Smyrna times., 1865-09-13
MISCELLANEOUS
Mississippi and Secession.

The full report of the proceedings of the
Mississippi Convention, now at hand, shows
that clear issue was made in that BODY on
the point Of repudiating the doctrine of seces
sion. A report was presented from the maiori-
ty OF the Committee on the Secession Ordi
nance oflS6l, recommending that the ordinance
be declared null and void. A minority report
recommended that the ordinance be abroga-
ted. The one report was based on the princi-
pie that the State of Mississippi had no power
to sever its connection with the Federal Union.
and therefore that no convention it could elect
had the power to pass valid ordinance of
secession. The other avoided the question
whether the convention of 1861 did or did not
have the power to establish such an ordinance
and went simply for resembling its action. The
member of the convention from whom this mi
nority report came, Hon. j. L. Trotter, defined
his position in terms like these:
" We all now regret the step was taken, and
sincerely desire to retrace it, and, as soon as
possible, repair the mischefs which have flow
ed from it. This, it is believed, can be best
accomplished by simple repeal of the original
ordinance, which puts it at rest in manner
which meets the general wish, wounds no sensi-
blhtles, and compromises no rights. In this
shape it can unite the conflicting views of those
who believe it to have been void Gb inttiO, as
well as of those who believe otherwise, since
it is a common practice with legislative bodies
to repeal an act whose cOnstitutlonality has
been seriously questioned or ascertained by a
determination Of the proper judicial tribunal. p"
On the other hand, the chairman of the COM
mittee, Hon. A. X. Johnston, took the high
ground:
We did not use the words null and void
without due consideration. They had signf-
cance and an object, which was simply TO make
a direct attack upon the doctrine of secession
and destroy 1t. The word 'abrograte or re-
peal would recognize and confirm the right of
secession. By applying the phraseology they
had the committee had fully expected that it
would bring ON contest in the convention,
and had not sought to avoid it. !"
The issue was made with the greatest dis
tlnctness before the convention. 1t being man
lfest that the minority report could not pre-
vall, a substitute was offered, disposing OF the
ordnance in these words: ''And the same is
hereby heaceforaoard null and void. and of no
binding effect." But this met with LITTLE fa-
vor., The report Of the majority was adopted
Dy the convention by vote Of et0htv.One tn
fourteen; and even several of these fourteen
explained that they did not believe in the
right of secession, but preferred the more in.
definite language, to save the feelings of other
men.
In a subsequent resolution reported by an
other committee, concerning the ratification of
certain laws made by recent Legislatures, the
words in aid of the late revolution" were
used A motion was made to substitute re-
bellion for " revolution, and, after discus.
sion, it prevailed by most decided vote. Mis-
sissippi, therefore, now actually comes up to o
mark quite beyond that of the Democratic con
ventiOns of many of the Northern States du
ring the war, as we'll as of the National Dem
ocratic Convention at Chicago, which carefully
IL Ill. Al La
form, and admitted only such eupheInisins AZ
this unhappy civil war, and this fratric
dal strife " 1t is a piece of nanliness in tho
present Mississippi that ought to be hailed by
every loyal man who dispised the mealy
mouthedness of the Northern peace men,
The State of jeff. Davis does not hesitate tt
say that its resistance to the national authori
ty had no shadow Of right to support 1t, anC
was an unrighteous rebellion against the law
ful authority. 1t does not attempt to save it,
t consistency by setting up the plea that the
right Of secession was an open question, which
could only be settled by war, or to save its hon
or by engaging to accept and abide by tha
settlement. That would have afforded tol
erably decent covert. But in this action O
the convention, it has discairned all covert
. 1t has boldly acknowledged that from the be
!. ginning it was wrong-that its ordinance Of Sc
: cession was fiat usurpation, and the lighting
' under It unmitigated treason. Considering
> that the convention of 1861 contained most o
. the political characters Of the State Of any note
\ and that the action Of the present convention
e IS permanent consignment Of them all, a
). well as the military characters which followe
! them, to black page in history, we may we
: saw that the revolution in Mississippi sent
d ment is complete. -
e1 Ifthe other Southern States renounce seces
!, sion in the same whole-souied manner, itwi
q ...so,oa iuHianna in fttrfb ar;nn re
:; construction, and Oementing permanent hal