Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-08-09
PROCLAMATION,

PROCLAMATION,
BY c. F..JACKsoN, GOVERNOR o. MISSOURI.
To the People Of Missouri:
Awaiting myself Of temporary cessation
In the military operations Of the forces Assem-.
bled under my proclamation of the 18th oi
June last, visited the capital Of the Confed
crate States with view to forward the nego.
tiations heretofore SO zsalously and ably con.
dCcted by our commissioner, Hon. E. c. Csbell
The warm interest taken in our welfare BY
our Southern sisters, already exhibited in the
advance of their armies to our aid, will result
in additional advantage to our cause. The
address issued to yeu on the 3lst ut, by Lieut.
Governor Reynolds. acting executive Of the
State in my absence, meets my entire approval.
From my personal knowledge Of the senti-
msnts aud wishes of our general assembly,
I'm convinced that could it now meet, it would
promptly follow the precedent set by our gal
LIANT sister State of Tennessee, and enact an
! ordnance Of separation from The northern
States Of the late Union, TO be submitted as
soon as practicable, to the people for ratihca
tion atthe polls. The opponents Of such an or
the action Of all of them, that the votes Of an
overwhelming majority of our people, If up-
biased by the fears which federal force in
! spires in some Of them, Cor even despite such
fe8rs) would be cast in its favor. In nv last
! conference with General Lyon | proposed to
[ aoIde by vote of our'peopIe on that question
his refusal indicates bis own convictions of
| what the result would BE-, for had be believed
Z theFesult would be in his favor, he as a psi-
I - d.rt
secure to the North so great and powerful a
State as Missouri by the cheap and bloodless
process Of apopular election.
But we have been left no choice in the mat
! ter. As the earlier unconstitutional acts of
/ violence and insult in Misso ri, under the
orders Of President Lincoln, had been perpe-
/ trated during the recess of the United States
congress, | hesitated to regard them az parts
Of tae policy Of the northern people and their
government. But their congress has now
I beeH0ver four weeks in session, and rot only
1 approving The conduct of their president, it
has adopted and prepared to carry out, Oh the
largest scale, his detestable principles of
action. Il has declared open war
upon rs and our insti utions, and ac-
cording, to all the rules which govern
4 the CONNECTIONS Of sovereign States united
1 in the same confederacy, it has discharged ms
4 of all obligation to it, and violently dissolved
'Fthe union Of Missouri with tae North. Il only
remains for US to take things as we find them,
scquiesce in the disunisn effected by the hos
tiiity of ting North, and formally announce it
to the worlas Z
Under an act Of the general assembly, con-
ventiOn was elected in February last, to meet
on The 28th Of the same month, "te consider
the then existing relations between the gov
| ernment OF the United States, the people and
governments of the different States and the
government and people of the State of Mis-
souri," It is unnecessary to discuss the extent
of the power vested ia that convention, as the
question has already been decided in principle
by the highest judicial authority known to US
! in tae late Union. In the case OF Rhode
Island, the supreme court of the United States
unanimously decided that Gin forming the con-
! stituti0ns Of the different States, after the
/ Declaration of Independence, aud in the Vari-
GUS changes and alterations which have since
| been MADE, the political department has al
ways determined whether the proposed consti-
tuition or amendment was ratified bg the
/ people of the State' The correctness OF
this decision is clear from the constitution
| of the United States. It provides for in
reference Of the general government to
protect a Sta'e against domestic violence
only, o. application of the legislature,
| or Of the executive (When the legislature
cannot be cOnVened.") In them resides the
right to determine whether acts done undes the
ordinances Of a convention are lawful, or mere
/ domestic violence" and insurrection. Tins
deriving all its authority from the permission
or recognition Of the political department Of
! our State governmet, the general assembly,
/ the convention was limited in its powers by
| the express terms Of the act creating 1t. The
1 right thus to limit was denied by few mem
] bers in debate, but was asserted bV the general
assembly in the very law itself declaring that
ono act, ordinance or resolution Of said con-
ventjon shall be deemed to be valid to change
/ or dissolve the political relations Of this State
! TO the government Of the United States, or any
/ other State, until majority Of the qualified
voters Of this State, voting upon the question,
| shall ratify the same" The convention was
given the power t. submit certain questions to
the people; but the general assembly never
abandoned its right also to do the same, or to
| confde like discretion TO aEy other body or
officer. The remnant left of the convention,
sitting under the visible control OF foreign
armed force, hostile to the political department
of the government Of Missouri, and to her peo-
pie, has veLtured on Measures derogatory to
the sovereignty OF the State, which it was
created TO Vindieats, and Injurious to her
institutions which it was in duty bound
to protect. II has assumed TO select out
of its own body and commission as governor
person who, by removing his residence and
family to Philadelphia had forfeited his citi-
zenship, even when elected to the convention,
and has aot heen as prescribed by the consti-
tuition, resident Of Missouri for at least four
years next before his election.
It has done this in order to give the Lincoln
government cloak for the continuance Of the
war against Missouri, by eridgingly furnish
lug the enemy pretended governor, who can
call upon Mr.. Lincoln for aid to war upon eur
/ regular authorities, under the pretense Of sup
pressing domestic violence. To enable this
person, very near connection of Mr.. Lin
coins attorney general, to become a uore
complete tool Of the abolition administration
the convention has assumed to abolish the
general assembly and leave the State without
a legislature for months to come. It thus as
sumes to change the political relations
OF TINS State to the government of the
United Ststes,o by abolsbing the legisla-
ture and changing the officer who alone
J has the right, when the legislature canaot be
convened, to bring in federal troops to inter-
/ fere in our domestic affairs Under the con-
Yentlon act these proceedings have, Of course
no validity, unless ratified by the people in a
manner consistent with the provisions of our
constitution, which announces as one Of "the
general, great, and essential principles Of lib
erty and free government" :" that " an elections
shall be free and equal"
lDe Iemhd nc or tue convention having thus
attempted to usurp authority never given it by
the political department Of the government OF
Missouri, or by the people, and large portior
Of its members having thus encouraged tht
rebellion against the State authorities, it mus
: henceforth be regarded as dissolved and at ar
end. As was well said to it by one OF its most
distinguished members, himself still an avoWeC
opponent OF secession, "Nothing that is
done by this convention, no matter what it;
/ action or non-action, has any more effect upoT
the condition of the people Of Missouri, thar
the stTeWing OF flowers upon dead horse witt
the view of rsYivifyiBg it. The people viii
, be amused, while they cannot be mocked BY
any temporzing efforts of this convention tC
calm the troubled waters OF this State 1t il
nothing in the world but an issue of the bay
onet."
By an act of the general assembly, mani.
mously passed at its last session, the governor
of the State was invested with extraordinary
, powers, designed to be sEHicient to meet any
emergency which might arise after It's sdjourn-
ment. While it could not constitutionallY
delegate its legislative power to an executive
ofncer, yet 1t could by it's own legislation, as il
habitually does, vest in such an oficer dis
eTetlon as to what he might DO in furtherance
OF an object designated by the legislature
HHelf, which, in this case, was to suppress the
rebellion and repel the invasion originated By
the Lincoln government, That government
having put Missouri cut Of the Union BY vio-
, latlng the constitution of tae United States
and OF this State, making war upon her, and
, declaring Ter out of it's protection, it is nv
, duty under that act, without awaiting the
meeting of the general assembly, to declare
the position which is the lepaI result NJ ~