Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-09-15
demonstrations In Mississippl...A Notice.
able speech.

The Mississippi Constitutional Convention
which adjourned ON the 9th of August
passed vote declaring the ordinance OF Sc
cession parsed by the convention of January
9th. 1861. null and roid. The vote on the
question Wac 81 ayes to 10 nays. Previou.
/ propositions to amend 20 as to make the vote
to be for the abrogc,ion of the secession ordi-
nance, or to make 1t null and void from, his
/ tune. were voted down. On one of those
questions. Hon. William 4. Martin, (late
rebel major general, } raid
lie had lately assisted at the burial Of slavery,
and he wss ready and anxious to assist at the
funeral Of its wiD-brother, secession. lie was
surprised st this discussion. for he thought that
if anything WAS settled by the late war, 1t was
secession. lie had always opp sed the rish;
from his youth up, and 90 strenuously that
sometimes he was considered untrue TO the South.
lie did not belieye any government Was worth n
stroke OF the sword which was held together by
a mere rope Of sand. II was right he did not
want Nc State ought TO have such right IL
was not aug right, only shallow, the veriest
e usion and mockery II any State hsd such
right. il ought to be taken away from it- Gen.
tlemen called it the right Of revolution No
constitution gives the right ofreyoluilon against
itself could give none. Some had deluded
themselves and others with the lying mOckery of
.'peaceahle secession - "Peaceable secession
foIsooth What did those words mean They
meant war, and desolation, and want they
meant halfratious, quarter rstions, no at
ell; they meant long marches. marches by night,
privaiion 10y disease. the agonies OF the battle
held, and the lingering wreiehedness OF the
hospital; they meant bloody baitles and defeat;
they meant sickness. starvation aud death
peaceable secession Il meant the risking OF
all we had or valued: the Abandonment o: all
we held dtar our homes and families, OF life IT.
self lie wanted it understood, for all future
time, that this is whst it meant.
Gen. Martin said that he always opposed the
secession doctrine as an absurdity and delusion,
but when ne saw his whole section going INTO the
war, he thought \ yeritable Tsro'idloR would he
the result. and took arms for il with the rest
When the times Of sore trial came on. the very
men who hsd been loudest 10 proclaim the right
of secession. were the first to sneak cut OF dan
ger and leave their deluded followers TO light It
Out a. they could.
lie hoped they would bury this doctrine fur
ever, and beyond the hope Of resurrection. \
more pesulent puiitical hereey never intestei
and cursed any people Often had he and his
brother officers. in times when the confederate (
arms we're most prosperous-7theS had been VIC
torious. sometimes--and the prospect for inde-
pendence was bright, sat in their tents at night
and eanvsssei the tutdre, which they thought
lay before them They asked each other, what
il We should succeed, aud establish our indepen-
ience! What will become OF US Snail We
cling together. as nov. and become great and
united people - Their conclusions were always
desponient: ey could gather little hope from
the prospect; that cursed element Of secession &
and DIVISION was implanted in the constitution
for which they were contending, aud IT cast a
dark cloud over all that lay b,fJre them. lie
said he intended no disrespect whatever to the
convention Of 1861, by voting 10 declare the
ordinance null and void. Far from II. He
meant the contrary thing. lie would be greatly
obliged. if he were in their places, 10 any oue 2
who would cause IT to appear that they meant TO
rebel instead Of perpetrsting the amazing inrie
Of seeding. lie wanted TO dignity their action.
lie would he greatly obliged TO airy one who |
could convince him that he himself had been /
fighting four years fJr something else beside the /
stupid. the absurd right Of secession. lie wan
.ed no deception for the future. He wanted iht /
people to understand what they fought Tor ti /
they did 70 foolish a thing) and not again to |
tell their leaders, You deceived US with this
pretence of 'Ieaceahe secession.