency Of the cause each sovereign State
must judge for herself. When her decision is
made, no one has right to reverse the juds.
mcnt, because no higher power exists to which
an ppcal can be taken. The right Of State
peaceably to scccdc from the Union, when, in
the judgment Of her people, the compacts OF
the Constitution have been violated, can only
be denied by those who deny The sovereignty