Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-01-16
IMPORTANT SPEECH OF
Hon. Jefferson Davis. Of M iss.

Hon. Jefferson Davis. of Miss. !,
Iashe U. 5. Senate, Thursday, Jan. ioth.
u Mr.. DAVIS, tDem, Mis- said: When closed
yesterday, / intended to have made some argument
upon the question Of constitutional rights, which
have divided the country: Tut events with current
rolling onward progr sses, have borne nee past
the point when now il s needful for me TO speak
on these questions to-day. Therefore iii my pur-
pose TO deal with esents@ Abstract arguments have
| become among the things chat are past We have
to deal now with facts. 10 order that we may meet
these facts aud apply them to the present condition
Il is we'll 10 inquire, What is the state of the conn
tryf The Constitution provides tha! from time to
time the President shall communicate information
| an the state Of tse country The message before
us gives Us very title beyond that which he word
! indeed less than reading meu--kueN before IL
4 was communicated, What Senntorg To-day is the
condtisn OF the country? From every quarter comes
the wailing OF patriotism, pleading for the preserva-
lion OF ,re great inheritance we derived from cur
fathers Is there Senator who does not daily re-
ceise leuers. appealing to him TO Use his power to
save tho rich inheritance which cur fathers gave
us! The stern face Of man is seen now with tears
trlckhng down his cheeks Ard those who have
pea Tor the flag Of our country and are willing to
ole or IT. are poTerlefs before the plea that apariy
mas laid down platform, ard come what will
| though ruin stare : 10 he face consistency must
be adhered 70, and the government lost In this
STATE ofthe case. then, We turn to ask whas is the
character of the Administtationg What is the ex-
ecuIve department doing? What assurance have
| We for the peace of the country? We come back
from that inquiry with he mournful conviction that
feeble hands now hold the reins of State, that dri.
velers are taken in counseors, not provided fer
| by the Constitution. and vaclafion is the law TIE
policy Of this great government is changing with
every changing rumor. Nay, more, it is changing
With every causeless fear In this state of the oase
afler complications have been introduced, after
We were brought TO the verge of civil war,
after nothing had been done to preserve the peace
Of Tie land, thea told st this last hour that
he question is thrown to- Che door of Congress,
| aud with you rests the responsibility. Had the
grrison al Charleston been called hack thirty, or
ten days ago peace would have spread her pinions
over this land, and calrn negotiations been the
| order Of The day. Why 10 it net recalled No
reason has yet been offered save that the Govern
meat is bound t. preserve its properly. As
| lock from North 10 South, from Eat to West we
| find few garrisons where troops are kept, except
for special purposes. Not for the coercion CT
State, NOT 10 threaten Stale, but merely for the
| purposes Of discipline. l asked in this Senate
weeks ago what causes the peril now Fort
| Moultrie Is it the weakness of the garrison
| answered no. Had an orderly sergeant represent
ed the Federal Government then, had there been
troops and nc physical force to protect that fort
would have pledged my life upon the issue that
| no question would have been made as to the seiz-
| nre Now, we fnd not only there but elsewhere
plicate this question apd horribly to precipitste
| us upon the issue Of civil war. Hurried en- by
| this Government reposiBg the consent Of the
| governed-this Government, strong in the affec-
| tions Of tie people-this Government is now far
/ lively sending troops to occupy positions lest
8 mob should seize them. When WAS it that the
authorities had not the power to quell mob
| But now, we find that, under cover Of night,
troops are detached from one position to occupy an
other. Fort Washington, standing in lovely grsld-
| eur, overlooking the Potomac river, the ashes of
| the Father of his cluntry nesr by to prevent an
armed ship coming up TO attack this city-Fort
Washington is garrisoned By MARINES sent secretly
| from the barracks at Washington. Fort McHenry,
rendered sacred by our National Song, is gsrri-
1 soned by detachment Of marines sent from this
place under cover of night. Senator'S the respon-
sibiliiy is thrown at che door of Congress Let US
take it. It is ours in this last hour, to SEIZE the
| pillars of country. and 10 upheld them be
crushed in the fall Then, my friends. what is our
duty! Are we to go on drifting into war? Are We
to stand idly by and allow officer of the army 10
make war Are We 10 allow unconfrmed head
| Of department to make war? Are We to allow
General of the army 20 make war; Are we 10 al
| low President to make war? No, sir. Our fstb-
! ers gave hat power to Congress, and to Congress
alone And 10 Congress, even, 1t gave power to
make war on q State When then, we see, and the
whole country sees that We are drifting into war
between the United States and single State does
it become the Senate 10 sit Lis less by, and discuss
abstract questions of right, and read patchwork
opinions of men long since gone from the earth 7
Are not bound to meet events as they come, and
msrfally and patroGcslly to struggle with diff :ul
ties that now bear down upon us? But in the |
message told that this district is in danger
In danger Of what? From whom comes the dan |
ger? Is there man here to-day who breads that |
the deliberations are to be interrupted by an armed
force Is there o man here Eho would not prefer |
to fall in the dignity Of his station as the repre-
sentative of great and peaceful country rather |
than TO be protected by an armed band? Aud yet |
the rumor Island rumors seem TO be so true that
we believe them frst-that two companies Of |
artillery are to be quarered in this city TO preserve
the peace! Are we invaded Is there insurrec- |
tion? Are there two Senator's here who could not |
go forth put down any resistance that shows itself
IN this District against the Government of the |
United States! We, who claim our rights under |
the Constitution-we, who claim that our ri hts are
reserved TO the Siatewe geek for force and for
advantage which laws and the government do not
give US Webave never appealed 10 war. We bave
never asked for the army snd the navy to maintain
rights On tAe soil CT Mississippi not the foot
of soldier Las been impressed since 1919, when, A.
ing from he yellow fever they sought refuge within
the limits OF cur State On toe soil of Mississippi
there hresthes net msn who asks for any other pro-
lection tbsn that which the Constitution gives or
than nsstrong arms, and the brave hearts Of
her sons car yield. Then, Senators, NC rapidly
drifting into position in which this is to bee
authority of The Uoited States is to be n,aiatained
not by Law, and not by constitutional agreements
between States, but by physical force. Aud Will
you stand still and this policy coDfrm
ed Will you fold your hands, the degenerate
descendants of those men who proclaimed the
eternal fact that government rests on the con-
sent of the governed, and that she people have
a right to modify and hauge the policy of the
government, when il ceases TO answer the ends for
which il was established, AID permit that gov
srnment, imperceptihly to drift from tbs moor
ings where it was originally anchored, and become
a military despoiism! 1t vas well said by the
Senator from New York, OR. Seward,) that this
Government could not be maintained by force =
that q government of force was despotism; it
was a great TRUTH come frem what quarter it may
Such not the government instituted BY our
fathers, aud against it, so 10 as | live, with
heart and with hand, / will rebel This brings
me 10 passage in the message, where 1t says
al have net power 10 make war on any
State; but the right to use the military force of
the Government, on the defensive, sgliHst any
assault on the property of the Federal Gov
eminent, is clear and undeniabe." Is it so
Where does he get it? Our fathers wera SO jesl.
Gus of standing army, that they scarcely would
permit any organization at sill Where did he get
the uudenisble power to use the forces of the uni
ted States in the manner he proposes?
Mr. Davis then referred 10 the conduct of Wash
ington in the instruction in Pennsylvania and
Stained that WashHst on used the militia the adj
joining States, and this done at The request Of
Governor Militia But ask sgsin what power has
the President 10 use the army aud navy, save with
the consent of the Constitution? Are we TO have
drumhead courts substi uted for those which the
Constitution provides Are we TO have sergeant
step over the lard instead Of the civil magistrate?
Not So thought the elder Adams. And, in pass |
ing [ will pay him the tribute that he deserves, |
more than any other man in the history of this
Government the credit for the military principles
which prevailed 10 his admins PATTON. President
Adams reverted through long pages Of history, back
to the empire Of Rome. and he drew from that foun
datiOn the very articles Of which exists to-day
in this government. He said he selected them be-
cause they had borne two nations TO the pinnacle OF
glory. Then, Senators, We are brought 10 confront
passing events little garrison, in the harbor of
Charleston, occupy post which, sm sorry to say,
they gained by breach Of obligation between the
parties concerned And here may do justice TO
one who has not the power on this floor to right
has not friend here And. let me .
say, thisremark does not apply 10 Major Anderson
Though his orders, ! may say, empowered him 10 !
20 to which foit he pleased in the hsrbor, bat in
doing 50 he committed an act of hostility When !
=. Fort Noultria nd nnikad the puns | 7