The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-09-05
T5r he MississigpIas.
The Presidential Eleetion--TAe Duty
of the South.

Mr.. EDITOR I'm looking out upon the Po~
Utica. field, at the present time, the patriot
cannot but be struck with deep concern, for
the future Of our beloved country. In the
North, dominant sectional anatical party,
seem to be riding into power upon the whirl-
wind and the storm unmindlul Of constitu-
tional obligations, they, If successful, boldly
declare, that no more slave States shall be ad-
mitted into the Union that they will abol-
ish slavery in the District of Columbia, and
the Territories of the United States (; and pro-
hibit the slave trade between the States Of
this confederacy and that they will use
their influence to abolish slavery IN the States
where it now exists. The danger is eminent
that this party will succeed in the election Of
Lincoln to the Presidency.
While this party is united, and exulting in
their strength, the South is frittering away
her power in the support Of three different
candidates one Of whom, Douglas, ought to
be as odious to the South, as Lincoln himself
It's believed that it IS impossible for him to
carry single State. Yet his friends regard
less of the consequence, persist in supporting
him, which viii possibly result in giving sew
eral Of the Southern Democratic States to
Bell and Everett, without however increasing
the prospect of their election by the people,
for they viii not carry single free State.
In this condition Of things what ought
every Southern patriot to do? If the South
could have entered this contest united against
the Rlselc Republicans, they would have car
lied every slave state, and California and Ore
gon certain and the moral effect Of their re-
union, would have enabled our friends, the
conservatives, of all parties, at tho North, to
have rallied in our defence, and they could
have carried Pennsylvania, New Jersey, In
diana, and perhaps some other free States.-
But now, what do we behold ? The Douglas
ites-professed friends Of the South, are NOV
ing heaven and earth to defeat Breckenridge,
when such defeat will be sure to result in the
election of Lincoln. The Bellverites-profes-
sed friends Of the Union, and the Constitution,
persist in support of their candidate, without
the least hope or prospect Of electng him,
when the result of their course must result
either in the destruction of every right held
dear by the South, or dissolution OF this I'm
ion. Under the false cry of disunionism inn
puted to the friends of Breckinndge, they are
helping to defeat him, who alone could save
this Union in the present crisis.
If the people of the South could be induced
to unite on Breckenridge, he could still be
elected. If the friends of Bell had half of
the love of the Union, which they profess to
have, they would forget old party feuds and
quarrcls, and come out like patriots IN sup
port of the South against our common enc
my.
The writer of this was Union man--a
Union Wing in 1850 and 81, and he would
still preserve this Union, if he could do so,
and preserve the institutions, rights and honor
Of the South. But if the Union is only to be
preserved by giving up the Territories of the
United States, TO the abolition hordes Of the
North-the abolition of slavery in the Dis
trict of Columbia : the destruction of the en-
tire slave trade and the entire abnsgatiOn of
the fugitive slave law. on the part of the
North--then say, such Union is not worth
preserving, and would not save it, if could.
Each of these encroachments upon our rights
were declared by the Union Convention Of
1851, to be sufficient to justify the South, in
resisting seven to the disruption Of every tie
that binds us together" Yet we hear Bell
and Everett men openly declaring that the
election of Lincoln would not be sufficient
cause to dissolve the Union. Shame out
upon such abjectness The only way to
preserve this Union, is to preserve the rights
and honor of the South. This can be done
by the election Of Breckenridge and Lane, and
in no other way-because there IS no other
f.s.s:a.sissy os ,srrrusIng rnc rlacK nepuUrr1us.
I would say to the old Wings and Union
men, if you are really desirious Of preserving
this Unica, then vote for Breckenridge and
Lane. Don't be deceived by the accusation
Of disunion SO Iavishly charged against them.
l defy any one to find in any of the speeches
Or writings of Mr.. Breckenridge, single dis
union sentiment. If Yancy supports him, it
only proves, that Yancy is willing and desir-
Gus of maintaining the Union, If it can be
done with honor. That he has nearly dis
paired of the Republic, is perhaps true, so
have many more, ard among them the writer
But this only makes the duty more obligatory
to sacrifice old animosities and party preju-
dices upon the altar Of our country, and make
one united effort with the friends Of the South,
70 elect Breckenridge and Lane, and thus per-
petuate cur beloved Union, while we preserve
our own rights and honor in it
PUBLIUS.