The national Republican., 1862-02-26
inps ssss &Afaopn
les.ssr.Sen ~ -. Dssss q
Presfdent Of the Bogus
C0nfederacy.
INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF DAVIS.
COME eroCy.


INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF DAVIS.
~ S---~-- Z
A platform was erected around the base Of
the washington monument, upon which the To-
ausuratiou ceremonies were psrfosnsd. The
following h
The inaugural Address. ~
tFrou ths Richmond Examinsf Extra. Feb. sal
FaLLow.C .Crrfssxs On this, the birthday Of
Of American independence, and beneath the
monumsnt erected to commemorate his heroic
virtues, and those Of his compatriots, We have
assembled to usher into existence the parma.
Through this fundamentally, under the favor
Of Divine Providence, We hope to perpetuate
the principles Of our Revolutionary fathers.
I!, The day, the memory, and tho purpose seem
Il is with mingled feelings Of humility and
pride that appear to take, In the presence Of
the people and before high Heaven, the oath
prescribed rs q qualification for the exalted
station to which the unanimous voice Of the
people has called me. Deeply ssnsible Of all
that is implied by this manifestation Of the
peoples confidence, an yet more profoundly
impressed by the vast responsibility of the
ONCE, and hlmbly feel my own unworthiness.
In return for their kindnoss can only offer
assurances Of tho gratitude W IN which II is
received, and can but pledge n jealous devo
ton Of every faculty to the service Of those
who have chosen me ~ their Chief Magistrate.
when long course Of class legislation, d.
aggrandzement Of tho Northern section Of the
Union, eliminated In war fare on the domestic
institutions Of the Southern States-when the
dogmas Of sectional party, substituted for
Threatened TO destroy the sovereign rights Of
the States, six Of those States, withdrawing
from the Union, confederated together to exer.
cise the right and perform the duty of tnstitut
Ing \ government which would better secure
the liberties for tina preservation Of which that
Union was established.
Whatever of hope some may have enter.
tertatned that returning sense OF justice
would remove the danger with which our rights
were ;hrsatsned mr. % sId render u possible 70 pre-
been dspslled by the malignity and bsrbsrity
Of the Northern States in the prosecution OF
the existing war. The confidence Of tho most
hopeful among US must havo been destroyed
for sll tho time. e.honored bulwarks Of OWL and
religious liberty. Bastiles filled with prisoners,
arrested without civil process or indictment
duly found; the writ Of hdbeas corpus suspe pended
by Executive mandate; u State Legislature con
trolled by the imprisonment of msm0ers whose
svowed principles suggested TO the Federal
Executive that there might be another added
10 the list Of seeded States; elections hold
under threats Of military power; civil officers,
peaceful citizens and gentle women incarce-
rated for opinions sake, proclaimed the inca.
i pacity Of our late associates to administer n
Government as free, liberal and humane as that
established for our common use.
For proof OF tho sincerity Of our purpose to
maintain our anciont institutions, we may point
to the constitution Of the ConfedsrAcy and the
laws enacted under II, M well as to the fact
| that through all the necessities Of an unequal
struggle, there has been no act on our part t.
impair personal liberty or the freedom Of
speech, Of thought, or Of the press: The courts
have been open, the judicial functions fully OK
eouted and every right Of the peaceful citizen
maintained ~ securely as ia war VI lnvasion
had not disturbed the land.
| The people Of the States now cOnfoderated d
became convinced that the Government Of tbs
United States had fallen into the hands ~ y
sectional majority, who would pervert that
l most sacred Of all trusts TO the destruction oi
the rights which 1t was pledged to protect.
they believed that TO remain longer In the
Union would subject them to u continuance Oi
/ 4 dispsraging discrimination, submission to
which wOuld be Inconsistent " ith tt cir welfare,
and intOlerable 10 II proud people. They there.
fure dete rmined to sever its bonds and estab
lish new confederacy for themselves.
The experiment instituted by our revolution.
try fathers, OF y voluntary union OF sovereign
States fof purposes spsciaed in solemn c'm
pact, had been perverted by those who, feeling
power and forgetting right, we're de erInIned to
| respect no law but their own will. The Gov.
ernment had ceased to answer the ends fOr
which 1t WAS ordained and established. To
save ourselves from revolution which, In its
silent but rapid progress, was about to place
| US under the despotism Of numbers, and to pre-.
| serve In spirit rs we'll as in form, u system ol
government we believed to be peculiarly atted
10 our condition, and full Of promise for man.
kind. we determined to make new association,
composed of States homogeneous in interest, 10
policy, and in feeling.
True to our traditions of peace aud our love
| OF justice, We sent commissioners 70 tho United
States to propose fair and amicable settlement
Of ali questions Of public debt or property
l which might be in dispute. But the Govern
| ment at Washington, denying our right TO self
government, refused even to listen TO any pro
possls for n peaceful separation. Nothing VIA,
| hen left to US but to prepare for war.
The hrst year in our history has boon the
most eventful In the annals Of this continent
new government has been established, anC
its machinery rut IN operation over M area
exceeding seven hundi ed thousand square
miles. The great principles upon whicn We
nave been Wiling to hazard everything that II
dear TO man have made cunquests for US which
could never have been achieved by the sword
Our Coptederacy has grown from six TO- th,r
teen States; and Maryland, already unite to vi
by hallowed memories and material interests
viii, believe, when able 10 speak with unsti
fed voice, connect her destiny with the South
Our people have rallied witk unexampled una
UNITY IL the support Of the great principles o.
constitutional government, with Arm resolve tt
Iperpstuate by arms the rights which they coulc
not peacefully secure. A million Of men. IL II
| estimated, are now standing in hostile array
and waging war along \ frontier or thousand.
Of miles. Battles have been fought, siegei
nave been conducted, a I'd. although the con
test is not 81 ded, and the tide for the momen
Is against us, tho final result in our favor is no
doubtful. -g
The period Is near at hand when our fnel
must sink under the immense load OF dob
which they have incurred-a debt which, II
their efforts to subjugate US, has already at
tained such fearful Dimensions as will subjeC
them to burdens which must continue to op
press them for generations to coms.
We, too, have had our trials and difficulties
That we are to escape them In future Is not L
be hoped. 1t was to be expected, when we On
tered upon this war, that 1t wou d expose oul
people TO sacrifices and cost-them much, boti
Of money and blood. But we knew 1thk valu,
+ Of the object for which We struggled, md un
derstood the nature Of the war In wHlch W,
we're eng ged. Nothing could be SO bad "
failure, and any sacrihce would be cheap rs IN,
price of success In such contest. -.
But the picture has It's lights as well rs it