The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-02-15
Fson. the Washington Constitution.
SPEECH OF SENATOR DAVIS.

From the Washington Constitution.
SPEECH OF SENATOR DAVIS.
We publish in full the powerful speech of
Senator Davis, of Mississippi, delivered on
Wednesday last in reply to Mr.. Wilson, of
Massachusetts,, and referred to in our columns
yesterday:
Mr.. Davis. Mr.. President, the Senator
from Massachusetts, in the course Of his re-
marks, took occasion, in his general examina-
ton of what each Senator had said, to make
allusion to me. have something to say in
that regard. do not know whether he quot
the language l used or not. As heard him,
though cannot recollect the language the
sentiments was so much like my own that |
am willing to accept il. 1t is what think
now, it is what / thought when spoke on
the occasion to which be alluded, and, there
fore, what may have said. But the Sena-
tor greatly misrepresents me. That is not q
declaration that if . man Of any particular
class shall be elected, not declaration that If
q majority who do not coincide with Us elect
President we will, therefore, break up the
Union. It is declaration that if man be
elected upon particular platform, as there
stated-and the name of an individual was
only introduced in order to point to what dis
tinct opinion was embraced within the DENIM
ciation-if in other words, a man soere to seize
tie reins of Government not to administer 1t
according to the Constitution, but to perve,t it
to our destruction, to make this Government
one of hostility to US, zoe i0ouH NTH the right
hand redress our DSongs. That is my opinion
now. If man is willing to perjure himself
by taking the oath to maintain the Constitu-
ton and get possession of the powers of this
Government to subyert it to the ends of that
party, I tell him, sir, that I haze too much
pride and confidence in the South to believe they
euer tciH submit. For one single individual
can speak, wiH aeyer. If driven to exile,
prefer it to tame submission to traitor and
perjurer who sought the possession of the
in order that he might overthrow
its Constitution.
That is my view. Therefore, suppose
the Senator may probably have quoted me
his report may be correct, but how
comes it that the Senator from Massachusetts,
IS he who lectures us on the crime of dis
union? How comes it thst we are to be
shufled into the attitude Of those who are
seeking to break up the Government, because
we haye'avowed that we would not allow
others to do it? He, representing the very
opinion which is dissolution of the Union by
the destruction of its Constitution, claims to
hold US responsible because we resist the ne
farious aggression. We are represented as
the seeessiOnists, whilst they seeded in the
last Presidential election; went off as sec
ton, Organized for themselves, and attempted
to force upon this government sectional can
didate, supported exclusively by sectional
vote. This was secession-practical seces-
sion. We of the South have chung to the
Constitution. We have respected the Govern
ment, and abided by its compromises; and
never was there more audacious falsehood
uttered than the arraignment which has con-
SANITY been made against the South as de-
spising the Constitution and the compromises
of which it was the result.
It was not my purpose on this occasion to
60 into any extended discussion; but it occurs
to me now that here and elsewhere we have
heard it often said that the South had violated
the Missouri compromise, when they who sit
on the other side Of the chamber know-they
must-that the South, IS body, proposed to
extend it to the Pacific ocean, after they had
already accepted it to . damaging effect over
the Territory Of Texas. They know it; they
must know it. From them came the release
from the obligation of the compact; and when
different principles were declared and conduct
adapted to them proceeded from the legisla-
ton Of 1856, then held that no honorable
man who claimed TO uphold those acts could
but admit, as . result, that the repeal of the
Missouri compromise was . necessity. Thus
/ have always sustained the conduct of the
Senator from Illinois, Mr. DouglasI who,
pledged to that action, came forward to re-
deem the pledge which was incumbent on
every honorable man. We never admitted |
the constitutionalityo of the act of 1890. We |
said, however, s'the people and the States have |
in it." We said it was mode of |
disposing Of q controversy which seemed to
be endless. We desired peace. We wished |
union and fraternity. We were therefore |
ready to 60 on and divide the balance of the |
territory BY the law which you imposed on |
US. You refused it; and then, with hypocriti-
cal can't, cry about the sacred Missouri COM |
promise and its violation!
But the Senator from Massachusetts, who |
lrraigns the men Of the South (standing in /
he attitude which have thus described) |
With disregard of the Constitution, and . pur-
,ose of disunion, comes not with clean hands
INTO court What is his own position? A
'amphlet has been recently laid upon my
able in which speech Of the Senator IS pub
shed Is an appendix-a speech delivered ''at
n anti-slayery festival held in Cochituate
Iall, Boston. on the evening Of January "a,
ISL, to celebrate completion Of the twentieth
ear Of the existence of The Libeator."
What did the senator say? We recolIect that
enators on that side have recently been in the
abit Of drawing distinctions between the
harrison abolitionists and the Republicans. .
What did that Senator say? Ii
For twelve years have read the Liberia ,
Dr.; and, sir, If love liberty and loathe slavery
nd oppression, If entertain profound re- /
ard for the rights Of man all over the globe. !
owe it, in great degree, to the labors Of !
William Lloyd Garrison. Prolonged ap-
lanse. p
Garrison, then, is theteacher of the senator
nd he exults in the character of his pupil :
have read the Liberator for some years. too.
hough for very different purpose and stand.
~ firmly fixed, prominent as the caption Of
he last column Of the first page Of the Liber- |
tor. are these words:
y No union with shareholders.
g The United States Constitution is cove i
ant with death, and an agreement with hell"
Thus the Senator manifests his respect for ,
= Consultation and his adherence to the
MON. This is the paper from which be I
aims to draw his opinions, and this the cap q
on which IL heads with remark that viii {
ed, quoting from Mr.. Charming d
There Is some excuse for communities 2
hen, under generous impulse, they espouse 3
u cause of the oppressed in other States, and {
, force restore their rights but there Is no =
reuse in aiding other States IN binding on I
en- an unrighteous yoke. On this subject q