Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-05-04
THE RICHMOND WHIG
MESSAGE OF THE pREssDENT.

MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.
Gentlemen of tie C.HgreSs:
II is my pleasing duty to announce to you that th
ConstituuoI framed for the establishment OF perIna
government for Confederate States has rat
fed by Convention in each OF those States to which
WAS referred. To insugurate the government u It's u
proportions and upon is own substantial basis OF tn,
popular will IL only remains that elections suOuld b,
held for The designation vi the officers administer it
There is every 10 believe that distant day
other States identified in political principles and
Eity interest with those which yCu represent will oii
this CUnedeIacy giving 10 typical constellation III
creased spiendorto its government Of iree equal
sovereign States widsr sphere OF useidness-aGd Il
the friends OF constitutional liberty greater security io
| its Harmonious aud perpetual existence
1t was not, however, for TIE purpose Of making th
announcement that | have deemed t my duty tC
cOnvoke you at an earlier day than that fixed by your
selves fer your meeting. The declaration Of MADE
against this Coniederacy by Abraham Lincoln, the Pres
luent OF the United States in his proclamation issued
the fifteenth day Of the present month, rendered it lie
cessay my Judgment that you should convene ut ht
earliest prdcucabio moment to devise measures Ee
| cessary for the defence OF the country.
The occasion is indeed extraordinary 1t justi
fes me i'll bIef review OF the relations here oiore
isting between and the States which nov unite II
warfare against u.s. aud in succlnct statement OF the
events which have resulted in this warfare TO the erd
that mankind may pass intelligent and impartial judg
| neut its motives and objects.
DuIiIg the wag.d against Great Britain by her
colonies on this continent, common danger impeled
them 10 close alliance and the formation OF cJnied
Grafton by the terms OF which the colonies, syliLg &
themselves States, entered seUsraiy into firm league
of friendship with other for their defence
the security OF their ioers, and their mutual aud gen
eral wtlfre, binding themselves to assist each other
pganst all force offered to attacks made upon them,
or any other preteIce whatever"
In OrdGr guard against mseonStruction Of their
compact, the several States made explicit declaraon in
distinct article, that each State realms It's sovereignty,
freedom, aud independ nee, and every power irstc-
ton aud right which is needed in this Confederation
pressiy deegaied the United States in Congress
| sembiUd.'
Under this contract Of alliance the of the revou-
ton successfully waged aid resulted IN ihc treaty Of
peace with Great Britain 7s3 by the of which
the several States were each by "G recognized to be
| independent
The articles Of confederation contained case where
by all alterations prohibited, unless confirmed by
the Legislatures Of tyty STATE after being eed 10 by
the Congress and IN OBJ donce TO this provision I'M
der the resolution of Congress OF the 2st February,
1884, the several States appointed delegates Who attend
ed Convention "for the sole and express purpose OF
ysng the articles Of confederation and reporting to
Cor aud the several Legislatures such alterations
and proviions therein shall when agreed to in Con-
gress and confirmed Jy he States, reader the Federal
Constitution adequate TO the exigences OF government
| and the preservation Of the Union"
IL by the delegates chosen by the ssrsrdi States
under The resolution just quoted that the Consultation Vi
the United States framed in l7S1, and submitted 10
the seUG! States for ratification shown by the THAR
| ticle which is in these words
"Thc ratification OF the CoHren'io's Of nine States
ahall be suicie for the establishment Of this Consu-
lion BETwuN II States Tatifyng the same"
have itdicis certain words in the quotations just
made for the rpose of attracting attention the sin.
guar and mark caution With which the States eudeav.
ored in every sbe FORM exclude the idea that the
separate snd ind pendent sovereignty of each State was
| merged into oni common government ard nation and
the dste eynced impress the Constitution
ia true charlcttr-tlat OF compact BETWEEN ndepen-
dent States.
The Coustitul on Of 1877 having, however, omitted
the clause alrey rected from the Articles of Conede-
ration which tovijed in explicit thai each Safe
retained its SOW eighty and independence, some alarm
was fe in the faies when invited to Tatiy the Ccnsli.
tu,;on lest thss omission should be construed into
abandonment i their cherished principle, and they
fused to be sat Med until GmIdmeDts added to tie
Constitution III cling beyond any pretence of doubt the
reservation by e States Of all their sovereign rights
and powers expressly delegated to the United States
By the Constt b ion.
| Strange udE d mus. it appear 10 the impartial OBJ
server but the less true, that all these
fully worded Rnses proved uuEvairg TO prevent the
| rise and gToWE in the Northern States Of political
school which L persistently claimed that the govern
ment thus for b. a compact JstgeeH States but
was ia eiisc; Pnaiiona gov rnmeut up above and
over tie Sack An organization created by The States
to secure the blessings OF liberty and independence
against foreg kaggreson has been gradually perverted
into uach or thtir control in their mestc alirs
the creature n been exalted above its creators; the
DrncDlis hs been made subordinate to the agent p
| pointed by th Eiselyes
| The pcoplaE the Sou herD States whose almost ex.
elusive Occur on agriculture, early perceived ten
Gency in tie rhern States to render the gov
erpment ubsi Went 20 their own puposes by impoi0g
burthebs on J Bmerce protection their manuiac-
turing and s4opog interests Long and angry contrO
yersy grew Of these attempts often successful, TO
benefit one ion of the country at the expense OF the
other And IL Q danger OF disrupton arising from this
cause was need by the fact 5at the Northern popu-
laon was ir asing by immigration and other IN
greater rat than the population of the South. BY de-
prees as the orlhern States gained prepouderauce in
the National ongress senterest taught their people
to yield read to any plausible advocacy ot their
rght as 10 ri,y to govern the minority without
troll they 2ned 10 listen with impatence 10 the suses-
ton of auy lusttuoral inpediment the exercise Of
their will 81 so utterly have the principles of the Con-
stution bek corrupted in the Northern mind that in
the raugurf address delivered by President Lincoln in
| March last asserts az an axiom, which he plainly
deems TO btlndeuilble that the theory Of the Consu-
ton rt aurt hat in all cases the ma oy shall govern
and in auo, memorable instance the Chief Iagis-
traie did M hesitate lken the relations between
State and ~ United States to those which exist between
| copnty ali the State in which il is situated and by
which il wed created This is the amentabe and fund
mental erro3on which ress the policy that has eliminated
in his eca {iion OF against these Confederate States
| In addti4h 10 the long continued and deep seated
eli by the Southern States the persistent
abuse Of III powers ey had delegated TO the Congress
for the pu$ 1se of curchng the manufacturing and ship
ming clas, e the North at the expence Of the South,
there has listed for uearly half century another sub
sct of d Ird involving interests of such trauscendent
mapoiuG AS at all times to the apprehension in
the ind many devoted lovers Of the Union, that its
| pe.nGnen1s was impossible
wien Je several States delegated certain powers to
tho Unitet States Congress- large portion of the labor
inc popueio consisted of African slaves imported into
bc color ty the mother country. In twelve, out Of
rho tbrteln States negro slavery existed aud the right
NJ nronrr{ In slaves was protected by law. This pro-
nertv waJrecoguzed in the Constitution and provision
maGs sglilst its loss oy he escape OF the saves
The ncrs se in the number of slave by further importa
on FROM Africa was also secured by clause forbdding
ConoresLo nrobbit the slave trade anterior to cerGu
d,tc. ana In no clause eau there be found any delega
ion Of u.wer 10 the Congress authorizing il in any
nor IN l. slate TO the pref udice, detrmenL dscour
or.menttof the owners of that species OF property OF
cyclrdrt Il from The protection OF the government.
The climate and soil Of the Northern States soou
nroved ,,ppropCus to the continuance o slave labor
whilst tL; converse the at the South. Under
the nnrstrcted free Intercourse between the two sec
lions th Northern States consulted their own interest
nv seirr their slaves TO the South and prohibiting
slavery ;ill in their limits. The South willing pur
ebasers of properly suitable to their wants and paid
the prica of The acquisition without harborng susp
con thaa their quiet possession was to be disturbed by
,bosa ", were Inhibited not only by want of ccns
utonal authority, but by good faith 81 vendors, from
disqueting title emanating from themselves.
As soon, however, the Northern sietes that pro,
bib;ted African slavery within their limits bad reached
a number sufficient TO give their representation con
trolling voice in tle Congress, persistent and organ
lied sytem of hostile measures sgans the rights OF the
owners of slaves in the Southern States naugUrated