The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1861-07-25

5. NJ. THAYER, -EDIrOE
Jefferson Davis ON the Constitution.
The message of JEFF. Davis, delivered in
Richmond last Saturday, was one of the
most singular papers we have seen from his
pen. Protesting to be the President of an
independent nation, he occupies his whole
time in denunciation of Lincoln, pointing
out his violations of the Constitution of the
United States. 1t is the heighth of impu-
dence for man, who is identified with Sc
cession, the whole history of which is rec
ord Of usurpations, of unblushing robberies,
of unprovoked cruelties, of fragrant and IN
warrantable outrages on the very Constitu-
ton they now accuse the President of vio-
lating, to arraign him as the yiolator ofthat
instrument. After having robbed the ar
senals, minis, and treasures; seized the
Federal ships and doekyards; attacked, cap
tured and despoiled the Federal troops, and
ended by beseiging and bombarding help
less Federal garrison, Davis has the effront-
cry to complain that the President of the
United States has been guilty of some slight
violations, or rather evasions, of the Consti-
tuition, in the measures he took to defend
the Nations life from his crueland causeless
assaults. And his followers and tools in
the North--comprising such men as Breck-
inridge, in the Senate, and Burnett, in the
House, and their imitators in this State and
this city, who call themselves Democrats
are reiterating his falsehoods and his trea-
son. MIR. Davis would have the Govern
ment assailed by military violence, and yet
limit it to a paper Constitution as a breast
plate of defence against the bayonets of his
rebel army. He has violated every article
in the Constitution, and stands before the
world to-day, not only as convicted robber
and traitor, but perjured sooundrel. .who'
when he was upon the floor of the Senate,
plotted the downfall Of the Government he
had sworn to protect and defend. This is
the character of the man who congratulates
his followers that their connection with the
North is " forever dissolved
Years ago, when Mr.. Davis was an honest
man, and before this mad dream Of the
Presidency of a Southern Republic had Iur-
ed him away from truth and virtue, he
painted, with a master hand, Just such q
traitor as he has now become, and as he
cannot legally be hung on the strength Of
his own confession, yet, as the Albany Jour
nal remarks, " he may be morally invested
with the black cap and swung off into blank
space"
The following extracts are from his speech
delivered in Boston in 1858. Win not hi:
own words come back to him, like accus-
ing angels, and make him dumb
Among easlprits, there is none more obi
ous to my mind than a public officer l0ho takes
the oath to support the C0nstitution-th the
compact between the States binding each
other for the common defense and general
welfare of the other-yet retains to hsDaseL,
a mental reservation that he aciU agdT upon The
principles he has saoor1a to maintain, and upon
the property rights, the protection Of gehicE
are part of the compact Of The Union. Tap
plause.
II as a crime too Ioa0 TO be named before
this assembly. It Is one a0hich no man, 1oitA
selfrespect, arouId ever commit. To slrea7
that he loiU support the ConstitutioR-to taxi
an office aohieh belongs, an many Of its reIa-
hons, to al the States, and 10 use Il as mean,
of iiglriRg a portion of the States Of achicl
he is tkls the representative, IS TREASON TO
EVERYTHING HONORABLE IN MAN. 1t IS The
base and col0ardLy attack Of him s0hO gam
the confidence Of another, IN order that h,
mag aconnd him." fr-tr zesss
Out of his own mouth is be condemned
The " crime too low to be named has beer
committed, and committed by the author o
these burning words. Jefferson Davis now
sees in himself the odious culprit" be 81
boldly limned, in 1858; hears, as 1t were
from his own lips the verdict of cOndemna
ton that is to consign his name to everlast
ing infamy- 90