The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1861-07-10

..TASir coHntrymen o}e GA ~ oc'a--
vi (her driven from tn homes OF our
birth by the oppressors ri our NAIVE
land, or revolving from tia Iyranic ues,
potism or the pretended nsn'ae,on Ia,
Of Europe, we ~ sous s,'e
and found new homes and asy ns ~ sne
far-famed, prosperous, and hitl ~ nap
py States of the Americal koiJ rioull-
ded upon the sacred primo sen
and of State soerel ny
which principle for eighty years Nve
been the bulwark and custodian Of <ne
personal liberties Of the American peN]
pie. North, South, East and West, as
well as ourselves, the sons of their adop-
ton.
The constitution which once n15fJ4
three sovereign States, neither Knew q
Northern nor o Southern section Of this
great country; it only knew its creators,
these sovereign States, to be equal and
supreme in their political copartnership,
united together for the specific purposes
of common defense and external protec-
tjsR0s,-1 his magnificent temple - IN
w VS. wcre as w s;s'iIii - sss.ssE
men, Germans, Poles and IrishmSn It's
structure, indeed, belongs to the Ameri-
can people; but its material, the sacred
principle of self-government, which I'M
|derIies it, as we'll as State sovereignty,
is the properly of all mankind It's nag,
which was adopted forty two years ago,
was designed to be the emblem of no
other union. 1t is no longer its conse-
Grated egis 1t was not the banner Of
our revolutionary sires; and it is not now
the bancroft human liberty, but the
symbol Of despotic tyranny. Those great
principles Of self-govcrnment and State
sovereignty, upon which alone the indi-
vidual liberty of man could have been
perpetuated, have been gradually over
turned by the selfish and unprncipled
agency Of Northern politicians, who, for
their own purpose, have inaugufated a
false policy, utterly adverse to the prin-
ciples of the constitution, and tendingI
strictly to the consolidation of al powers
in the Federal Goverment-thu, estab
fishing despotism precisely similar to
those Of Europe, which we had - ind;g-
nantly abandoned
The artful agitation of the African
slavery question was only an Instrument
cunningly devised and employeffor their
own purpose by selfish pohticaIschemersi
of the North, who for long years past,
have been undermining end working out
the destruction OF tie once glorious
Union of these soverigi States. Every
sincere patriot. and loser of human liber-i
~. must hope rliat sthcspeos1 ..s:...ea
ssr 5i- flysi iss,s = \ (nlcrcills
strife which their mad rulers have com
nenced) that the inconsiderate support
which they furnish to these rulcis, who
have so insanely rejected every amicablc
for settling these questions
Of State sovereignty, would ultimately
end m the destruction of their own indI-l
viduaI liberties, without the probability
Of ever restoring the Union they have
destroyed. Before, however, this expec-
tation can become a reality. and can
effect termination OF this dread
ful civil strife by rational and christian
it is our sacred duty, enuring
alike from our oath of allegiance TO SUPP
port the Constitution in its purity, as
well as from our obligations to human
liberty, to take sides with those States
Judging it impossible to secure their
principles Of State sover-
eighty within the Union, have now Sc
coded from its perverted and desecratcd
association Guided by these principles
and these considerations, which | eafn-
estly and sincerely believe to be right
and true, | have offered my service to-
the Confederate States of America, and
have accepted commission under their
directing me to raise, for the
period of war, twenty companies Of SCI
dicrs, to he formed into brigade, or to
raise two regiments, to be received into
their service, with the proper couple
mcnt Of officers.
sideration and approval, the foregoing
S Sas l. which sa...ss a asV
most earnestly invoke and call npon you
my fellow-exiles from the despotisms of
Europe, to unite yourselves with me in
the defense Of these same principles Of
and of State sovereign
ty which the glorious sires Of the first
revolution conided to the spe-
cial guardianship of our American fell
low-citizeas, as well as to- the defendants
Of all liberty-loving foreigners whose
ancestors mingled their blood with those |
American sires in their original cstab-
Iishmert. It's legacy bequeathcd to
MS all alike. Eighty years of its peace