The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-03-21

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families and to ravage the county WIN ilI'
and sword; - that portion Of the Aoi'hcIi
press and pulpit, and resolutions oil huiheto u,
popular assemblies, show "the decline OF In'
spirit Of maternity and unity with us III ,ll',
ascendant party Of the dominant sec1oh tn l~'
the abstract resolutions of the consei va I've
portions Of the North are not followed hy cor
responding action that the conservatives re,
main passive whilst fanatics are actve una
thus the conservative men Of the North aIG
responsible for e ore lnization and action "
the Republican party y that 1T remains 70 O5
seen whether the recent outrages perpeIate,u,
upon the citizens and soil Of Virginia, wiz
have the effect of awakening the conSerVau' 5,
sentiment Of the North into efficient acton
and it will thus remain to be seen, ana wni
not be seen unless they can be convinced 'na'
We have the spirit and the purpose to make
them feel their own danger rs well as ours; 'iIat
1T Is clear from the review Of the condltlon u
the public sentiment of the Northern states
for the last five years, as indicated by tneir
legislation and in other authentic forms, that
many Of their people have ceased TO respect
the rights Of the Southern States, 10 recognise
the obligations of the Federal compact, or 10
cherish for US those friendly sentiments when
So'C biill W bllc OOllSllluNlDl vi lLS NN''.N~
States" When am thus informed say, by
solemn and true report Of a joint committees
OF the General Assembly ola Commonwealth
Ike this, distinguished as she is in all her glor-
| ious history for demanding nothing but what
Is right, and submitting to no serious wrong
| cannot but ask-ask in all the fervor OF at
fection, in all the jealously Of a son for the
honor OF mothcr-can any hyperbole 0. eX-
aggeration Of serious wrong and danger exceed
the outrageous and enorm JUS wrong and dan
ger expressed in the reality Of this simple sy-
nopSs Of the statement made Ivy the honorable
Joint committee ? Can all these things be true
and yet the time be not actually, ror, arrived
when we are called gpon imperatiyely without
delay to confer together and to consult upon
the highest duty-"What shall we do to be
saved Pr VIII such an enquiry be sectional -?
l repel the thought in any and every moral
and legal sense. Geographically it may seem
sectional, but when the slayeholding States as
sembe, it will not I've conference merely OF
State territorially affiliated by common rights
and not by rights of property alone or only
| by rights peculiar to them, but by other rights,
constitutional, national, republican, common
to our whole country-ourguaran ofgov-
eminent and our bonds OF union in one conied-
eracy of States If we assemble and confer
to save possessions Of property and possess
ions Of patriotism, we are no sectional assem-
blage, but are the assailed saviors, not the des-
| troyers, of rights and obligations which are
the foundations on which common country
| rests.
| And we must remember that we will never
be stronger relatively than we are now. The
Southern States are in minority, and one of
their chief grievances is the tyrannous cdict Of
the Republican party, now in the ascendant in
the dominant section, that they shall increase
theH stature no more. And if we tamely
suffer wrongs and dangers Ike these, so calmly
stated by the Joint committee, aggravated by
time and repetition, what will we not submit
to? When will we say ron is the time for
resistance To submit nou, will lie evidence
to those who already condemn us, that we
nerer l1iH resent or resist This they will find
indeed to be untrue, but tempted by this TO
increase and aggravate aggression, they will
force US to resistance by bloody civil war,
which will he irrepressible and implacable,
and in which nothing will or can be saved but
by fire and blood
Following this statement Of the joint com
mittee, the General Assembly have passed the
resolutions recommended by the committee,
and which followed as logical sequents from
the statement, as the absolute necessity for
convention and conference follows legitimately
from them both.
The first resolution organizes and equips the
militia of the State for action and eflicient ser
vice. Why p for what p for cause ?
What cause
The second resolution provides for our
commercial independence"
This locks like, and is in itself a proposition
for the establishment Of separate commercial
relations. These relations are the most i'm
portant and essential which can be dissolved.
How can they be dissolved without violating
the Constitution Of the United States
The third resolution invites the Cooper
alton of our sister States of the South in car
rying out the foregoing policy" How can CO.
operation, thus invited, be so well effected as
by convention and conference
The fourth resolution provides for the
more prompt and effectual punishment of all
foreign emissaries and others found conspir-
ing against our peace, or melting Instruction.
This, too, calls for concert of action, not only
to prevent and punish Northern, but Europe
an emissaIies, Who can be reached only by
Federal authority, without the limits Of the
slaveholaing States. How can we act through
the Federal Executive, or treaty making
power, on foreign States, or on other aggressive
States at home, without concerted action =?
What can be done at home, even within our
own limits, without cooperation and uni
formity of laws and police and punish
ment
These are all questions unavoidably sug-8
gested by the action Of the joint committee,
which are very difficult Of solution, and inn
peratively call for joint councils. "a
The fifth resolution approves the action Of
your predecessor in Office, and Justly, giving
the highest evidence that there was an alarm.
ing crisis which menaced the fate and fortunes
OF the South, calling for the employment Of
extraordinary force, which was exerted, to
protect life, property, laws, sovereignty and
honor.
But this joint report of the legislative COM
mittee does not furnish the only reason which
has served to deepen my conviction of the alb
solute necessity for joint councils and confer
ence of the Southern States. You. sir. as the
honored Chief Magistrate Of this Common
wealth, have called upon the Governor of
Iowa. high official, sworn to support the
Constitution Of the United States-for the ex-
tradition Of one Of the survivors of the fnrav
Of murder rapne and treason, as fugitive
from justice-not from labor-and Won have
most ably and faithfully exposed the actual Of.
ficlal perjury bY which good faith to this Com.
presexbed By the compact of or
ganic law, and PLEDGED by the Obligation Of a
solemn oatl> has been violated by the Chief
Magistrate Of a-exereig3l State He was not
called on to observe mere "tUmitH, That
exists only by custom among civilized States. |
md its non-Obseryance, without treaty or ms |
tive law to raise it to the dignity of binding |
obligation can furnish no cause OF offence or Of |
var But he was called on by an obIication
ar beyond courteous option Of conity or
wen the requirements of the contract Of trea-
by an obligation dictated by the verv high.
st positive law-the eonStitutionallaw which
le was sworn to execute, to render up an es-
aped felon for the most capital crimes s,aIa
n Sc, and yet he fanatically failed to regard
rs oath, and deliberately violated the inter
state covenants of which his oath was the le-
ally prescribed pledge and safeguard. This
etrays more than does the sympathy describ-
d by the joint committee, the extreme sec
lonal and destructive temper of portion of
he official North. And this inquiries with
mphasis-what shall be done -? And thati in
uiry cries aloud for a multitude of council, ,
nd q concert of conference. ,
Here pause for the response to the cues
on: Shall we have that Conference and
ouncll or not If after what | have said | |
m asked: Conference for what ?-my an
wer is ina word Forprotection to ourselves, 4
II self-preservation, for defence Of the Consti I
ltion of the United States, for the preserya-
on of the Union, and the equal rights Of all |
he States, and of their people. in The Conied- t
'acy. This is no question of party. 1t is L
ne of patriotism. | am delegated here by il
lrty opponentS-by those who would confer i
l me no honors Of the partizan, but who h
i've done me the higher honor of confding d
me the trusts of the patriot. If others de- Il
sn dsunion by commencing conference they s.
I've mistaken the means adapted to their end. 81
} far from tending to disunion, a conference 81
ch as my State now tenders, and which | t
n instructed to urge upon the acceptance of o.
e Commonwealth of Virginia, in the name ii
d for the sake Of the very bond itself of oil
ZION, which ought to enable sister States tor II
lite, all the more readily, the more easily,
e more confidingly in council and in confer
conference, and that alone can N,
ectuaily secure the cooperation which the ~
'neIal Assembly of Virginia now invites, to "
We our equal rights, our honor and our Fed III
Il relations. Nothing, indeed, can more d. 7,
lily tend to disunion than dissemination