The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-08-15
Is not the Cause Of the South Justa

! The Hon. Jefle-zon D2vis, of Mississippi,
in one of lis lae speeches 10 The .. S. Senate,
thus states the cause OF the South
'~-* = / am not disposed to ask this
Congress to go into speculative legislation
] am not one OF those who would Willingly
see this Congress enact code 10 be applied to
all territories and for all time to come. only
ask that cases, as they arise, may be met ac'
cording to, the exigency. ask that when
personal and property rights in the territories
are not by existing laws and Governmental
machinery adequately protested, then thai
Congress shall intervene and provide such
means as will secure in each case, as far rs
may be, an adequate remedy. ask no slave
code. nor horse code, ror machine code. 1
ask that the territorial legislature be made
tn understand before hand that the Congress
of the United States doesnot concede to them
the power to interfere with the rights of per,
sons or property guaranteed by the constitu-
ton, and that it will apply the remedy, If
the territorial legislature should so far forget
its duty-so far trancend Its power--as to
commit that violation Of right * can
speak for myself--and have NJ right tospeak
for otbers--when say that if | belonged to
party organized on the basis OF making war
on any section or interest in the United States,
if knew myself would instantly quit
We have made no war against you. We have
asked no discrimination .in our favor. We
claim but to have the constitution fairly and
equally administered. To consent to less than
this would be to sink in the scale of manhood,
would be to make our posterity SO degrading
that they would curse this generation tor rob-
bling them of the rights their revolutionary
fathers bequeathed them.
In commenting upon the extract above, the
Bradford (Vt) Telegraph, sound and able
Democratic journal, asks:
ssWhat is there unreasonable in this pro-
/ position ? The territories are common pro-
1 perty of the States, and any inhabitant has a
/ right to emigrate thither, carrying with him
4 his property Of whatever nature it may be-
/ He holds those rights under the constitution
and he has q claim to be protected In the en-
ioyment of those rights. Very few will dis.
sent from these positions"
/ And we repeat, what is there unreasonable
| In the position of South, as stated by Senator
j Davis? Can it be truthfully denied, that the
South have an equal right with other sections
of the union, to 90 into the territories will
such property as they possess under the State
laws, and to be protected in the enjoyment 0
that property, even if it be property in slave
| labor. We cannot understand how propo
sition so palpably just and equitable can b
denied; but, it is denied not only BY Blacl
Republicans, but by. the timid abohtionizet
Democracy Of the North. The South shoult
insist upon this just claim to equality IN ter
ritories, even if it drives that class Of poll
ticians from the Democratic party. 1t vii
then have got rid of rotten overgrown tn
NOR, whichis fast poisoning and corrupting tn
whole mass of the party.-Concord On H.
Democratic Standard.