The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-06-26
Major Toebman Countrymen

This distinguished P0lasaef, WHO has tormany years
beer II this county, ana who is one OF the most accoiH
rshed soldiers and engineers now init has as we nave
already noticed cast his fortunes with and determines
give his aid to the Confederate States IN their present
struggle for independence
Fellow countrymen of the Old World
Whether driven from the home of our birth by the
oppression of our native land, or revolving from the
tyranuic deSpotsms or to the pretended constitutional
monarchies OF Europe we have sought and found new
homes and asyums in the tar-famed, prosperous aho
hitherto happy States of the American Unlon-louaeu
upon the sacred principles OF selfgoyerment ana OF
State sovereignty which principles tor eghy years nave
been the buwar and custodian of the personal Liberties
of the American people north SOUTH east and west as
well as ourseIYes-the sons of their adoption The con
stitution which once united these sovereign states
neither knew northern southern secuoh OF tis
great country it only knew its creators these sovereign
States to be equal and supreme III their potlcal copar
nershp united together for the specific purposes Oh
common defence and external protection. This mag
nfcent temple of human liberty was established ana
cemented by the precious blood OF revolutionary sfes
who were as well Americans as frenchmen, Germans,
Poles and Irishmen. Its structure, indeed, belongs 10
the American people, but its MATERIAL the sacred prnc
pie of sefgoYernment which underies 1t, as well as
that of State sovereignty the property OF all mankind
Its flag which adopted eghty-two years ago. was de-
signed to be the emblem of other Union 1t Is nc
longer its consecrated @gs 1t was not the banner OF
our revolutionary sres and it IS not now the banner OF
!
Those great principles of selfgoYernment and State
sovereignty, upon which alone the individual liberty Of
could have been Eerpetuated have been gradually
overturned by the selfish and unpuncpled agency OF
northern politicians Who for their own purposes, nave
inaugurated false policy utterly adverse to the prnc
pies of the constitution and tending directly to the
sodation of all power in the federal goVernment-thus
establishing despotism precisely similar TO these e
Europe, which we had so Indignantly abandoned
The artfu agitation of the African slavery question
was only instrument cunningly devised and employed
for their own purposes by selfish political schemers Of
the north which for long years past have been under
mining and working cut the destruction OF the once
glorious Union of these sovereign States. Every sin
cere patriot and loveru human liberty must hope that
the people of the north may yet discover lin time to ar
rest the awful calamity 0fnernecine STRIFE which thei
mad rulers have commenced,f that the lnconsderate
support which they furnish to those rulers, who have 50
nsanely rejected every amcabe proposition for settling
these questions of State sovereignty would ultimately
end in the destruction OF their own individual liberties
without the probability Of ever restoring the Union they
have thus destroyed Before however, this expectation
can become a reality and can possibly effect terTnina
ton of this dreadful civil strife by rational and christian
principles it is sacred duty ensuing alike from ouI
oath of allegiance to support the consttuuonlnts purity
as well as from our obligations TO human liberty to take
sides with those States which, judging it impossible to
secure their fundamental prncpeso OF State sovereignty
within that Union have now seeded from its perverted
and deseeraed association. Guided by these principles
and thcseconsde1ations which Earnestly and sincerely
believe to be right and true have offered my services
to the Confederate States OF America and have accepted
commission under authority directing metorase,
for the period Of the war twenty companies of soldiers
to be formed into brigade to raise two regiments,
to be received into their service with the proper
pement of men.
Respectfully submitting for your consideration and
approval the foregoing views which constitute the prn-
ciples Of my determination and my action, now most
earnestly invoke and call upon you, my fellowexles
from the deposm of Europe to unite yourselves with
me in defence Of these principles of selfgovern-
ment and Of State Sovereignty which the glorious sires
of the first American revolution contded to the special
guardianship Of our Amercantelow citizens well as
Of the descendants Of all those lberyloyng foreigners
whose ancestors mingled their blood with those Ameri-
can sires in their original establishment is alegacy
beQueathed all alike, Eighty Years Of its peaceful
enjoyment has proved its priceless value Itshould be
upheld with all our devotion until the people of the north
shall discover and understand the selfish Vaccinations
of their unpriucpled political rulers, and shall finally
comprehend their own delusiou and return repentant
to that glorious temple CT worship by Washing
ton Lafayette Kosciusko, Pulaski DeKalb and all the
ilustrious compeers Of Revolutionary glory.
Your alfcctionate and berty-loving fcow-citizen,
q. TOCHMAN,
Major Of the Polish army in 1881.