The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-01-25
The Resolutions of Mr. West.

y.
The following are the resolutions offered in
the Senate, by Mr. West, of Holmes, to which
reference has already been made in these COL
umns
" HEREAs, For the preservation OF the consti
lutionai union OF our States, and the main
tenance and protection of the rights of the
etzens Thereof, it is necessary to preserve
an equilibrium Of the rights and infiuen-
ces among the different parts of the same
but whereas, by the increase of Territory
and population, and the consequent argu-
mentalon OF States, and their representa-
tion IN Congress, that equilibrium of the
different sections of the confederacy has
gradually been impaired to the evident de-
triinent OF the Southern States, and their
domestic institution. And, whereas, 'fby an
exasperated feeling between the North and
the South on the most exciting Of all TOPICS
the political sentiment of the North is opera
ting insidiously TO the destruction Of the
rights of the South. And, whereas to
avoid slow, but ultimate humiliation, it is
the imperative duty Of the Southern States,
to seek Il restoration of that impaired, if not
lost equilibrium, BY all the agencies within
the puryiew of theConstituton of the Uni
ted States, as also5by all the means within
the range of State Sovereignty, first by unit
ing firmly to resist any abuse Of the dele
gated powers of the federal constitution
come whence it may, and through their
State Legislatures, to devise and adopt such
measures as are suitable for their mutual
safety and protection, and IA well-regulated
militia, being necessary to the security OF
free States" the Southern States should
organize and train militia adequate to their
protection, against insurrection and invasion,
and to adopt suitable measures to develop
all the resources of the South, agricultural
and mineral, manufacturing and CONNER
cial, and by an energetic system of common
schools, diffuse intelligence among the peo-
pie of all conditions and to accomplish this
high purpose, let the hitherto political divis
ions in the South be forgotten, and their
united energies be directed to the preserva-
ton of their political rights and the perpe-
tuity af the princlN hes Of the Constitution of
the United States.
LIST. Be it therefore resolUed By the LeRsla-
ture of the State Of Mississippi, That in the
opinion of those who now constitute the said
l legislature, that the constitution was formed
by the several States in their sovereign capaci-
ty. for the purposes of mutual advantage and
protection That the several States are dis
tinct sovereignties whose supremacy is limi-
ted so far only as the same has been delegated
by voluntary compact to a general Government.
That the Government thus created by certain
delegated powers, can act only within the posi-
tive, well defined, and clearly established lin
its of those powers. That its legislation and
must therefore be controlled
bv the constitution, and are absolutely void,
when used to destroy or impair the reserved
rights of the several States, or the vested
rights of any citizen of either of those States.
2nd BE 1t therefore further resolved, "That
the Union thus formed, constituting as it does
the closest, most delicate and important re-
lation that can exist between communities of
people, demands from each part warm and
earnest consideration for the safety, prosperity,
and happiness of the other, and that whatever
policy tends to subvert these ends, is hostile
to the true spirit of the compact, y the primary
principles of which are, protection to life, lib
erty and property, and all the parties to that
instrument have aA intimate interest in the
political and domestic institutions of each
other and right, coupled with duty, to
ciples, and failure, or a refusal, on the part
of any of the parties to the compact, ofby the
Federal Government, would devolve upon the
State, or States, whose rights, or the rights of
whose citizens are menaced or endangered, the
duty of their enforcement.
3rtl. That the Federal Government cannot
in anywise decstroy or impair the value of pro-
perty recognized as such by the laws of any
of the States, nor can any tribunal acting under
its authority, or permission, whether it be leg
islaiive, executive, judicial or otherwise, with
in its appropriate sphere, justly withhold from
the owners Of slaves that adequate protection
for their slave property, to which the owners
of property of other kinds are entitled, or
which from its nature and menaced condition,
they may further require to secure them in
its possession and enjoyment
18th. That the institution Of slavery existed
at the time of the formation of the Federal
Constitution, and is recognized by its letter,
and all efforts to impair its value or lessen its
duration by Congress, or any Of the free States,
is violation of the compact Of union, and en-
dangers the ends for which it was established
and as our forefathers would not have
formed union, protecting one class ofproperty
and investing it with power to impair the value
Or destroy another class Of property, we, their
decendants-it cannot be expected will tamely
submit to adishonorable discrimination against
ourselves and our institutions, but demand of
the general government the shield Of its pro-
tecting care.
9TH. That the Territories are the common
property Of all the States, and the citizens
with their property Of each and every State,
nave common right to occupy those Terri
,ories, and are protected in their occupation of
he same by the flag Of our common country
therefore neither the people, or inhabitants of
my such Territory possess a right, legal or
otherwise derived or inherent, to exclude
lavery from the same, but are bound to give
t the same protection as any other species of
property, and any Territorial legislation to the
contrary should be promptly overruled by the
congress of the United States
9th. That the people of the Northern States
ave assumed revolutionary position towards
he Southern States That they have set at
efance, that provision of the Constitution
which was intended to insure domestic tran
utility among the States, and promote their |
eneral welfare, namely, mo person held to |
eryice or labor in one State, under the laws |
hereof, escaping into another, shall in conse- |
uence of any law or regulation therein, be
from such service or labor, but shall
e delivered up on claim of the party to whom
UGH service or labor may be due. That they
ave by voluntary associations, individual
gencies, and State legislation, interfeIel with
avery as it prevails in the slaveholding States.
hat they have enticed our slaves from us,
nd by State Intervention, INSTRUCTED and pre-
ented their rendition under the fugitive slave
w. That they continue their system of agi-
Ition obviously for the purpose of encoura-
ng other slaves to escape from service to
eaken the institution in the slayeholdine