The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1861-05-22
To Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln.

Fl Having been associated with you in the councils
the nation address you on the momentous questions
4 upon which depends the lives fortunes ana hohor
thirty millions of people; descended from common
stock and the guardians Of heritage, country ana
civil and religious liberty by ancestors from hS
most powerful nation upon earth after struggle o
seven wears in which the greatest amount OF patriotism
blood and treasure was uselessly expended.
You have been solicited by your feIow-cltlzens a.
i their custodians OF this ncalculabe trust.
That Won feel the immense responsibility | believe
can YOU maintain it with peace and bon0% or VIII YOU
seek its annihation by war? My desire IS to endeaVo
TO point out some way to avoid this calamity in which
have the good fortune to succeed shall feel more
happiness than any hero who conquered peace.
take it for granted that you both sincere IN tht
expression that you desire peace at any sacrifice ou
honor But one solitary question divides these tWc
people which the wisdom of our tOretathers who orneG
! the constitution foresaw, and in which they thought
aas in vain they had so shielded the slavery question
as never to create dssenton. / need not say to you
! that the convention which framed the constitution
thought they had succeeded, by enumerating specially
every act which the congress could legally do; and to
guard against any alteration OF that instrument by
majority il provided that whenever tWoirds OF both
houses shall deem it necessary" shall propose amend
mens to the constitution the application OF the
legislatures of tWothrds of the several States shall call
! Il convention for proposing amendments which III
either case shall be valid to all ntents and purposes as
part of this constitution when ratified by the cgsa-
mode of ratification may be proposed by the congress;
provided that no amendment which may be made prior
to the year 1908 shall many effect the first and
fourth clauses in the ninth section OF the article and
that State without its consent shall be deprived OF
its equal suffrage in the senate.
| One would suppose that the categorical enumeration
of all the powers of congress- with the provision above
rected that this instrument was never to be amended
without the ratification uot OF the people OF the United
States as the first line OF the constitution might seem to
impy) but of the three-fourts OF the States speaking
either by the legislature by conventions specially
/ elected, would have proved a perpetual protection
against the powers of absolute maortes of the people
instead Of the States.
nless than two years it found necessary to amend
this constitution and it is most remarkable fact that
in the twelve amendments proposed with the exception
of articles providing for additional securities for persons
and property, that every other article is of negative
character torbiddng congress to do certain acts
establishing religion quartering soldiers, searching
houses papers, effects ec ect. The two last articles
the tn and 18th rcarmed the great principle of tie
entire sovereignty of the States in every point in which
it was not specially delegated to the congress art
II. The enumeration in the constitution of certain
rights shall not be construed to deny dparags others
retained by the people"
cart. II. The powers not delegated to the United
States by the constitution nor prohibited by it to the
States are reserved to the States respectively the
people,
Without the necessity of going into examination
as the fact whether the people Of the southern States
are now insured in their domestic tranuulityn or
whether the citizens in the each States certified to
all the privileges and mmunities of czensn the several
States much less in the crrtories-it is sufficient for
purpose say, that portion of the country be-
eve that these objects not enjoyed, and have in the
most solemn and after the most mature relec-
ton determined to resume their sovereignty in these few
PARTICULARS in which they had delegated it to their
creature, the government of the United States
presume there is scarcely to be found lawyer or
statesman north or SOUTH who viii not admit that the
States have ever been absolutely sovereign in every
attribute belonging sovereignty which they did
specially delegate to the general government. Indeed
every State has and does act upon this principle in all
their dearest and most important relations Of life
rage religion SUGGESTIONS, etc. etc. and there is not
State that would not nuify any of congress inter
ring in the most minute degree whany ofthese the
hundred ohcrrghts which they reserve to themselves
The argument this subject is exhausted, and you
and l. who have listened Clay Calhoun and Webster
and Wright have long formed and expressed opin-
ions, and may therefore, be considered not good
jurymen.
Ten sovereign States have already acted, and the
remaining southern States will probably act upon
the question: and whether constitutional not whether
right wrong, whether for good and sufficient cause
not it behooyes you gentlemen, to deal with it
fixed fact and whether that fact shall be followed by
peace or war, depends greatly upon your patriotism
your prudence, your craftsmanship.
Names signify nothing; men and statesmen deal with
facts and not with words Call it what you will seces-
sion treason rebellion combinations etc the great
fact that seven eight millions of people, twice as nu-
merous and hundred fold more wealthy than the seces
sonsts traitors rebels of the revolution have become
dissatisfied with the government under which they have
been living and prOclaming the great American idea
that is to be found in every constitution of every free
State, that all governments exist by the consent of the
governed and that it is the right of the people, any
time, to change their government, etc. appealing to
the justice of God and people of the earth, determ
lined to live die by that principle.
Shall be recorded that in the latter part of the nine
teenth century that this principle evoked by Washing
ton and his associates, endorsed by Jackson and ce-
mented by the blood OF hundreds of thousands of free
men, is to he denied in America while it is Just begin
ming to receive vitality in Italy and the down-trodden
countries of Europe. Hear the opinions of Sir James
Mcintosh of the pures of English statesmen upon
''the recognition of the Spanish American States =
When Great Britain recognised the United States it was
concession by the recognising power the object of
which disadvantage and security OF the government
recognised But when Great Britain Il hope very soon)
recognises the States of Spanish America it will not be
concession them for they need such recognition
but it will be for her sake-to promote her own
nterest-to protect the trade and navigation of her
subjects-to acquire the best means OF cutvating
friendly relations with important countries and of
posing bymmediae negotiation those differences which
might otherwise terminate in Are these new doc
trines? Quite the contrary. They founded on the
ancient practice of Europe. They have been acted
upon for more than two centuries by England as well
other nations. If the most conservative of English
statesmen held such opinions in 1921 does any man be-
eye that the powers of Europe ascertain one
fact, that are people and government de facto
with army double any that Gen Washington
ever had during the revolution, with means infinitely
greater they WILL they recognise ourndependcnce
and make separate treaties, etc, with u.s.
Why should this not be accomplished, our ndepen-
dence recognised and friendly relations resumed in
twenty days l hope to be able to show thar upon
every principle of law justice and religion it should be
DONE and the two sections Of former great republic
meet and trade as friends l commenced by saying
that only question divides u.s. On one side we ask
simply to be let alone undsturbed in our possessions
On the other It's commended that there's some anogo
nstic principle between the sections That there
must be conflict between white and slave labor that
the country must be all free or all slave We of the
south did not think so; lived for many years happy
in the belief that the Union perpetual You have
disabused US But there need be no conflict Go your
way, and we will go Let there be friendly
rivalry between us and ascertain which will go on in
the most peace and harmony.
As we will not be under the same government, you
viii not be in any responsible for our failures
errors of morals. We do not desire to be your con
science keepers, and you cannot hope to be ours As
Tom Poinn tn