Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-02-19

- O - -
4 Declaration 81 inc aases which
iFiRel the state Of Texas TO seceas
rhs FedcrRt Union-
The Government ofthe United States, by GER
tain joint resolutions, bearing date on IN Gre.
day Of March, 10 the year A. y. 1915, proposes
to the Republic Of Texas, then a free. soyersicr
and independent nation, the annexation ~
the latter 20 the former, as one Of The co-equa
States thereof.
The people oe Texas, by deputies in conven.
tioa assembled, on the fourth day OF July II
the same year, assented TO and accepted al
proposals., and formed a constitution FOR m,
proposed State, upon which, on the 2eth day y
December, Of the same year, said STATE vas
formally received into the eoDfederaied Union.
Texas absndonde her separate national ex-
istenee and consented to become enc ef tn
confederated States, to promote her %,VeIfsTs'
insure domestic tranquility aAd seeafe more
sHbstantiallythe blessings Of liberty and peaee
to her people. She was received info the con-
federaey, with her own constitution. under n
guarantees Of the Federal Constitution and M
compact OF annexation, that she should spiov
these blessings She was received as a com
monRealth holding, maintaining and protect
ing the institution known as negro slaverv=
las aefwtude Of the African to the white raes
1900 - NANeA ANlatluu NIhLl mas eTlafe0
from the fret settlement Of her wilderness ~
TIE white race, and which her people Intended
mould continue 20 exist in all future time.
Her institutions aud geographical position es-
taohshed the strongest ties between her and
the other slavehoiding States OF the Confeds-
raey. Those ties have been strengthened bV
the association. But what has been The course
OF The Government Of the United States. and OF
The people and authorities Of the non-sIave-
/ nnIHimU AfQfna afnaa nrr - a
The controlling majority Of the Federal
government, under various pFetsnces and dis
gnisss, has 30 administered the sane a. to ex-
Guide the citizens Of the Southern States. IN
less under Odious and unconstitutional ~restric-
tons, from all the immense territory owned in
common BY all the States on the Pacific ocean.
for the avowed purpose Of acquiring sufficient
power in The common Government, 70 use II as
a means Of destroying the institutions Of Tex
as and her sister slaveholding States.
By the disloyalty Of the Northern States and
their citizens, and the imbeciiity OF the Fede-
raj Government, infamous combinations Of in
cendiaries and outlaws have been permitted In
those states and the common territory Of kan
sass to irample upon the federal laws, 10 war
upon the lives and property CT southern citi-
Zens in that Territory, and, finally, BY violence
and mob law, to usurp the possession Of the
same, as exclusively the property Of The North
ern States
TIE Federal Government, while but partial
" under the control Of these, our unnatural
and sectional enemies, has, for years, almost
entirely failed to protect the lives and property
Of the people Of Texas against the Indian
savages on our borders; and, more recently.
against the murderous forays Of banditti from
the neighboring territory Of Mexico, and when
our State government has expended large
amounts for such purposes, the Federal Gov
nwun.r y au 1881 s-Lr-. 49,
thus rendering our CONDITION more insecure
and embarrassing than it was DUNG the exist
enee of the republic Of Texas.
These and other wrongs we have patiently
borne, in the vain hope that a returning sense
Of Justice and humanity would induce a differ
ent course Of administration.
Wien we advert to the course Of individual
nou-slaveholding States, and that of a majority
Of their citizens, our grievances assume far
greater magnitude.
The States Of Maine, Vermont, New Hamp-
shire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massaehu-
sets, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wiscos-
sin, Michigan and Iowa, by solemn legislative
enactments, have deliberately, directly or in
Directly, violated the third clause Of the second
section Of the fourth article of the Federal
Constitution, and laws passed ia pursuance
thereof; thereby annulling a material prOvis-
ion Of the compact, designed BY its trainers to
psrpetuate anity between members OF the con-
federacy, and to secure The rights Of the slave
holding States in their domestic nstitutions-
a provision founded in justice and wisdom, and
without the enforcement OF which The compact
fails to accomplish the object Of its creation.
Some Of these States have imposed high fines
and degrading penalties upon any OF their cit
liens or officers who carry out in good fai h
that provision Of the compact or the federal
laws in accordance Herewith. s
In all The non-slsvebolding States. in viola
ton OF that good faith and comfy which
should exist even between entirely distinct ma
tons, the people have formed themselves into
a great sectional party, now strong enough in
numbers to control the affairs Of those States,
based upon the unnatural feeling Of hostility VI to
these Southern States and their beneheent and
patriarehsl system OF African slavery-pro-
claiming the d~ebssing doctrine of the equality
of all men, irrespective Of race or color-
doctrine at war with nature, in opposition 10
the experience Of mankind, and Ii in violation Of
the plaihest revelations Of divine law. They
demand the abolition of negro slavery through
out the onfederacy-th recognition Of polfti-
cal equality between the white and negro races,
and ayow their determination to press on their
crusade against US, so long as a negro slave re-
mains in these States.
For years past this abolition organization
has been actively sowing the seeds Of discord
through the Union, and has rendered he Fede-
raj Congress the arena for spreading fire.
brands and hatred between the slaveholding
and non-slaveho'ding States.
By consolidating their strength, they have
placed the s~laveholding States in a hopeless
minority in the Federal Congress and rendered
representation Of no avail in protecting south
ern rights against their exaetions and en-
croachments.
They have proclaimed, and at the baIlot-box
sustained, the revolutionary doctrine that there
is a "higher law" than the Constitution and
laws Of cur Federal Union, and virtually, that
they will disregard their oaths and tTample
upon our rights.
They have, for years, past, encouraged aud
sustained lawless organizations to steal our
slaves aud prevent their recapture, and have
repeatedly murdered southern ~:ltizens while
lawfully seeking their rendition.
They have invaded southern soil and mur-
deTed unoffending citizens, and through the
press, their leading men and a fanatical pull
pit, have bestowed praise upon the actors and
assassins IN these crimes-vhils the governors
OF several Of their States have refused to de-
liver parties implicated and indicted for par
ticipatiou in such ofenses, upon the legal de-
mands OF the States aEgr.eyed.
They have, through the mail and hired en-
missaries, sent seditious pamphlets and papers
amongst US to STIR up serVile insnrection and
bring blcod and carnage to our fresideg.
They have sent hired emmissaries among US
to burn our towns and distribute arms anil poi
soD TO our slaves for the same purpose.
They have impoverished the slsveholding
States by unequal and partial legislation,
enricbing themselves by draining our
substance.
~rheybsve refused to vote appropriations for
protecting Texas against ruthless savages, for
the sole reason that she is a slaveholding
Ans, finally, BY the combined sectional vote
Of the seventeen non-slaveboIdi7g States, they |
have elected as President and Vice President
the whole confsdsracF, two men whose chief
claims to such high positions are their appro-
val Of these long continued wrongs, and their
to continue them to the final eonsum-
of lhese schemes for the ruin Of the
5laveholding States.
In view Of these and many other facts, It is |
meet that our own views should be distinctly
proclaimed.
We bold, as u~Bdeniable truths, that the gov
ernments Of the various States, and Of the
Confederacy itself, were established exelu-
by the white race, for themselves and
their posterityj that the African race had
no agency in their establishment that they
rightfully held and regarded as an infe-
nor ant dependant race, and in thst condition
only could their existence 10 this country be
beneficial or tolerabie:
That, in this free government, all tohits msn
and Of right ought TO be, entitled to equal
'iUil and political rights p; that the servitude OF
he African race, az existing In these States,
8 mutually beneficial to both bond and free,
md is abundantly authorized and justified BY
he experience Of mankind, and the revealed
will OF the Almighty Creator, as recognized BY
III Christian nations while the destruction OF
be existing relations between the two races,
Ia advocated by our sectional enemies, would
'ring inevitable calamitiss upon both. and des-
'letien upon the fifteen slaveholding States,
BY the secession Of six of the slsvsholding I
states, and The certainty that others will
do likewise, Texas has no a~iterna-
i've but to remain in isolated connection
With the North OF unite her d~es.inies with the
,Outh.