The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1861-02-28
Inaugural Address Of President Davis.

The Inaugural ceremonies were the
grandest pageant ever witnessed in the
South. An immense crowd gathered on
Capitol Hill, consisting of the beauty and
gallantry of the State. The military and
citizens of the different States were fully
represented. President Davis commenced
his Inaugural precisely at one o'clock.
He said:
Gentlemen of the Congress of the C0nfed-
crate States Of America-Friends and Eel
zow- Citizens: Called to the difficult, respon-
sible station of Chief Executive of the
Provisional Government which you have
initiated, approach to discharge the du-
ties assigned me with humble distrust OF
my abilities, but with suitable confidence
in the wisdom of those who are to guide
and aid me in the administration of pub
lie affairs, and an abiding faith in che vir-
tue and patriotism of The people. Look
ing forward to the speedy establishment
Of permanent Government to take the
place of this, and which by its greater
moral and physical power, will be better
able to combat with the many difficulties
which may arise from the conflicting in
terests of separate nations, I enter upon
the duties of the office to which I have
been chosen, with the hope that the be-
ginning of our career as q Confederacy
may not be obstructed by hostile opposi-
ton to our enjoyment of separate exist
ence and independence, which we have
asserted, and with the blessing Of Provi-
dence intend to maintain. Our present
condition has been achieved in manner
unprecedented in Che history of nations,
illustrating the American idea, that Gov
ernment must rest upon The consent of
the governed, and that it is right that
people should alter or abolish Govern
ments whenever they become destructive
of the ends for which they were estab-
lished. The declared purpose Of the COM
pact of the Union from which we have
Withdrawn was, to establish justice, ensure
domestic tranquility, provide for common
defence, promote general welfare, and Sc
cure the blessings of liberty for ourselves
and our posterity,; and when, in the judg-
ment of the sovereign States now COM
posing this Confederacy, it had been per-
verted from the purposes for which it was
ordained, and ceased to answer the ends
for which it was established, and peace
full appeal to the ballot box declared that
SO far as they were concerned the Govern
ment created by that compact should
cease to exist, in this they merely asserted
the right which the Declaration of Inde-
pendence of Seventeen Hundred and Sew
enty-Six (1776) defined to be inalienable.
OF the time and occasion of it's exercise,
they as sovereign4 were the final judges
of each for itself. The impartial and en-
ightened verdict of mankind will vindi-
cate the rectitude of our conduct, and He
who knows the hearts of men will judge
Of the sincerity with which we labored to
preserve the Government of our fathers in
its spirit.
The right solemnly proclaimed at the
birth of States, and which has been
affirmed and reafirmed in the bill Of
rights of States, subsequently admitted
into the Union of 1889, undeniably recog-
nize in the people the power to resume
the authority delegated for purposes of
Government. Thus the Sovereign States
here represented have proceeded to form
this Confederacy, and it is by an abuse OF
language that their act has been denom-
mated revolution" They formed no
new alliance, but within each State its
Government<has retained the rights Of
the person and property, which has not
been disturbed The agent through whom
they communicated with foreign nations
is changed, but this does not necessarily
interrupt their international relations, sus-
tanned by the consciousness that transi-
tion from the former Union to the present
Confederacy, did not proceed from any
disregard on our part Of such obligations,
or any failure to perform every constitu-
tional duty, moved by no interest OF pas
sion to invade the rights Of others; anx-
ious to cultivate peace and commerce with
all nations, if we may not hope to avoid
war, we may, at least, expect that posteri-
ty will acquit us of having needlessly en-
gagged in it. Doubly justified by the alb
1890 of ,unoroe OF, or1r 1oart and hv Wan-