The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-03-02
MIR. JEFFERSON DAVIS.

The mock President of the "Confederate
States' put on lofty airs. lie talks as VAL
iantly as Ancien: Pistol. lie is apparently
unconscious Of the fictitious character OF
his authority, like the m ock king in the play,
whom certain jolly wags actually persuaded
that he had suddenly come INTO the actual
possession Of roya! prerogatlves.
What is this Mr.. Davis? lie was once a
man of fair reputation, certainly, and has
rendered the State some service. But what
is be now? What does he imagine himself
to be doing? Every power which he at
nary citizen is sheer usurpation. lie has
not even a pretense Of any right to rule by
the popular suffrage of the little segment Of
country in behalf of which he assumes to
speak. Even the monarchies of Europe
now appeal to universal suffrage rs the au-
thority for a change Of rulers. Louis Ma
poleon did this, when he trampled under
foot the Constitution of the French Repub
lie. The people Of Tuscany, and the Ro-
magma, and Of other portions Of Italy,
were asked to express, by their votes, their
wishes rs to receiving Victor Emanuel for
their king. But in the new Republic Of
Cottonia the peoples wishes are not asked.
A few politicians get together, in an irrcg-
ular, caucus fashion, select q President, and
''inaugurate' him, without the remotcst
pretensc Of popular vote in favor OF the
proceeding. The people have not been al
lowed, in q solitary one Of these States,
even to express their will aud pleasure i'll
regard to secession.
This Mr.. Davis-Gcu. Jefferson Davis
comes forward and ratiics this caucus de-.
cree, this election By cabal OF politicians,
self called Congress, itself never so much
rs informally elected by the people. lie
seizes the power thus rendered him by n
knot of conspirators, and cannot even wait
for the ceremony Of instalment 10 his
usurped authority before proclaiming war
against the country whose Constitution he
is under the most solemn obligations to
support. In advance, he has announced to
the populace that we of the law-nbidng
States, should "smell Southern powder and
feel Southern steel" He will have no COM
promise. lie ieers at reconstruction.
Nothing will satisfy him but the uncondi-
tional submission Of the loyal States. He
is for revolutionary coercion, and with all
the ardor and ambition Of q military chief
tain bent upon winning crown, and adding
tyranny to usurpa'ion.
This bel,igercns usurper, who assumes to
speak for six States and two millions Of
white people, holding Tor held by) as many
more negro slaves, in dcfying twenty eight
loyal States, inhabited by twen.y-six mill
ions Of white people, was "inaugurated" in
bis wouid-be bloody career yesterday. He
issued an 'sinaugual address," In this ef-
fort, his brief triumphal march across the
State of Mississippi and part Of Alabama
has eliminated. Never was there a more
bitter mockery of truth than the words ut
tered on that occasion. Il was adding
insult to the wrongs this Machiave llian
harangue was intended to gloss over. Il,
was intending to blind the eyes Of IN exci..
ed, ,ickled populace, 20 the prosp ecs. before
them. Never was the First Consul of France,
probably, 80 filed with eager aspirations for
imperial honors, as the fallen JEFF. Davis
now il to assume a king|y sway over the
Southern people whose rights be has, with
devilish cunning, already !fampled beneath
bis feet, yet under rre.sDse Of their
consent.
We do not suppose that this va,like dem.
onssra:ion Of Davis, this prompt declaration
against oil compromise, concilia.ion, and
reconstruction, will have q particularly
winning effect upon the loyal States Of the
South. This 10 not the entertainment TO
which they have been inviting moderate
people of the North Cincinnati Ccsetis.