The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-09-19

party OF the South with an uncompromising
hostility, that could only terminate with his
| administration. If Mr.. Douglas were elected,
though be believed him to be wise, patriotic,
just and true, he would be equally powerless;
because his administration would be assailed
at every step, alike by the Abolitionists Of the
North and the fire-eaters of the South. He
| seemed too regard the contingency OF Mr..
breckinridges election as too remote to be
provided for in his stock of reasons why adj
ministrations could not be successful, making
him merely the candidate of a political defunct
party, and asserting that its advocates would,
after November next back down from their
position, as the Southern Rights party did in
1851 he was warm and eloquent in his eu-
logles OF Judge Douglas, who, he confidently
prophecled, would, as certain as fate, one day
| ascend the Presidential Chair, despite the OPP
position of Northern or Southern fanaticism.
Then, loosing sight of the great danger to
the nation which had impelled good men and
true to form the great Constitutional Union
| party, to lnterpoSe and break the shock of
the contending hosts Of sectienalism, he an
nounced that the slaverys issue, North and
South, was, in fact no issue at all. That the
alarm of danger to Southern rights was hum
bug of the crisis makers-a trick of dema-
gogues, who manufactured the danger that
they might be elected to meet it, to avert it, or
| to crush it.
Ii he had suggested here, that the danger Of
| the shock" of the "contending hosts Of fac
| ton" being averted, the great conservative
party which was made to be used as kind
Of buffer, to be held between the contestants.
be withdrawn and laid away until another
Hcrisis," the charm of consistency would have
been added to a speech that. for ease Of deliy-
cry, clearness of expression, happy strokes of
wit and satire, and the most gentlemanly
courtesy, is, unfortunately, too rare among
modern political debaters.
Touching the platform of the Bell party,
or rather Of its leaders, he said that their re-
cord guarantees them 10 be sound; that he
asks, and the people require no better plat
form, no surer pledge than that record, and if
more is needed in testimony of his being
sound on the slavery question the fact that
he owns four hundred negroes is conclusive.
The gentleman, Throughout his speech, was
greeted by shouts of applause by a well pleas
ed and closely attentive audience.
Mr.. Chrisman arose amid perfect storm
| of applause, and addressed the meeting in a
most earnest and forcible speech.
He spoke freely of the now pending issues
and the many evidences of an uncompromis-
ing hostility on the part of our Northern enc
mics. He traced the course which that hos
tility would probably pursue in its develope-
ment, II: case Lincoln should be elected, and
Brought strong and logical reasoning to show
that, in such an event, the existence of the
Union, without an abandonment of all hopes
or claims to the.=aAsssiae Of equality of the
States ,, .yyafxssaa he So
: - n! fns. - dfE Douglas oeforo the
Deraucsatic 6hvention, and justified the ac-
ton OF that Wing Of the party that nominated
Breckenridge md Lane. His proof that the
squatter SOVEREIGNTY views of Douglas were
as Objectionable as the out and out anti -slave-
~ views of Lincoln, to those who advocate
the right of property in slaves, and the equal
rights of slave holders and free soilers in the
confederacy, was able and conclusive.
He said that in their debates on each former
occasion, he had asked his opponent to define
his position--to assume platform-and could
not get an answer That he was always re-
ferred to Mr.. Bells Record. He accepted the
answer, and would overlook Mr.. Bells Re-
cord. He did 50. He found upon it that Mr.
Bell voted for abolition petitions-he found
upon it that Mr.. Bell believed that Congress
had power to abolish slavery in the District of
Columbia, that he thought, to please Northern
fanaticism, it would be well to do so-that
he believed the people Of the South should not
oppose it-and that it might be great con-
sentative measures" He compared his Ian
guage with that used by Lincoln on the same
subjectwhen directly questioned ON that issue,
and Lincoln answered that he would only
vote for abolishing slavery in the District,
when the people in the District desired its
abolition, and not then, unless arrangements
were made to remunerate the losses which the
owners sustained, and not then, unless the
provisions of the bill should remove the lib
Grated slaves from the District. His attack
on Mr.. Bells record was well made and effect
ual, because he supported every assertion he
made and every position he took by the record
itself.
He referred to the fact that Mr. Bell always
belonged to, and now represented party
pledged not to exercise the veto power, except
for plain violations of the Constitution Then
suppose the Abolitionists should obtain a ma
joritY in Congress before four years elapsed.
(Which was not improbable and bill should
be passed aboiishing slavery in the District of
Columbia, how could Mr.. Bell, if he were
President, with his construction of the Con-
stitution, and his views in regard to exercising
the veto power. put his veto on such bill ?
Unless he should prove faithless to his party,
and change from what his record shows him
now to believe, be could not do it.
He referred to the charge made by his op-
ponents, that the Democracy had "backed
down." from their position in 1852; and
proceeded to show from the resolutions Of the
Convention that met in jackson, about that
time, compared with the speech just made by
Mr.. Wilcox, that the backing down" was
most gracefully performed by the "Great Con-
sentative"
Without attempting even to vindicate the
record of Mr.. Bell, or even abiding to Mr.. |
C.,s arguments upon it, Mr.. Wilcox en-
pioyed his twenty minutes for rejoinder, insai
labored attempt to convict Mr.. Breckenridge |
Of squatter sovereignty, and in some very |
anecdotes Of General Lane.
Mr.. Chrisman rejoined,s and taking up the
record of his candidate triumphantly vindi-
Gated him from the charge Of squatter soyer-
eighty, and closed his speech and the discus
sion amid tremendous applause. Ishould like |
to allude more at length to certain parts of the |
discussion, but am already exceeding the rea-
sonable bounds of letter. To sum up:
LIST Mr.. Wilcox proved conclusively that
the Union was in great danger from the North
ern and Southern excitement on the slavery
issue, and could only be saved by the inter-
vention Of the Constitutional Union party.
I'd. That the slavery issue was no issue at
lll-that it was only hobby OF Northern and
Southern demagogues to ride into office upon,
md that it put the Union in no danger what
over; and this position was as well sustained
IS the first.
{ Mr. Ghrisman agreed to the first PROPOSE
ion but argued very different remedy from
hat proposed by electing John Bell He
sustained the unsoundness Of John Bell on
he slave question, by quoting his speeches
md votes: and he indicated the soundness Of
and Lane in the most satisfacto-
y manner
Altogether there is little difference Of opin-
IN on the result, and the Democracy has every
eason to congratulate itself that 10. Chris
nan was appointed to bear the standard of
southern rights, in the present contest. His
ictory was full and complete, and was adj
nitted to be so on oil hands. Both speakers,
side from the ability of their efforts won I
olden opinions from all sorts Of men by their
ourteous and gentlemanly bearing, and we
,ish only hereafter, when politics are to be dis
used. to hear the discussion conducted with
10 fairness, candor and ability displayed by
Vlcox and Christnan.