The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-09-05
For the Mississippian.
a Bellsverite Elector on his Travels


- Mr.. Amos R. Johnston (on his grand tor
~. through the State) reached this place and D
ceeded to enlighten his fellow citizens on
IA positions of the different political parties
- the day, and the issues involved.
,ar Mr. Johnston wished to impress it up
M the minds of his audience, that he should d,
W. with the political characters of men, and hop
~ that IN the course of his remarks, he shou
- use no expression that would give offence
any one. He then commenced cursory
7 view of the four political parties, remarkil
"A tnat such state of things was almost witho
~ parallel in the history of our country
- There were four candidates in the field f
-, the Presidency. There was Black Repu
~ llcan candidate, nominated by sectional part
:. - on sectional PLATFORM" and the object
" which, was war upon the institutions of IL
South, and was therefore unworthy of OF
-o consideration. The next was the Democrat
IL party, which no longer had a national ext
tence, but like the old Wing party was broke
= up, one the Douglas, and the other the Brecl
q inridge party.
MIR. Johnston had but little to say abou
e Mr.. Douglas and his party, and in fact, he LEI
! doubt upon the minds of his hearers as t
! which was the stronger of the two, in Missis
!; sippi, or we believe that such was rather hi
u intention.
Mr.. Johnston then paid his respects to tn
4 Breckenridge and Lane party, or ''seceders'
And no sooner did he commence upon tn
Constitutional Democratic party, than we re
cognized our old foe of 80 and 81, and WHOM
we have had to meet in every canvass down
. to the present first as the "Union party,
then american party and now as the "Con.
stitut onal Union party" Mr.. Johnston charg.
ed dsunion upon the Breckenridge party, and
proved it as clear as mud. If any man would
show him disunionst, he would show him a
supporter of Breckenridge. Mr.. Yancey was
disunionist, and wished to form league,
precip'tate the cotton States in revolution, and
thereby bring about disunion, and he was a
supporter of Breckenridge, and the prime
mover of the secession, of that wing of the
party, therefore it was disunion party "clear
as mud"
Mr.. j. had the most superlative contempt
for that "odious doctrine of squatter sovereign
ty, which he had been fighting for ten or
fifteen years, and he would prove Mr.. Brock
inridge squatter sovereignty doctrine man.
He then reviewed Mr.. Breckinridge's course
as member ofthe Kentucky Legislature as
member of Congress- and as candidate for
| the Vice Presidency, read from his Tippecanoe
speech (and as we understood Mr.. j., repre-
scented Mr.. Breckenridge as having said that
the democratic party did not desire the extern
sion of slavery. Now Mr.. Breckenridge said
that he belonged TO no party that had for its
object the extension of Slavery" which is true,
| there is no party in the Union that has the
extension of slavery for its object; all that we
ask is that slavery, 60 into the territories on
equal footing with all other species OF pro-
| perty, and be entitled to the same protection,
| and when the territory is in the act of assum-
ing sovereignty as State, then, this question is
to be settled by clause in the Constitution
recognizing or prohibiting it.
On the 21st of October 1856, Mr.. Breckin-
ridge wrote to Gen. Miles, thanking him for
reporting him correctly, using this language,
Hands off the whole subject by the Federal
Government, Except for one or two protec-
tive purposes, mentioned in the Constitution
the equal rights of all sections in the common
territory, and the absolute power of each new
State to settle the question in its own Consti
tuition, these are my doctrines" &c. Is that |
squatter sovereignty Again we would ask |
is the doctrine of squatter sovereignty en- |
brhced in Mr.. Breckinridge's letter of accep- |
lance, of July 9th 1860. Does it not contain |
sentiments the very reverse of squatter SOW
ereignty? Mr.. Johnston did not read from
these documents. Mr. j. believed that an
error was committed in the passage of the
Missouri Compromise Mr. J. thought it ought
never to have been repealed, but should have
renamed as settlement of the question:
Thus when we commit an error, it is better
for 1t to remain than to correct it. Mr.. j. Ger.
tainly knew that Col. Davis endeavored to
have the line extended to the Pacific, and
failed. Mr.. j. thought Gen. Lane would
make tolerable good magistrate, and pro-
ceeded to criticise his spelling, and because he
was good fighter it did not follow that he
would make good Vice. President. Mr., ],
speaks from experience. In 1S48 he ran q
fighting candidate for President, who wished
to cherish relations OF amity and friendship
with all the world and the rest Of mankind,
"be them wings or be them democrats" A
man whose generalship, honesty and patrio-
tism no one could doubt. And in 1852. Mr..
J's. party ran a fighting candidate for the
Presidency. And this seems to be a new
idea Of Mr. Johnston's that military men will
not do for Office.
Mr.. johnson then turned his attention to
his own candidates, and proved John Bell as
sound as dollar on the slavery question:
Mr. Bell owned some hundred or two thou.
sand dollars worth of slave property here in
the South, and was therefore sound ough.
NJ: Bell voted ag9inst the Leeompton Con-
T. IN We /
done the same, II was-U tFaa5y constitution
of Missouri's manufacture, and he, Mr.. J., T
would never be party to frand.
Mr.. Johnston did not tell us that Mr.. Bell
voted for the admission of California, and the
manner in which she was admitted, now q
brigadier General of the U. S. army issued
proclamation, for an election of members to a
Convention, and that convention to form q
Constitution, to create State sovereignty.
Giving the elective franchise to Greek, He
brew and Gentle, menlwith the "dust of ira
vel on their feet" these men voted California
in as free State. One ofthe most high hand
ed proceedings ever known in our Government.
A proceeding worse than a fraud; and yet
Mr.. Bell voted for the measure. But when
Kansas presents her Constitution as slave
State, Mr.. Bell become very conscientious,
can't countenance fraud.
Mr.. Johnston pronounced Mr.. Breckin-
ridge dead cock in the pit" Thus, for two
long mortal hours, did Mr., J. fight that dead
cock in the pit 1t certainly would have been
more manly and becoming in him to have
stepped lightly over the ashes of the dead,
and turned his fires upon his living foe, Doug
las, the very embodiment of that odous squat
ter sovereignty doctrine, he so much detested,
as good general never fights the dead, but
the living. If Mr.. Lincoln was elected, he
thought it should be no cause for dissolu-
ton Of the Union but said he, we must
watch-yes watch. For twenty five years !.
have we been watching, and we have seen the
strength of the enemy gradually increasing,
and his approaches every day, meaning us, al I
ready the enemy is standing at the very gate
that lead into the citadel, in which are en-
shrined our rights and Jour honor, and we are
told to watch, yes to stand with folded arms,
and behold our own degradation and dishonor.
Yes we must receive the letters, and watch
them riyited on. The fighters of dead cocks,
may watch. But we ask God in his mercy
to deliver us from such vigilance.
Mr.. ]. wound up with glowing appeal, for
the preservation of the Union, and so intense
did his love become, that he wished when the
Harch angel" made his appearance with one
foot standing on time and the other on eternity,
his eyes would rest upon this glorious coun-
try of ours, as a confederacy of united States.
In justice to Mr.. Johnston, we would say
that in speaking of those, with whom he differed
politically his language was unexceptionable.
In noticing few Of the points made by Mr..
j Johnston, we hope we have not misrepresen-
ted him, as such is not our intention.
OSCEoLA
CENSUS RESULTS IN vIRGINIA.-The census
is showing great falling off in the slave po-
pulation-in Western Virginia. They are be-
ing rapidly sold and removed South.
Hoofands German Btters and BaIsamic Gordial-sold |
by every druggist in the United States See advertise.
ment In another column. march % 6o-1y.
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