Address of the committee appointed by the Friends of Southern Rights to the people of Mississippi, December 10th, 1850. : published by order of the Central Southern Rights Association. Page: 11 of 13
This pamphlet is part of the collection entitled: Sam Lanham Collection - Civil War Era Pamphlets and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Schreiner University.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
ii
I1
Non-action, beyond that point, will be unconditional submission.
If w.> would remain a free people, we must then resort to such
remedies, as, under existing circumstances, should then promise to
Le most effectual.
The Federal Union is formed of equal, independent sovereign-
ties. The constitution is the bond of union. When that is viola-
ted, the Union is broken. It is the right of the States to judge, in
the last resort, of infractions of the constitution. The Union must
rest on the consent of the parties to the compact. As each State
acceded to the constitution, and became a member of the Union
voluntarily, each one may, in the exercise of its high, sovereign
right, withdraw from the Union, without any violation of obligation
to those which remain ; and if justice and good faith shall govern
their intercourse, there can be no occasion for hostile collision.
This is the doctrine of the fathers of the constitution. Mr.
Madison says : "It appears to be a plain principle, that when re-
sort can be had to no tribunal superior to the authority of the par-
ties, the parties themselves must be the rightful judges in the last
resort, whether the bargain has been preserved or violated."
Mr. Jefferson says : "In this, as in other cases of compact
among parties having no common judge, each party has an equal
right to judge for itself as well of infractions, as the mode and mea-
sure of redress." Several of the States at the time of the adop.
tion of the constitution also expressly claimed the right to resume
the power granted under the constitution. Hence it follows that
the right to secede belongs to every member of the Union, and
that it is a right never given up. But the expediency of the exer-
cise of this right is quite a different question. We are by no
means prepared to recommend to the people of Mississippi at this
time, to take this step in advance of her sister States, even should
our complaints go unheeded; but as a measnre of precaution, it
will become the duty of the convention to act with reference to -
the consequences of a refusal, on the part of the Government of
the United States, to redress these grievances, and to afford guar-
antees for our future protection and safety, and to that end to pro-
vide for the appointment of delegates, whose duty it shall be, in
case of such refusal, to meet the delegates of the other Southern
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This pamphlet can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Pamphlet.
Clayton, A. M.; Barton, Roger.; Stewart, T. Jones; McRae, John J., 1815-1868.; Clifton, C. R.; Smith, C. P. et al. Address of the committee appointed by the Friends of Southern Rights to the people of Mississippi, December 10th, 1850. : published by order of the Central Southern Rights Association., pamphlet, December 10, 1850; Jackson, [Miss.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth497711/m1/11/?q=+date%3A1845-1860: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Schreiner University.