The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-05-24

How Tennessee was Betrayed.
When South Carolina concluded to leave
the Union, she preserved decency in the
manner of her proceedings. She called q
convention, and that convention lifted the
State out of the Union. Alabama, Geor-
gia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Ar.
kansas, all seeded through the agency of
conventions. Virginia, too, acted through
q convention. The Legislature of Tennes.
see, during the last winter submitted to the
people an election of delegates to State
Convention, and at the same time the ques-
ton whether they would have convention
at all or not. The people by decided ma
jority rejected the call for Convention, and
thus nipped. as they supposed, the entire
proposition of secession in that State. But
they have been mistaken. The Legislature
has been convened by the Governor, and
without any regard for the forms of law, or
of their own State Constitution, the Legis.
lature has gone to work deliberately to
overturn the Constitution of the United
States, and dissolve the American Union.
Their proceedings exceed in all the particu-
lars of unblushing efrontery even the ex-
traordinary action of the Virginia Conven.
ton. They have adopted ga Declaration
of Independence" which is to be submitted
to vote of the people on the 9th of June.
This declaration of independence is such an
extraordinary document, that we give it in
full.
Declaration of Independence and Ordinance DIS.
sOlUing the Federal Relations bettUeen the
State of Tennessee and the United States Of
Ame11cG.
FIRST. We the people of the State of Ten
nessee, waving an expression of opinion
as to the abstract doctrine of secession but
asserting the right as free and independent
people, to alter, reform or abolish our form of
government in such manner as we think pro-
per, do ordain and declare that all the laws
and ordinances, by which the State of Tennes.
see became member of the Federal Union of
the United States of America, are hereby alb
rogated and annulled, and that all obligations
on our part be withdrawn therefrOm; and we
do hereby resume all the rights, functions,
and powers which by any of said laws and or.
dinances were conveyed to the government of
the United States, and absolve ourselves from
all the obligations, restraints, and duties in
Cured thereto; and do hereby henceforth be-
come free. sovereign. and Independent State.
SECOND. We furthermore declare and ordain
that Article 10. Section l and of the Consti.
tuition of the State of Tennessee, which re.
qures members of the General Assembly, all
officers, civil and military, to take an oath to
support the Constitution of the United States,
be and the same are hereby abrOgated and
annulled, and all parts of the Constitution
of the State of Tennessee, making citizen.
ship.of the United States qualification for
office, and recognizing the Constitution of the
United States as the supreme law of this State
are in like manner abrOgated and annulled.
THIRD. We furthermore Ordain and declare
that all rights acquired and vested under the
Constitution of the United States, or under any
act of Congress passed in pursuance thereof,
or under any laws of this State and not incom.
patible with this ordin nee, shall remain in
force and have the same effect as if this ordi-
nance had not been passed.
The legislature in submitting this decla-
ration to vote of the people, provides that
the affirmative vote shall be for separation"
and the negative "no separation" If the
separation" vote be the greatest, then the
Governor shall by proclamation declare all
union and association between the State of
Tennessee and the United States, forever
termin ated. At the same time an ordi>
nance is submitted to the people, adopting
as the law of that State, the Montgomery
constitution the affirmative ballots to be
marked Representative" and the negative
ballots 'no representative"
The legislature did not stop there; it did
not wait for the vote of the people, but at
once provided as follows for treason to take
arms. 1t passed the following act:
An act to repeal so much of section SO of the
militia law, passed 28th January, 1910, as re-
quires an oath to support the Constitution of
the United States.
Sec. l. Be it enacted by the General Assem-
bly, of the State of Tennessee, That so much
of section ninety six of the militia law of Ten
nessee, passed the 18th day of January, 1910,
prescribing an oath to support the constitution
of the United States, be and the same is here.
by repealed.
SEC. 2. Be it enacted, That this act take eff.
feet from and after its passage.
w. G. WHIlTHORNE,
Speaker OF the House OF Representatives.
r. l. STOVALL,
Speaker OF the Senate.
The Declaration of Independence and
the ordinance adopting the Montgomery
constitution, do not 60 into effect until the
people shall have notified them in June, yet
the Governor and Legislature, by way of
forestalling that action, have, by treaty
with the Southern Confederacy, handed the