Year: 1860

Mississippi Let her say to the Black Republi
can States as Abraham said to Lot: "Let there
be no strife, Ipray thee, between me and thee,
and between my herdmen and thy herdmen, for
we be brethren. Separate thyself pray thee,
from me- II thou wilt take the left hand then
will 90 to the right; il thou depart to the right
hand then will go to the left" That Mississippi
may be enabled to speak on this grave subject
IN her sovereign capacity, recommend that a
Convention be called to meet at an early day
The State thus assembled will have q right to
| decide for itself the mode and measure of re-
dress, for all violations of the rights of her cit
izens or the rights Of the State, either by the
Northern States, the people of the Northern
States, or the Federal Government That this
right does exist in the sovereign States Of this
Confederacy, is plainly deducible from the histo-
ry of all the political bodies which originated
and organized this system of American Govern
ments The first great leading idea that lies at
the base of our whole system is found in that
clause of the Declaration of Independence which
declares


1--WE hold these truths to be self-esdent, that
all men are created equal /; that they are endow-
ed by their Creator with cert4in inalienable
rights; among these are life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness That to secure these
rights, Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed That whenever any form Of
government becomes destructive to these ends,
It'll the right Of the people to alter abolish it,
and to institute a new government laying its
foundation on such principles, and organizing
its powers in such form, as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their safety and happiness"


This short sentence contains the parent prin-
ciple of our system of Governments, both State
and Federal, and any party which attempts to
ignore it in the administration of these Govern
ments, must prepare to meet the spirit of '76.
Separate and independent communities, with
governments deriving their power from the con-
sent of the governed the colonies commenced
the war of the Revolution. Separate and indie
pendent communities, they declared themselves
sovereign and independent States, and entered
as such into articles of confederation. In the
treaty of peace with Great Britain they were
acknowledged to be sovereign and independent
States. These sovereign States assembled in
Convention at Philadelphia on terms of perfect
equality, to re-organize their confederation, to
form more perfect Union of sovereign States
and when in that Convention it was proposed to
give to the larger States the power to govern the
smaller, without their consent, by giving them
representation in both branches of the Federal
Congress in proportion to their population-thc
necessity of Union growing out of the then fee
blcncss Of the States-thc confidence engen-
dcred by seven years brotherhood in arms, and
the presence of Washington himself would not
have saved the Convention from disruption, if
the larger States had not acknowledged this
great and vital principle in the confederation by
giving the smaller States perfect equality in that
most important branch of the Federal Congress
which has the treaty-making power, and the
power to negative alike the appointments Of the
President and the enactmcnts Of the House of
Representatives. Again, when in that Conven-
ton it was proposed to give to the Federal Gov
ernment the power to ''cal forth the force of the





failing to do its duty under the articles thereof"
men of all parties sprang to their feet and de-
nounced it as violative of the rights of the
States, and dangerous to the liberties of the
people, and voted it down unanimously. If any
party shall be found reckless enough to attempt
to usurp this power for the Federal Government,
thus positively denied to it by the Convention,
men of all parties will spring to their feet and
again vindicate the rights of the States and the
liberties of the people. When this Constitution
was finally agreed to in the Convention of Phil
adelphia, it was submitted to the several States,
and each State for ITSELF and by ITSELF ratified it
Nor was it ordained and established between
the people Of any State and those of the other
States except by the separate and sovereign
act of that State. The Convention of New
York declared in their act of ratification that
the powers Of the Government may be re-as-
sumed by the people whenever it shall become
necessary to their happiness. What people is
here meanti The people of New York; for
that Convention could speak for no other. The
Convention of the State of Virginia in her act
Ol TatluCduOn III tne nhtno anu III Deuall Vi tlc
people Of Virginia declared that ''the powers
granted under the Constitution being derived
from the people Of the United States may be
resumed by them whensoever the same shall be
perverted TO their injury or oppression" Who,
was it feared, might pervert these granted pow
crs to the injury and oppression of the people
of Virginiai The majority of the Ssates by
their votes in the Congress, and in the election
Of the President Could Virginia mean that
only a majority Of the people Of these United
States" had the right to resume the powers
granted under the Constitution This construc-
ton would make their declaration idle and use
less, for that same majority could control the
action Of the Government and prevent the per-
version Of its powers. That Convention,
speaking in the name and in behalf of the
people of Virginia" must have intended to de-
clare that the people of Virginia had right to
resume the power which they had granted to
the Federal Government whenever the same
shall be perverted to their injury or oppression,
and used the phrase, ''the people of the United
States" to express double idea, declaring the
right Of the people Of Virginia, and admitting
A. - r. Al a.