New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-05
JEFFERSON DAyISs MESSAGE.

sage ofthe President of the Confederate States The
political documents which come 20 Ms rom the other
ride of the Atlantic are ten prolX ana Gull, dWeing
on endless details, and troubling Themselves about
many things which in other countries are left to lees
important channels of communications but an apology
for Secession viii command the attention OF all VINO
are walcl iug the conflict in America with fear or
symraiby or curiosity. IL need hardly be sad that
Mr. Davis gives bistoIicl retrospect a the relations
between the StGes which formed the la'e Cnion ana
endeavors prove from il that the SouIhemers, IN &c
ceoing have only awaited tbemselves oil nght WHEN
was inherent in their respective Statts and was by no
means annulled by the Federal compact. Foreigners
have always been struck by the legal tone which per-
vades the discu lions Of American statesmen NhiIe
the Judges Of the new Republic are foucer OF rtsoihg
To first principles than their brethren IN ,be old eonn-
trv the politicians, the other hand, di.cuss ques
ous of public pOlty in the spirit Of lawyers interpre-
ting an Act OF Parliament. The two tendencies doubt
les are from the M uie Of Confederation which,
while il bTings into the closest private relations men
living uuder different and conflicting lave yet unites
their public interests only through tue medium oil a
formal document called Constitution. bis Consul
tuton every sentence Of which brstles with the decls
ions of Federal judges and State judges during 40
wears, has now received another and most important
gloss from the pen Of Mr. jefferson DAVIS The Presl
dent and in every way the master 5Ilrit OF the new
Confederation.
As Ills lengthy document will he found in another
place we shall do no than point ont that the
Question 30 far as public law is concerned depends on
tli.-Dd the individual States which resisted Great
Britain 80 years ago impledly reserve Tie rght oil
sece, zion when thew entered into the federation known
az the United States and framed the Constitution Of
l767 Certain points are perfectly clear. In the first
Ilace they were previous 10 IS1-ihat Is, for four
wears after Great Britain lad ACKNOWLEDGED their
lpdepeudeuce absolutely sovereign, and independent
Of each other. During the Revolutionary War they
were in fact united only az England, Spain and Por-
tugal were united IN the Peninrular War, when an
English General war Commander in Chief of the army
Of all three Kingdoms without any pre- udice 10 the
I'D of raI M he 10 there
can be 10 doubt that secession was never contemplated
by the parties TO the Union Of llSl. The states
which were unwilling to ratliy based their opposition
on the grounds that had not been taken 10 place
beyond DOUBT The absolute independence Of tho indi-
vidual States in all matters not expressly made over
to Congress. Amendments were nade IN the Con-
fiituion expressly affirming the reservation by the
States Of all their eove oin rights and powers
not expressly delegated 10 the United States by
the Constitution. Thus the night OF making
Aws Of contracting State debts, OF altering State
Contributions and in shor Of doing all that J. mecca
sary for the maintenance Of civil tociety without the
interference Of tie Federation, settled before en-
tering into q compact. But j. does not follow from
this that th. individual State has the right 10 with
draw those powers wh,h II had ceded TO The Fedora
ton Because retained some sovereign powers that
il no reason why it may not have eiectuay and per-
mauently parted with others South Carolina, for ln-
stance gave to the United States the night OF main-
tanning an army and navy, and Of taxing her Tor Their
tsnance, Us foemny az ste reserved the rght OF
Tie right OF coming money and The night OF esabhsh-
ing Post Office as legally aieuned by the State
as the night Of dealing with slavery within her limits
was reserved. In the Constitution there no pro-
vision for a dissolution Of the Union, h resumption Of
the mowers granted 70 the Federal Government; and
ths is al least argument IN favor OF Olnion that
the Constitution wien ratified, must be taken as bind
ing for ever and that when each State adopted II IT
ceafed TO be nation at completely IN Ihbad OF oCO'-
land in l7O7.
settled merely by Interpretation OF The Consttuu0n
of 1877. The point really ii wbe ler the States OF
the American Union were in 1869 Staies in fair and
reasonable sense of the words Sovereign States,
such az would according 10 the laws OF morality and
Of uaious have hight TO dispose OF Their own des-
tiny and TO be the supreme Judges OF their own well
fare A written Constitution, Ike any other docu-
ueut must be construed with proper regard 10 the
circumstances of the parties aud their probable nen
tons in adopting It, Mr.. Davis, therefore, evidently
feeling that verbal criticism of the Constitution
proves little either way, enters into history Of the
dissensions Which have long embtered the two sec-
tons of the Republic against each other, and thus
labors prove that Secetson was necessary remedy
for intolerable evil. We have been lately 30
thoroughly Informed OF the pecuar grievances OF inc
Soutbenes that We are not surprised ~ hear that the
Abolitionist Associations and the opposition 10 the
Fugitive Slave Law sufficient injuries 10 justify
the Slave States in Withdrawing from political assccia-
ton with the North, and that II was piece
Of knavery in the people Of the Northern
States TO attack the " institution" after they had
made money by selling their own negroes to the
cotton-gr when Slavery was no longer pro-
ftable at the North. The Shareholders, says MIR. Da-
Wis bought the negroes without harbOring suspi-
con that their quiet possession TO be disturbed by
those who were inhibited not only by want Of const
tulional authority but by good faith as vendors, from
disquetiDg title emaDallDg from thenselvea These
apologies for violent political act viii be estimated
Al what they are worth. Mr.. Davis, however APP
proa hes nearer TO the true cause OF Secession when he
speaks Of the conflicting interests OF the two sections
the being purely agricultural and desfous OF Tree
trade as producing the most valuable staple III the
world while the Noribeners "haye endeavored 10
render the common Government subservient TO their
own purposes by imposiI burdens on commerce as
protection 10 their manufacturing and shipping inter
ess" IL is indeed plain that the election Of Mr. LIN
coin was the occasion morethan the Of Secesson.
For many wears all that has kept the two sections of the
Republic together has been feeling Of patriot
ism and tue possession OF common historical ira
dilons. The best apology for Secession IL, in
truth, the fact that il has taken place. Most
PEOPLE IN America thought that the reverence
ior the Union would counterbalance the diveIsites
of ntereft and feeling, but they were wrong slave
holding community, under almost tropical SOU, has
separated itel-perhaps unjustfably, but stll quite
NATURALIZATION the traders and shippers, and han
icians aud farmers, Of a Northern land. MIR. Days's
view Of the question is at eaft supported by the in
exorabe logic of facts. He contends for the cover
eign rights Of States and the utility of double confed-
eTacy on the continent. Now, II IL plain that the prn-
ciple of State Sovereignty is practically assumed ty
every State in both fcderalions, and the newspapers
chronicle the alliance of this that community just as
il they speaking Of independent nations finally,
il seems likely that Tie States will divide themselves
according they are free-soil or saveholdlng, and
thus show that the COnfederacy at least founded
Oh principle which has reality for the American
people.
However, the time when this kind Of argument could
avail has gone by. Mr. Davis, while making studi-
GUS display of moderation, and endeavorng 10 eonel-
late the good will of European nations is perfectly
aware his theories depend for acceptance on the
rifles of bis felow-cizens The tribunal which de-
cides questions OF international law ID usually stern
one II the North prevails, it will prove that the