Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-08-13
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF TEE
STATE OF MISSOURI.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF TEE
STATE OF MISSOURI.
It. the exercise Of the right reserved the people OF
Missouri by the treaty under which the United States
the Assssppi nveT IN trust for thsssvsral sovereign
Safes afterwards TO be formed out Of IT, that people
did the twelfth day Of June one thousapd eight hun
dred and twenty iautuay agree 10 form and establish
free and independent republic, BY the name Of the
STATE Of Missouri 90 the tenth day Of Augu9t eighteen
hundred and twsntyens, the State duly admitted
into The Union Of tbs United States OF Amercs under
=. ..l.d Ale Constitution o. the Uaited States
aud equal footing with the original States In all
respects whatever" TIE freedom, independence and
sovereignty Of Missouri aud her equality with the other
Satss OF the Union, we're thus guaranteed not only by
that Consti,utoD but BY the law OF nations requiring
the sacred observance OF treaties.
In repeated Instances, the government and people Of
toe States now remaining In that Union have grossy
violated In their conduct toward the people and State
Of Missouri, both the constitution OF the United States
and that Of Missouri well the general great and
essential principles of lbsrty and free govsnnsnt-
Their President Abraham Lincoln, in avowed defiance
Of law and the constitution OF the United States, and
under the trans pos Of necessity has assumed to
gulate commerce with foreign nations and among the
SEVERAL States, soVns by violence our trade witt our
Southern neighbours and deprirng citizens Of the
right secured TO then by spscia, solemn compact
with the United State, to the free navigation OF the Mis-
ssapp river He has usurpsd power granted exclusively
70 Congress in declaring against the Confederate
States carry this unhoy attempt TO reduce free
psope into saysh subsection TO him. he has In like viola
ton OF the conltutiou raised and supported armies
aud provided and maintained q navy. Regardless Of
the right reserved to the States respectively Of training
the militia ard appointing it, officers, he has enlisted
and armed, contrary to Law, under the name oil Home
Guards whole regiments Of men, foreigners aud others
in State, to defy the constitutional authorities and
plumber aud murder cit zsns BY armed force aud
actual boodshed be has Attempted TO deprive the
people Of their right to keep and bear In oonform
~ TO State lava, and to form we'll regulated militia
csssary the security o. free State. With bis
lion his soldiers have bss qusrefsd in bcu,ss withsnt
the consent of the swns thereof and without any
thorty of law. The right Of tbe psope to be 10
thsir p,uon' houses papers and effects, against
nablo searches and szlrss, has been habualy and
grossly violated by his ocss acting under bis orders
he has utterly Ignored the bndir force Of conru.
tena laws and carried bis insoenes to such extent
induce from other S:atss free negroes into
midst and place than In positions Of authority
white citizens. He has encouraged tie stealing Of
our slave properly. In these and other pro-
ossdpgs the Government and people Of the
Northern States have unniasksbly shswn their
intention TIE social institutions Of Missouri
and reduce her white c:zens to equality with the
blacks In the execution Of bis despoic wishes, bis
gents without rebuks from him, have erhibitsda
brutality scarcely credible OF nation pretending civ
fl'zation. Even women, and children Of tender age,
have fallen victim 70 he unbrdl,d lceuss OF h, uaI
feeling, solaisry he has avows y undertaken TO make
the civil power sut ordinate to the military, and with
the despieabe and covardly design Of thus protecting
himself and his acoompce, by binding the eonsciences
OF the unhappy victims Of bus tyranny, he has erected
rsm peappfu ptssrs guilty OF no crime, an oath to
support his dstssabls government To crush out even
peaceful and lawful oppoi ion to IT, he has forcby and
unconstitutionsy suspended the privilege Of the writ
OF habeas corpus and abridged the freedom Of speech
and of The by subj citing INNOCENT citizen, TO pua
shlent fof opinions sake and BY preventing the
publication Of newspapers independent enough to expose
bis treason 10 liberty.
These manifold and iahumsp wrongs we're long sub.
United 10 " pstloHce, and almost in humility, BY the
people of Missouri and their authorities. Even when the
conduct OF the Lincoln government had eliminated In
On open war upon Vs. those authorities offered to It's mill
ary commander In Missouri TO refer to the people Of the
State for decision the question Of our separation from
government and nation thus openly hostile to u.s. Tboss
authorities relied on the principles consscraAd In the
Declaration Of Independence Of the United States that
to secure he rights Of the citizen, governments TO-
sttued among men, deriving their just powers frsm the
consent Of the governed that wheoeyer suy form Of
government bscomss destructive OF thssa ends Il 10 the
right Of the people TO alter or abolish IT, and to ssu
new goversmsnt laying u foaadllion on such priuoI.
PIES and organizing its powers In such form, TO them
shall seem most likely TO effect their safety and hspp
hses." Missouri having al admitted squaisy with the
original States which had made this declaration IL was
hoped that the rights therein would not be dsrsd
to her people Her authorities also relied the clause Ia
the very constitution With which shs admitted into the
Union asserting a. one Of tbs general ges. aud ssssn,
principles of liberty and free KoSernmeut that the people
Of this State have the inherent sole and exclusive right Of
regulating the Internal governments and the poss thereof
and Of altering and aboishing their constitution aud
form Of government Ehsnsvsr It may be necessary 70
their safety and h,ppins" Bat this military commsn,
der hsughuy refused the Sopssnt Of bis government
the exercise by Of these rights which our ancestors
In the last century endured eight year, war vndi
cate he but expressed. however, the deliberate pur-
pose Of bis masters Washington and the people over
which they rue fos bis pesdecsssof ct st. Louls had
few weeks before, formally proclaimed TO our people
that our equality With other States would be ignored
that We should b held In subsection 70 the North even
though the ndsnAndsaos of our Southern sister States
might be seknnvtdos}, that to use his own verbs
"shatever may be tha tsrnlnsdon af the unfortunate
condition Of things In respect TO the ssalied Gotten
States hssour must sAAre tho destiny Of the Unop;"
future but t.s"tka whole OF the government Of
the United States II necessary will be eIsrsed TO main
tain Missouri in hAr position 10 the Union" 10
suhj.ction to the tyranny Of the North
The acts Of President Lincoln have been Endorsed BY
the Congress and people Of the Northern States and the
thus commenced by him has been made the act Of
the government aud nation over which hs rulss They
have not only adopted this war; but they have zone 70
the extreme Of melting portions Of our people 70
volt against the State authorities BY intimidation they
have obtained control Of tho remnant left Of conven
ton deriving It's powers from these authorities and using
tool they have through set up ah insurrseon.
airy government open rebellion against the State No
slterpsvs 10 left ISL must draw The sword and d.
fsnd osr sacred rigtn. -"
BY the recogu, ID universal public lay o all tine ssrth
war dissolves all pblited oompscs. Our forefatheT
gave of thsIr grounds for asserting their lnde.
psndsnce, that the King Of Great Britain had abdc,tsd
government hsrs by declaring out Of his protection,
and raging var upop M The peoule and government
of the Northern States Of the late Union have acted In
the same manner toward Missouri and have dissolved
By war the oeansstsa hssssfcn sxisdng between Der
and them, f