The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-03-07
JEFF. Davis's Inaugural Address.
From the Richmond Examiner Extra, Feb. %

and beneath the monument erected 10
commemorate his heroic virtues and those
Of his compatriots, We have assembled 10
usher into existence the permanent gov
eminent of the Confederate States. ThTo'
this instrumentalitg, under the favor of
Divine Providence, we hope to perPetuate
the principles of our revolutionary fathers.
The day, the memory, and the purpose
seem fitly associated 81
It is with mingled feelings Of humility
and pride .lhutz I=appeatzioztake, IN tie
presence Of the people and before high
Heaven, the oath prescribed As qualiti>
cation for the exalted station to which the
unanimous voice Of the people has called
me- Deeply sensible of all that is imPles
by this manifestation Of the peoples conf
Idence ! am yet mere profoundly impressed
by the vast responsibility Of the office,
and humby feel my own unworthlne-s.
In return COR their Kindness | ran only
offer assurances of the gratitude with
which it is received, and can but pledge a
jealous devotion Of every faculty to the
service of those who lave chosen me as
their chef magistrate. ....-.
When long course Of c'ass ri~letior,
directed not 30 the general welfare but to
! the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the northern Sec
ton of the Union, culmina ed in war
! fare on the domestic institutions Of the
! Southern States-Yhen the dogmas Of g
sectional party, substituted for the provis
ions Of the constitutional compact, threat
ened to destroy the sovereign rights of tie
states, six Of those states, Withdrawing
from the Union, confederated together to
exercise the right and perform the dutE
of insttuting government which would
better secure the liberties for the preserva
ton Of which that Uuion was establish
| ed. .-
Whatever Of hope some may have en-
| tertained that returning sense OF justice
would remove the danger with which our
rights were threatened, and render it posi-
Die TO preserve the Union of the Constitu-
ton, must have been dispelled by the ma
Lightly aud barbarity of the Northern States
in the prosecution of the existing war -
The confidence Of ;he most hopeful among
must have been destroyed by the disre
gard they have recently exhibited for all
The time honored bulwarks Of civil and re
ligjous liberty BastIes filed with prio
oners, arrested without civil process or
indictment duly found the writ Of habeu$
corpus suspended bv exc Re mandate ::
state Legislature controlled by the i'm
prisnnment of members whose avowed
! principles suggested to the federal execu t.
tive that there might be another added to
the list Of seeded states; elections held
under threats of military power; civil
officers, peaceful citizens anil gentle wo
men incarcerated for opinions sake, pro-
claimed the iacapacity of our late associ>
ates to administer a government as free.
liberal and humane as that established for
our common use.
For proof of the sincerely of Our pur.
pose TO maintain our ancient institutions
we NAV point TO the constitution Of the
ronlederacy and the laws enacted un5er it.
As well as to the fact that through all the
necessities Of an unequal struggle there
h IS been no act on our part TO impair per-
sonai liberty or the freedom of speech, Of
thought or Of the p,ess TIE courts have
been open, the judicial functions fullv ex
ecuted, and every right Of the peaceful cit>
izen maintained as securely as If a war of
invasion had nor disturbed the land
The people Of the states now confeder-
atel became convinced that tie governs
ment Of the United States had fallen into
the bands of sectional majorty,who wo'i
rervert that most sacred of all trusts to
the destruction of the rights which it was
pledged to protect They believed that 10
remain longer in the Union would subject
them to continuance of disparag;ng
discrimination, Submission to y hich would
he inconsistent with their welfare. and ia
toleralie to a proud people. They there
fore determined to sever It's bonds and es
tabIi,h Jew confe1eracv for themselves
The experiment instituted by our revo~
lntionary fathers of voluntary union of
sovereign states, for purposes specified in
a solemn compact, had been perverted by
those who, feeling power AMI forgetting
right, were determined to respect 40 law
i,ur their own will. The government had
ceased 20 answer tbs ends for which it
was ordained ard established. To save
ourselves from leFeOluIiOn winch, IN ltS
silent but rapid progress, was about to
place US under the despotism of numbers,
and to preserve IN spirit, as well as in form,
system Of government we believed to be
peculiarly fitted to our condition, and full
of promise for mankind, we determined
to make new association, composed o..
states homogeneous in interest, in policy,
and in feeling.
True to our traditions of peace and our
love of Justice, We sent commissioners to
the United States to propose a fair and
amicab'e settlement Of all questions of pub
i; debt or property which might be IN dis
pute, but the government at Washington
denying our right to self government. re
fused even to listen to any proposals for a
peaceful separation. Nothing was then
left to lis but 10 prepare for war,
The first year in our history has been the
most eyentful in the annals Of this cont,
nent. A new government has been es>
tablished, and It's machinery pat in ope-
ration over an area exceeding seven !.un-
red thousand square miles. The great
principles upon which we have been will
ing to hazard everything that is dear to
man have made COMMUNISTS for ia which