The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-07-04

= hr. Chairman Thaylo, !, s.;,
n ss ,ie present ssass CONGRESS- p'1ieu tba,
" a. S1 States, or a. 6f bless, tbem sSI lna'
'' cede from Inc caIon, as now orpan;zed ru,I" :
!, J. free States wonld, OS4alEeesai arms. conn
q such seeding States to retiiTn to am, resun
l. its present relations to the Republic. The
l. declarations have been madain each instan
+ by members of the Black Rfpublican part
Whether they really mean Khat they say,
n are simply gasconading, tine may deyelop,-
! II the Southern States, or ah portion of ther
e should secede from the Una it will be ft
n grievous cause; and that eaIsewil be furnish
ed by the Republican party 1t will not o,
: cur from any desire ON the Isrt of any or a
e OF the Southern States tq Ill the preser
t Government asundcr; OF from any want
loyalty to or love Of the Union II would /
> hard, in my Judgment, when the Souther
States have been fercad to Withdraw the
/ connection from the free States to escape op
1, preston, to coerce them with the bayonet t
resume their position in the Union, to endur
that oppression. Fair minded men in m
, opinion, would not utter such threats bu
, rather correct thar ways, so as to afford II
cause to the Southern States to take sue
step l cannot think these men are in earnes
because do not believe they would submi
patiently to injustice and wrong; and
am unwilling to believe they have become 81
abandoned to all sense of justice as not to b
willing to extend to others what they deman,
for themselves. If | am mistaken in this
then they cannot coerce the South, although
their numbers are greater; because tyrant
are always cowarGs, and the morally depra
we'd are always rresolute If any OF tn,
Southern States tank of seeding, it is fo
cause ; that cause is Injustice and grevou.
wrong extended to her by her sister free
States.
But, Mr.. Chairman, have these gentlemen
counted the cost Of this war of conquest p
Have they considered well its immediate
effects upon the prospirity Of this Government
and the world, and its future consequences Il
every industrial interest of the people of this
continent and the civilized nations of the
earth Have they reflected that Its cOntin-
uance must endure for many long years sus-
pending and arresting the agricultural and
mechanical pursuits Of our people, and finally
leaving both SO crippled as not to recover a
healthy condition during this generation, il
ever again Have they reflected that the
conquered section would forever hate
and despise the conquerors, and cause
them to refuse, by any means, to contri-
butte to their prosperity Have they re-
tiected that no people have ever yet lived or
can live, in concord, upon any other basis
than mutual confidence and social affection
that to place upon the people Of the Southern
States the nanacles of suhjugation would
so wound their manliness and pride as to
cause constant revolutionary efforts to restore
them to their dignity and independence p
| All these considerations | submit to their de-
| Eberate reflection, before they advance furth-
er in their course Of aggression The S.uth-
ern States have no desire to withdraw from
| the Union if the free States will with fidelity
! observe the terms of the constitutional COM
/ pact made by the States.
! Itmay not be improper for me to examine
| the nature and extent Of that compact-its
purposes and its aims. At the close Of the
| Revolution, we had thirteen States Each
was perfect government within ITSELF Each
was nation, with all the attributes Of soyer-
eighty, and possessed all the powers of gov
ernment appertaining to a nation had the
exclusive power and right TO pass laws lor the
assrs ssszA.ss
in person and property; to declaTe war, make
treaties, tser--EAch embraced a small area OF
territory, similar in SOIL and with the same
climate This secured the same general
character of pursuits among her people, and.
of necessity. created perfect homogenety
OF interest, as vel as sameness Of civilization,
without the possibility Of conflict OF antagon-
ism; and with any organism Of government,
giving to the people the right of suffrage, they
would have been secure in having such laws
adopted as were best calculated to protect
them from the expressions incident to govern
ment. And without the party discord always
attendant upon antagonisms, representatives
would have been elected in reference to their
superior qualifications to take charge of
common interest and common welfare. Their
domestic institutions would have been the
same, shaped in reference to their common
sentiments, and thus afforded the means of
perfecting common civilization, giving it the
largest maturity and development. The ne
cessities of the agricultural States would have
been the same, and would have dictated the
legislation suited to its wants. The manu-
featuring and mechanical States would have
been in similar condition. The same prin-
ciples which guided them in shaping their
laws would have given direction to theirtrea-
ty engagements, so that no complaints would
ever have been heard upon this continent of
injustice and oppression.
Can it be supposed that those who adopted
our present Federal Government intended to
destroy this state of things-this hoinogenei-
ty this source ofperfecting the civilization of
separate communities; this guarantee against
the expressions of government; and unite
under our Government the greatest variety
of antagonisms, of interest, Of pursuit, and of
civilization, which ever existed in any Gov.
ernment Manifestly not. 1t was not in
reference to the internal wants of the States;
it was not that the State had not full powers
to legislate for the wants of her people; it was
not to perfect the civilization of each State
community that our Federal Government was
formed. Its objects were Of higher order.
Its jurisdiction was intended to be extended
10 different and distinct class OF subjects, all
appertaining to objects strictly national, and
to nat Qualities. Its powers were intended to
be limited to the common defence Of all the
States against foreign INVASION; preserve
peace between States raise revenue to sup
port the Federal Government; and regulate
commerce between the States and with foreign
natio"s. The Constitution declares this to be
its obj ct and purpose; the trainers of it so
declared at the time; and every intelligent
man must so understand it. Every we'll in-
formed man, every man conTersant with the
history Of the formation OF the Constitution,
does know that the great difficulty with the
convention was to discover and plan an organ
ism for'the Government which would avoid
antagonism and the consequent struggle be-
tween them for the aSeendancy in the Gov
ernment. The members of that convention
understood man sufficiently to know that his
very nature was such as to compel him to use
government in such manner as would advance
his own interest, although in doing SO he op-
pressed others. That his very nature was
to respect himself and his interest more than
he did that Of others and that to restrain this
very disposition gov 'rnment was found to be
necessary, and from it had its origin.
Now, to neutralize this antagonism, and the
consequent conflicts arising from it, l have
said, was the main point Of difficulty in
forming compact or organism Of Govern
ment. Now, to do this, they finally decided
to leave the States in the full possession of
their sovereignty over every subject immedi-
ately affecting the interest of their separate
communities such as the nature and charac
ter Of their domestic institutions; life and
limb, property and personal liberty, of its ci-
tizens; while they gave to the Federal
Government control over such subjects as
We're purely national, and strictly homogen-
Gus in their very nature; such as peace and
war, commerce between the States and with
foreign nations, and the common defence
against foreign invasion. The hepowers of gov
eminent thus divided between the States and
the Federal Government, it was believed,
would retain and preserve homogeneity in re-
ference to individual concerns, and also in
matters strictly national. Now, if this order
of things, thus settled by the organism of our
system, could be faithfully preserved, no con-
fiict between the States themselves, or be-
tween any one or any numbers of the States
and the Federal Government, could ever oc-
cur; and this Government would exist in
peace, and be transmitted to the latest poster
ity, without discoFd or conflict. But we have
conflict. And from what does it spring,
must be answered to ourselves and coming
generations. 1t is a non, observance of the
provision Of the compact embraced in the Con-
stitntion. And how is this, and who is re-.
sponsible for it !? Lot US examine the history
OF the operations Of the Government since its
foundation, and thus discover the cause, if