New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-08-10
Declaration Of Independence of the State
of Missouri. #&

|
In the exercise Of the right reserved to the peo.
| pie Of Missouri by the treaty under which the
United states acquired the temporary dominion of
the country west of the Mississippi river in trust
for the several soyegn States, afterwards to he
formed out Of it, that people did, on the twelfth
day Of June, one thousand eight hundred and
twenty. g mutually agree to form and establish
free and independent republic by the name Of the
State Of Missouri.'' On the tenth day Of August.
eighteen hundred and twenty lone, the State was
duly admitted into the Union Of the United States
Of America under the compact called the CoDsti
tuition of the United States and ION an equal
footing with the original States in all respects
/ whatever" The freedom. independence and SOW
ereigntg of Missouri, and her equality with the
not only by that Constitution, but by the law of
nations requiring the sacred observance Of treaties.
In repeated instances, the Government and peo-
ple Of the States now remaining in that Union
have grossly violated in their conduct toward the
people and State of Missouri, both the Constitution
of the United States and that of Missouri, as well
az the general great and essential principles of
liberty and free government. Their President,
Abraham Lincoln, in avowed defiance Of law and
the Constitution of the United States, and under
the tyrants plea Of necessity has assumed to regu
late commerce with foreign nations and among
the several States, stopping by violence our trade
with our Southern neghbors, and deprivilg our
citizens Of the right secured to them by special,
solemn compact with the United States, TO the free
navigation Of the Mississippi river He has usurped
power granted exclusively to Congress in declsr
ing war against the Confederate States; to carry
on this unholy attempt to reduce free people
into slavish subection to him. he has in Ike VIC
lation Of the Consultation, raised and supported
armies, and provided and maintained a navy. Re
gardess Of the9rght reserved to the States respect
ively, Of training the militia and appointing its
officers, he has enlisted and armed, contrary to
law, under the name of Home Guards, whole regi-
of men, foreigners and others, in our State,
to defy the constitutional authorities, and plunder
and murder citizens. BY armed force and
actual bloodshed, he has even attempted to de-
prive the people of their right to keep and bear
arms in conformity to State law and to form
well regulated militia necessary to the security of
a free State. With his sanction his soldiers have
been quartered in houses without the consent OF
the owners thereof and without any authority of
law.
Tie right of the people to be secure in their per-
sons, houses, papers and effects against unreason
able searches and seizure, has been hsbitually and
grossly violated by his officers acting under his
orders. He has utterly ignored the binding force
Of constitutional State laws and carried his in
science TO such extent az to introduce, from
other States, free negroes into our midst and place
them in positions of authority over our white cit
Zens. lie has encouraged the stealing Of our slave
| property. In these and other proceedings the
Government and people Of the Northern States
have Unmstakably shown their intention to over
turn the social institutions of Missouri and reduce
her white citizens to an equality with the blacks.
In the execution of his despotic wishes, MS agents,
without even rebuke from him, have exhibited a
brutality scarcely credible of nation pretending
to civilization. Even women, and children of ten
der age have fallen victims to the unbridled license
of his unfeelng soldiery. He has avowedly under
taken to make the civil power subordinate 10 the
l | military: and with the dcsnicable and coWardy
design Of thus protecting himself and his accom-
pces, by binding the consciences OF the unhappy
victims of his tyranny, he has eEaced from peace
tu citizens guilty OF no crime, oath TO support
, his detestable Government. To crush out even
peaceful and lawful opposition to it, he has torclbly
and unconsttutonaly suspended the privilege of
= the writ of habeas corpus and abridged the tree
/ dom of speech and of the press by sublecIng nno-
v cent citizens to punishment for mere opinions sake,
y and by preventing the publication of newspapers
independent enough to expose his treason to liberty
These manifold and inhuman wrongs were long
= submitted to in patience, and almost in humility
| by the people Of Missouri and their authorities
; Even when the conduct Of the Lincoln Government
d had eliminated in an open war upon u.s. those an
e thOrites offered to its military commander in Mi
souri, refer the people OF the State for decision
: the question of our separation from government
d and nation thus openly hostile to us. Those au
l. thorites relied the principles cONsacrated in the
0 Declaration of Independence Of the United States
Y that TO secure the rights of the citizen govern
+ ments instituted among men, deriving thelI
n just powers from the consent OF the governed
1t that. whenever any form OF government becomes
destructive of these ends, If Is the right OF the
people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new
government, laying its foundation on such prnci
pies and organizing its powers in such form, as t
# them shall seem most likely to effect their safet,
and happiness" Missouri having an admitted
Il equality with the original States which had made
this declaration it was hoped that the rights there
Her authorities also relied On the clause III the yer,
J, constitution with which she was admitted into th
Union, asserting as one of the general, great ana
essential principles of liberty and free government
J. 90 that the people of this State have the Inherent
t sole and exclusive right of regulating the interna
government and police thereof, and Of altering aho
=? ahoshng their constitution and form Of govern
ment whenever may be necessary to their safety
e and happiness But this military commander
l. haughtily refused the consent OF his government tc
n the exercise by us of these rights which our an
n in t1,h Iacf n
e war to vndicate. He but expressed, however, thu
+ deliberate purpose of his masters at Washlngto!
" and the people over which they rule; for his pre-
l. decessor at St. Louis had few weeks before, for
+, mally proclaimed to people that our equality
l. with other States would be ignored, that we shou
N be held in subjecton to the North, even though
s. the Independence of our Southern sister States
g. might be acknowledged; that to use his owl
< words, " whatever may be the termination OF tn
n unfortunate condition of things in respect to tn
te so-caled Cotton States, Missouri must share tn
destiny of the Union y that the free will of he
to people shoud not decide her future but that " th
A. whole power of the government of the Unitet
it States if necessary, will be exered to maintain
d. Missouri in her present position IN the Union" il
subsection to the tyranny Of the North.
The acts of President Lincoln have been en-
dorsed by the Congress and people of the Northern
States, and the war thus commenced by him ha
lg been made the act of the government and natio
a. over which he rules. They have not only adopte
H. this war, but they have gone to the extreme of in
I'll citing portions OF our people to revolt against tn
10 tanned control of the remnant left of a c0nventio
deriving its powers from those authorities, an
using it tool, they have through it set up an in
"a surrectionary government in open rebellion agains
Sd the State. No alternative is left u.s. mus
y draw the sword and defend our sacred rights.
~ By the recognized universal public law OF al
40 the earth, war dSsolVes all political c0npactS
= Our forefathers gave one of their grounds TO
y asserting their independence, that the King o
Great Britain had abdicated government here BY
le declaring us out of his protection, and wagng wa
Is upon us.n The people and government of th'
et Northern States of the late Union have acted il
III the same manner toward Missouri, and have dis
IT, solved by war, the connection heretofore existing
between her and them.
G. The General Assembly of Missouri, the recog
"A nized political department of her government, b.
m an act approved May 10th, 1861 entitled " An ac
ID to authorize the Governor of the State of Missoul
rs to suppress rebellion and repel invasion,'' ha
III vested in the Governor, in respect to the rebeliO
and invasion now carried on in Missouri by tn
IS government and people OF the Northern States an
IL their allies the authority " to take such measure
y, as in his Judgment he may deem necessary o
proper to repe such Invasion or put down such re
Ill belion."
ri Now, therefore, by virtue of the authority in m
" 70 vested by said act, ; Claiborne F. Jackson Cover
+" nor of the State Of Missouri, appealing TO tn
w Sunrpma Tudrn pf thn world the rpHtitJlP o