The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-03-07
Senator Fitch on squatter Sovereignty
and the South.

Nh. Fitch, q Senator from Indiana, IN an able
| speech vindcating the Constitution from the
heresey Of Squatter Sovereignty, concludes
with the admonition we insert below, to the
South. The Charleston Mercury very justly
adds, "that any other man supporting the
heresy OF Squattcr Sovereignty, must be just
as obnoxious to the South as Senator Douglas
1t is the principIe-the right-the South will
surrender in voting for candidates for the Pre-
sidency and Vice Presidency Of the United
States who uphold Mr.. Douglas views. Mr..
Fitch is right when he asserts that such q
course by the South will forfeit the respect Of
her enemies, and the sympathy and aid OF her
friends" We commend his very truthful
| and forcibIe remarks to the attentive pcrusal
| of our readers
now turn, sir, to the resolutions immedi-
| ately before us-the resolutions Of the Senator
from Mississippi (NIr. Brown. They affirm,
in part at least, the sentiments heretofore
| elaborated BY the Senator from Georgia. They
are-first, that the citizens Of the Southern
| States have Constitutional right to go into
the Territories with their property, recognized
as such by the Constitution of the United
States, and there possess and enjoy that pro-
perty This is the assertion of right, in my
estimation undoubted-one | hardly deem
even respectfully debatable-yet it is right
the entire Republican party deny right but
half admitted by certain Democrats and one
which, while thus but half admitting, such
| Democrats would create the means Of practi-
caly denying. 1t is the right, we are told
! nd IN, cYIrb far and that Vva
not question the sincerity of the declaration
by every Southern Senator and Representative
that their section will never yield
We are told by some of them, and think
by the Senator from Georgia among the num-
Der, that the recognition by their section of the
| Senator from Illinois with his present terrific
torial views as their candidate for the Presi-
dency, would be tantamount to a surrender of
that right hence their opposition to the no.
mination of that Senator. Well, sir, North
ern Democrats thinking with me, are likewise
opposed to his nomination, because we deem
his territorial views sectionally unjust and I'M
constitutional. Yet those views are not adj
verse to any constitutional right of our
section. They can only be made oper-
alive against the South. He cannot be no.
minated without Southern votes.
If the South chooses to nominate him,
| Northern Democrats cannot take any sectional
exception to him, and may well permit him to
carry out his views to whatever extent he
may; for while we will not surrender any con-
stitutional right of our own section, we will
not oppose the surrender by it Of any such
right in the South, especially when its surren-
der is to be the detrment Of its own citizens
and to our benefit If citizens of the South
are disposed to maintain their constitutional
rights, there are those in the North who will
aid them to the extent of their ability, and fol
the reason that under the Constitution we
would expect similar aid from the South, il
our rights were threatened, ard such aid ne.
cessary. Such was the mutual agreement Of
or fathers; such the bond. But if they vol
unfairly surrender their rights we of the
North will not accept the surrender as uncon-
ditional-never to be recalled and use the
power it bestOwS upon us as gift never to be
reclaimed. An army may be defeated in bat
tie; but it, in its retreat, it preserve its disci
pine and retain its munitions of war, it com
mands the respect even of its enemies, the
sympathy and aid Of its friends, because of it.
readiness and ability to renew the struggle
and, perhaps, to successfully prosecute it; bat
if that army Weld without battle and cSpe-
cially if it invite and receive as its command.
err one who, though under the garb of friend
ship, has previously proclaimed his intention tc
deprive its members Of a portion of theil
rights and their liberties, it becomes disorgan
ized, surrendeIs its means of defence without
any equivalent, without any consideration
has not the respect Of its enemies, and forfeit,
the sympathy and aid Of its friends. \ peo
pie may be compelled to temporary submis
sion, but compulsory submission is always as
| 81 Il, -
the idea of the 1cW upon the part Of thos.
thus compelled to submit to throw off th(
yoke upon the first occasion; and with an out
side sympathy which is promptly manifested
in the form of material aid, when the tciU be
comes manifested by acts. But if that same
people put the yoke upon their own necks, in
vite the tyrant among them, he will not re
gard their rights and the world will not deem
them entitled to or worthy Of the rights ani
liberties they have thus tamely given away
they can expect no aid, they will obtain none
in any spasmodic effort they may subsequent.
" make for the recovery of those rights
1G tia Llas alluded
to (Mr. Douglass, with his PRESENT views, the
entire North will deem the act an expire sson
Of willingness upon their part that his views
shall become the future settled policy of the
Government the united North will act upon
that policy, carry it out to the full, and nc
aid must he expected hy the South from any
portion Of the North in any effort they NAV
thereafter make to prevent the progress Of
that policy to the end. When by such act it
establishes his policy, the South, and the Sen
ator from Illinois (Mr. Douglass, will have
done more to accomplish the favorite and
avowed scheme of the Republican party than
any effort of that party could have done-the
scheme Of surrounding the Southern States
with free Territory, and starving out their in
stitution for under that policy, organize a
Territory where you may, whether it be in
Dakota of the North, or Arizona of the
South, the bold, adventurous non-slavehold-
ing frontiersmen of the West whose moyables
include no Injuries, whose necessaries are
readily supplied by the axe and the rifle, will
go into the Territory, possess themselves Of
its Legislature, and exclude the Southern pro-
perry, while the owners Of that property are
packing up their household goods and prepar-
ing their chattles for removal.