The daily gazette., 1877-08-09
Senator Lamar'S Late Sp,GCl.
His Tieo0S on the Situqtion-1Re Pre-.
sidenfS Policy and the Duty of
the South.


After the Mississippi Democratic State
Convention, which met at jackson last
week, had nominated a candidate fol
Governor, calls were made for Senator
l.. Q. q. Lamar, who in response address,
ed the Convention. He Congratulated
them as Mississippians and as American
citizens upon the fact that the South was
again free. For the first time in twelve
years they had met together in their cap
ltal TO look upon country rescued in all
its parts from the yshackels of tyranny
and ready tor new career of freedom,
progress and prosperity. After dwelling
upon this point with great force he said /:
81 congratulate you that this great
delixerance is*in large measure the
work of the Democratic party. 1t is a
strange result that one party, in the very
flush of victory, should see Its policy
perish; and that the other, in the very
moment of defeat, should behold its
principles enthroned in triumph. Re-
cent events had demonstrated to the
North that the South was no element of
disturbance to the tranquility of the
American republic, nor of subtraction
from its security of strength that thou
sands upon thousands of honest and pa
triotic republicans were now convinced
of this and were ready to make her peo-
pie full sharers in the benefits and bles-
sings and the greatness and glory of that
republic. At the head of these, to his
everlasting honor be it spoken, stands
the President of the United States, who,
in the discharge of his high duty as the
President of the whole people, has
struck blow for the restoration of the
South to her position of equality which
had vibrated to the extremities of the
Union and had carried CONSERVATION in
the ranks of his party. This act of pa
-triotism, Justice and political intrepidity
on his part merits the appro baton and
support Of Southern men, and this may
be bestowed by democrats of the South
standing solidly upon platform of dem
ocratic principles, and without breaking
our alliance with that great national par
ty which has so long stood with unshaken
constancy and fidelity, by the rights of
the South" He did not believe that the
American people are prepared to accept
the disbandment of the democratic par
ty. He here spoke of the principles of
that party, which he said were imper-
ishable, and were the essential elements
of every free government; of the num-
ber of its voters, constituting amajOrity
of the people of the nation, land the ex-
tent of its organization in every section
of the country. Nor did he believe that
the political events of the day would
Justify the South in breaking up her
unity. Questions of constitutional law,
the relations of the States to the federal
government, and of the relations Of the
people to their State government, would
soon cease to play any very conspicuous
part in the issues of American politics.
Questions of tariff, trade, commerce,
currency and transportation would soon
take their places; were beginning to en-
gross the attention of the people, and
will tax the intellect of the American
statesman. To the discussion and set
tlement of these questions the Southern
statesmen must contribute their due
share Of study and thought or the South
will never regain her intellectual and
moral prestige in political affairs. She
has already emonstrated her capacity to
rise above the'passions and prejudices of
party when It's commands conflict with
the safety, of the nation or the safety and
peace of the country. If the time should
ever come-"may God Forbid" he said,
"that it ever shall-when she shall be
called upon to choose between her own
local interests and the welfare of the ma
ton at large; he believed that she would
sustain her public men In subordinating
the former to the latter"