The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-05-16
pRorE.sr 0ItHo Uisf1N4.

To the Hon. Caleb Cushing president Of TIE
Democratic Cloaresatfost -. e.
SIR: The undersigned delegates from thu
State of Louisiana, in withdrawing from thu
! Convention, beg leave to make the following
statement of facts:
On the 5tfl day Of March, 1860, the Demo.
cracy of Louisiana assembled in the State Con.
vention at Baton Rouge. and unanimously
adopted Che following daclaraion .of theiT
principles.
Resoloed. That the Territories of the Uni
ted States belong to the several States as their
common property, and not to individual citi-
zens thereof that the Federal Constitution re-
cognizes property in slaves; and as such, the
owner thereof is entitled to carry his slaves
into any Territory in the United States; to
hold them there as property; and in case the
people of the Territories, by inaction, nm
friendly legislation or otherwise should en-
danger, the tenure of such property, or dis
criminate against it by Withholding that pro-
lection given to other species of property in
the TERRITORIES, it is the duty of the General
Government to interpose, BY the active exer-
ton of its constitutional power, t. secure the
rights of the STAKEHOLDER.
The principles enunciated in the foregoing
resolution are guaranteed to us by the Con
stitution Of the United States, and their une-
quail recognition by the Democracy of the
Union we regard as essential, not only to the
integrity Of the party, but to the safety of the
States whose interests are directly involved
They have been embodied in both ofthe series
of resolutions presented to the Convention by
a majority of the States of the Union, and
have been rejected by numerical vote of the
delegates.
The Convention has, by this vote, refused
to recognize the fundamental principles of the
Democracy Of the State we have the henor to
represent, and we feel constrained, in obedi-
ence to high sense of duty, to withdraw
from its deliberations, and unanimously to en-
ter our solemn protest against its action.
We ask that the communication may be
spread uDon the minutes Of the Convention,
and beg leave to express our appreciation of
the justice and dignity which have character
lied your action as its presiding officer.
A Mouton, John Tarleton,
Richard Taylor, Emile Lasere,
I. II. Hatch, L. Lawrence,
A. Tablet, B.W. Pearce,
L. 4. Hunter, Z. D. Withers.
The undersigned, in explanation Of their
position, beg leave to annex the following
viz
Whilst we took the same view with our
colleagues, that the platform of principle, as
adopted by this Convention was not what was
expected by Louisiana, and desired by our
selves, as sufficient to guard the rights Of that
State, and of the whole South, under the
Constitution, are now unwilling precipitately
to retire from the Convention, until all hope
Of accommodation shall have been exhausted.
and until the last moment had arrived, at
which, in justice to our own honor, and the
interests and dignity of our, State, We would !
be forced to retire. VI, therefore. ,osre Up |
posed to the retirement OF the delegation at the
lime IL acvs male; but believing that the 9TH
,r members of the delegation were actuated |
BY the same high motives which governed |
our own opinions, and desiring our State to
present firm, undivided front, we being in
he minority of the delegation, were willing to |
7ield, and did yield, our opinions to the judg
nent Of the majority. J. A. Mediation,
Charles Jones.
Charleston, s. C., May |. 1860.