The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-02-08
THE MISSISSIpPIAN.
Mr. smedes' Resolutions.


6medest Of Warren:
Resolved, That the Union of these States is
one Of perfect equality among equal and SOW
sreign States, under the Constitution of the
United States; and no State or number Of
States can lawfully deny to each and all the
Others the complete enjoyment Of every right
guaranteed by that Constitution.
Resolved, That in the opinion of this Leg
ielature there IS no incompatibIlity in the
Union Of these States, as now existing; and
no reason why entire harmony and concord
should not prevail among them. There is no
antagonism between the different systems of
labor and of social life that exists in them;
and no reason why, if the rights of each are
respected by the others, the Union should not
be perfect and permanent
Resolved, That the Union of the States is
desirable in every light; as memorial of the
dangers we have passed and the glory we
have won; IS . great National blessing; as a
safeguard and source Of wealth and greatness
10 each individual State; as an example of
true Republicanism to the less favored nations
of the world; as the home of free principles
and the fountain of liberty to present and
future ages Its preservation and perpetua-
ton viii prove of inestimable value to the
whole human race.
Resolved, That as citizens of Mississippi,
and at the same time citizens of the United
States, we retain faithful attachment to the
form Of government under which we live; and
and believe, that with proper and mutual for
bearance, the present causes Of bitterness and
STRIFE that now exist between different por-
tons Of the eonfederacy may be removed, and
al occasion for their future occurrence be
aToided
Resoiued, That in the opinion of this Legs
iature thesg differences grow out of the exist
ence Of the institution Of slavery in a portion
of these States, and its non-exiStence in the
other portion; and the desire and attempts by
some Of the inhabitants of the latter to deny
and circumscribe the rights of the former in
respect to that institution.
Resokred, That slavery, as it exists IN the
Southern States is an institution recognized
and protected in these States by the Constitu-
ton Of the United States; and is social and
domestic relation that alone concerns the peo-
ple among whom it exists. 1t has existed so
long. and s so interviewer with the laws, GUS
toms, and very life of the people, that they
could not relieve themselves Of it if they
would; and it is so entirely eonsonant with
the Divine VIII as revealed in the Scripture,
90 necessary and vital to the comfort and
welfare of the slave, and so convenient and
profitable to the master, that they would not
get nd Of it If they could. So numerous are
the slaves and so dependent on their owners,
and at the same time so incapable of self-re-
straint, that the termination Of their relation
would result in the determination of one race
or the other.
Resolved, That the Constitution of the
United States, designed to establish the abSo-
lutte equality of these States, protects the
rights Of the STAKEHOLDER by express stipula-
ton, to recover his fugitive slave when he
escapes into another State; and any interior
alce with that right by one of the States of
his Union, either by legislative, executive or
judicial action, is direct breach of the comfy
which should exist between the States, is a
palpable violation Of the Constitution of the
United States; and is = great wrong done
without provocation or justification to the peo-
pie Of the slave States, and if persisted in,
and acted on, must inevitably lead to disso-
luton of the National compact.
Resolved, That this Legislature INDUCES
the hope that returning sense of justice will
lead those at the North who think slavery
wrong, not to commit greater wrong by de-
priving their fellow-citizens of the South of
their clear Constitutional rights and of their
property, By any further attempts to oppose
the execution Of the fugitive slave law. We
are willing to believe that the past unconsti-
tutional, aggressive and offensive legislation
and action Of some of the States on this sub
ject, has been the result of great political ex-
element, rather than of the deliberate inten-
ton to defy the Constitution and laws of the
United States, and make open war upon the
adjudicated rights Of slave owners.
Resolved, That the organization of Sec
tional party, based upon opposition to slavery,
and existing alone in the non-slaveholding
States, whether its object be to prevent the
spread Of slavery into the Territories of the
United States, or to effect its destruction in
the States where it now exists, is an organi-
cation At war with the just and equal rights of
the slaveholding States, destructive of the
peace and harmony which ought to prevail
among the members of q common government,
and offensive in every way to the people of
the Southern States. A President of the
United States, elected by such party and
upon such principles, would be the President
Of section, and not of the nation; and would
be, By the very mode of his election, and the
principles upon which it would be effected.
odious to the Southern people; and his cleo
ton, though according to the forms of the
Constitution, would be in violation of its
spirit; and be calculated to drive the Southern
States into open and direct hostility to his
government Therefore, for the sake of our
common country, and to save the Union of
those States from peril, if not from certain
overthrow, we urge the Northern people, be-
fore it IS too late, to abandon such an organi-
cation, and once more to stand upon National
ground Any other course will hurry the
government to destruction.
10. Resolved, That the Territories of the
United States, acquired by the common treas
ure and strong arm of all the States, are the
common property Of the United States and
there being no provision of the Constitution o.
the United States which prohibits slavery in
these Territories, the citizen of the slave
States has an absolute right, under our form
ofgoyerHment, to emigrate with his property,
whether slave or otherwise, to the Territories
Of the United States, and enjoy for himself
and property, while there, the perfect immu-
nifty and protection of the law.
II. Resolved, That in the opinion of this
Legislature, the common law under the Con-
stitution of the United States, the various acts
Of Congress organizing the territorial Govern
ments, and the past history of the American
people, prevails in the Territories of the Uni
ted States, and affords an ample shield for the
protection Of life, liberty and property to the
inhabitants Of these Territories, if admins
tered IN the courts of the United States reg
ulsrly organized for that purpose And.
theretore, without nquiring into the question
whether It Is the power or the duty of the
Congress Of the United States, to protect the
institution OF slavery, and enforce the rights
Of shareholders in the Territories, by direct
Congessional legislation, it is sufficient in the
opinion Of this Legislature, for the protection
Of slavery in the Territories, if the rights and
remedies Of the common law be preserved in
tact and enforced in those Territories
II. Resolved, That as in the opinion of
some distinguished statesmen, the Compton
law i not in force in the Territories of the
United States, without the express sanction
Of Congress; and in the opinion Of others, the
territorial legislatures organized under the
laws Of Congress have the right to prohibit or
circumscribe the institution. Of slavery in the
holders to their slaves therein; and as either
right Of the stakeholder to an equal and fair
partieipancy in the enjoyment of the Terrific
res Of the United States, it should be, in the
opinion Of this Legislature, provided by the
Congress of the United States, in all acts
&1IL6IAtEE 9osNAAAoAAA4A5 sSAAA-OAAaA
that the rights and remedies of the common
law shall prevail there; and that no laws
shall be passed by such territorial LegisIa-
lures either for or against the institution of
slaEsry-thus leaving the people of the Terri
tories, when they come together to form q
etate Government, free to regulate their do
mestic institutions for themselves.
Ii. Resolued, That It is the undoubted con-
stitutional right Of every new State formed
under the provisions Of the Constitution, to
demand and receive admission into the Union.
without reference to the question whether II
sanctions the existence of slavery in its limits
or not This right, admitted in the past his
tory Of the Government, and acquiesced in
during the last Congress by all parties, is one
which the slzyeholding States will never sur
render.
IA. Reso1red, That in the opinion of this
Legislature, while the State of Mississippi as
one Of the slaveholding States, VIII ask
nothing 10 be awarded to her but her clearly
.s{snftfod and recnrnizad RIGHTS of foIiticaI