The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-09-19
Resolutions of the Mississippi Conven
ton Of November 1851.

At the request of many of our subscribers,
we republish below the resolutions of the Mis-
sissippi Convention of November, 1851:
PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS. 81
The people Of Mississippi in Convention as
sembled, as expressive of their deliberate
judgment on the great questions involved
in the sectional controversy between the
slaveholding and ncn-slaveholding States of
the American Union, adopt the following
resolutions:
Resozuea, That, in the opinion of this Con-
vention, the people of Mississippi, in a spirit
of Cancellation andrempromise, have mature
ly considered the action of Congress, etn-
bracing a seriessof measures So
of California asa State into the Onion, the
organization Of Territorial Governments for
Utah and New Mexico, the establishment of
the boundary between the latter and the State
of Texas, the suppression of the slave trade in
the District of Columbia, and the extradition
of fugitive slaves; and connected with them,
the rejection of the proposition to exclude
slavery from the Territories of the United
States, and to abolish it in the District of Co
hmbia; and whilst they do not entirely ap-
prove, will abide by it as permanent adjust
ment Of this sectional controversy, SO long as
adhered to and enforced.
2. RESOLVED, That we perceive nothing in
the above recited legislation of the Congress of
the United States which should be permitted
to disturb the friendly and peaceful "existing
relations between the Government of the
United States and the Government and people
Of the State of Mississippi"
8. Therefore, resolved, That, in the opinion
OF this Convention, the people of the State of
Mississippi will abide by the Union as it is,
and the Constitution of the United States
without amendment--that they hold the
Union secondary in importance only to the
rights and principles it was designed to perpe-
tuate; that past associations, present fruition
and future prospects, will bind them to it so
long as it continues to be the safeguard of
those rights and principles.
4. RESOLVED further, That, in the opinion of
this Convention, the asserted right of secession
from the Union, on the part ola State or States
is utterly unsanctioned by the Federal Consti-
tuition, which was framed to establish" and
not to destroy the Union of the States, and
that no secession can in fact take place without
a subversion of the Union established, and
which will not virtually amount in its effects
and consequences to civil revolution. sa8
S. Resolved further, That, whilst in the
opinion Of this Convention such are the senti-
ments and opinions of the State of Mississippi,
still, violations of the rights of the people of
the State may occur, which would amount to
Intolerable oppression, and would justify re-
sort to measures of resistance, among which,
in the opinion Of the Convention the people
of the State have designated the following
2 1st. The interference by Congressional le-
gslation with the institution ofslavery in the
States. la.5s..
I'd. Interference with the trade in slaves be-
tween the States.
of slavery in the District of Columbia. or. in
places subject to the jurisdiction of Congress.
Incompatible with the safety and domestic
tranquility, the rights and honor of the slave
holding States.
Eth. The refusal by Congress to admit ]
new State into the Union on the ground Of her
tolerating slavery within her limits.
5th. The passage of any law by Congress
prohibiting slavery in any of the Territories.
9Th. The repeal of the fugitive slave law.
and the neglect or refusal by the General Gov
eminent to enforce the constitutional proyi-
sions for the reclamation Of fugitive slaves
6. RESOLVED further, That. in the opinion of
LHiS C0nVentlOu, Tue ptOpi6 III Lie recent e1eC-
tions have been governed by an abiding conf
dence that the said adjustment measures Of
Congress would be enforced in good faith in
every section Of the land.
z. RESOLVED further. That, as the people of
the State Of Mississippi in the opinion Of this
desire all further agitation Of the |
slavery question to cease, and have acted upon
and decided all the foregoing questions, there
BY making it the duty OF this Convention. to- !
pass no acts within the purview and spirit Of
The law under which it was called, this Con-
rention deems it unnecessary to refer to the
people for their approval or disapproyal at the |
,allot box, its action in the premises.
3D. Resolued, That, IN the opinion Of this
Convention, without intending to call IN ques-
ion the motives of the members of the Legis-
atnre, the call Of this Convention by the Legis-
allure, at its late extraordinary session, was
by the people; and that said act,
d peremptorily ordering Convention of the
eople of the State, without first submitting to /
hem the question whether there should be
Convention or no Convention, was an nnwar-
anted assumption of power by the Legsla-
war with the spirit Of republican in
titutions, an encroachment upon the rights of
he people, and can never be rightfully in
oked as precedent.
Approved. .: CAkMAChA,-s.s
President of the Convention
Attest: j @ a
FLrMIsG L. SWAN, Secretary. Il