Constitutional Whig

Extract from the message of Governor Troup of Georgia, to the Legislature of that State, convened at Milledgeville, on the 23d of May last.

"Since your last meeting our feelings have been again outraged by officious and impertinent intermeddlings with our domestic concerns. Besides the resolution presented for the consideration of the Senate by Mr. King of New York--it is understood that the Attorney General of the U. States, who may be presumed to represent his Government faithfully, and to speak as its mouth piece, has recently maintained before the Supreme Court, doctrines on this subject, which, if sanctioned by that Tribunal, will make it quite easy for the Congress by a short decree, to divest this entire interest without cost to themselves of one dollar, or of one acre of public land. This is the uniform practice of the Government of the United States--if it wishes a principle established which it dare not establish for itself, a case is made before the Supreme Court, and the principle once settled, the act of Congress follows of course. Soon, very soon, therefore, the United States' Government, discarding the mask, will openly lend itself to a combination of fanatics for the destruction of everything valuable in the Southern country. One movement of the Congress unresisted by you, and all is lost. Temporize no longer--make known your resolution that this subject shall not be touched by them but at their peril--but for its sacred guarantee by the constitution we never would have become parties to that instrument--at this moment you would not make yourselves parties to any constitution without it--of course you will not be a party to it from the moment the General Government shall make the movement.

If this matter be an evil it is our own--if it be a sin we can implore the forgiveness of it; to remove it we ask not either their sympathy or assistance--it may be our physical weakness--it is our moral strength. If like the Greeks and Romans the moment we cease to be masters we are slaves--we thenceforth minister like the modern Italians to the luxury and pleasures of our masters--poets, painters, musicians and sculptors we may be--the moral qualities, however, which would make us fair partakers of the grandeur of a great empire would be gone--We would stand stripped and desolate under a fervid sun and upon a generous soil; a mockery to ourselves, and the very contrast of what, with a little firmness and foresight, we might have been.

I entreat you, therefore, most earnestly, now that it is not too late, to step forth: and having exhausted the argument, to stand by your ARMS."