The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-06-12

Nothing could have been further from
our intention than to "attack" our ven
cradle and respected friend, the distin-
guished member from the 4th District,
| on account of his recital of "unwritten
history" in the House of Representatives
sent to us (and we suppose to other news
papers, marked for special attention, we
never imagined that a brief and kind
observation upon it would be so construed.
We confess we were astonished when we
saw it stated in the form of a belief bv
one who opportunity of knowing that
any part of the Mississippi delegation,
and especially Hon. Jefferson Davis,
was in favor of notifying South Carolina
after she had elected her delegates to
Convention and passed her ordinance of
secession that Mississippi was not willing
to go with her. We always thought that
there was an implied agreement among
the cotton States to leave the Union if an
abolitionist was elected to the Presidency,
and that each had plighted to the other
its faith TO share a common fate. The
data was at hand to show that South
Carolina did not elect her delegates until
December, and did not pass her ordinance
of secession until the oath of that month,
whereas the conference must have been
held not later than the middle of No
vember, inasmuch as Gov. Pettus was
considering what course he would recon-
mend to the Legislature which was to be
assembled on the 25th of that month.
Again, the question of affirmation" on
the one hand and of denial on the
other, as TO what took place in the afore
said conference has not been raised be-
tween the distinguished member and our
of the times referred to does not sustain
this hitherto "unwritten history" and
this statement we have established by
his speech with the ad-
dress issued by Mr.. Davis and other
Southern Representatives soon after the
conference was held. To be sure of do
ing no injustice, we herewith append
both documents and will leave the intel
ligent reader to draw his own conclusions.
True it is said that there is no discrepan-
cy between them, or if there is, that it |
is due to the changed circumstances;
but this cannot be be correct for
the reason that only a brief space
between the date of the con-
ference and the issuance of the address
and the main facts on which the move
ment hinged were precisely the same
Every body knows that the cause of seces-
sion was the election of President by |
the Northern States on sectional grounds, |
That cause existed when the conference
was held, neither in greater or less de
gree, but precisely the same as it existed |
when the historic address advising sepa-
rate State secession" and speedy and
and absolute separation" was sent out. In
the Presidential canvass of 1860, the is
sue of separation from hostile States"
was distinctly presented in case, of the
election of ''Black Republican" Pres
dental ticket. For this step, the
Southern leaders had prepared the pub
lie mind, and conventions were called
to carry the plan into execution as soon
IS the result Of the election was known.
There were some differences of opinion
about the details of executing it, but
hey amounted to nothing. Hence we
'ay that the situation in November,
1860, when the conference was held, was
precisely the same as it was on the 14th
If December following when the address
vas sent to the people of the South.
President Buchanan had proposed GER
ain pacifcatory measures, but they had
neither been adopted nor rejected, ard /;
t would have been worse than madness
0 have believed that party flushed as
he Black Republicans were with victo- 3
y upon platform of their own selec- /
ion in the very hour of their Triumph r
Veuld have gone into the business of ma I
ing an ''amicable settlement" with the
eople they had defeated.
low for the,
UmWrfttem HistOrya-Noy.-ISG0.
xrRAcT FRoN HON. o. r. sNGLEroa's n
SPEECH MARCH LIST 1878. IF
Now, If it is the pleasure OF the House, i