Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-03-03

lue lOHOWluB. 10 tnc duuISeS VI IhC Icuc
Congress to the people of the Confederat
States. 1t commences thus: tDy
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE coNFEDERATEsTATEs
r. In closing tAe labors of the First Perma
nent Congress, your Representatives deem
it fit occasion to give some account of theil
proceedings; to review briefly what, undel
such embarrassments and adverse circum
stances has been accomplished; to invite at
tention to the prospect before us, and tn,
duties incumbent on every citizen In thi
crisis; and to address such words of coun
sci and encouragement as the times de-
mand.
~ CAUSE OF THE WAR.
Compelled by long series of oppressive
and tyrannical acts, eliminating at last In
the selection of a President and Vice Presi-
dent by party confessedly sectional and
hostile to the South and her institutions
these States withdrew from the former
Union, and formed a new Confederate alli-
ance, as an independent Government, based
on the proper relations of labor and capital
This step was taken reluctantly, by con-
straint, and after the exhaustion Of every
measure that was likely to secure us from
interference with our property, equality in
the Union, or exemption from submission
to an alien Government. The Southern
States claimed only the unrestricted en-
joyment of the rights guaranteed by the
Constitution. tol
O. Finding, by painful and retracted exper-
ience, that this was persistently denied, we
determined to separate from those enemies,
who had manifested the inclination and
ability to impoverish and destroy us; we
fell back upon the right for which the coll
onies maintained the war of the revolution,
and which our heroic forefathers asserted
= to be clear and inalienable. The unanimity
and zeal with which the separation was un-
7dertaken and perfected, finds no parallel in
history. aTheipeople rose en- masse TO assert
their liberties and protect their menaced
rights. There never was before such uni
versatility of conviction among any people
on any question involving so serious and so
thorough a change of political and interna-
tional relations. This grew out of the clear
ness of the right so to act, and the certainty
of the perils of further association with
the North. The change was SO wonderful,
so rapid, SO contrary to universal history,
that many fail to see that all has been done
in the logical consequence Of principles,
which are the highest testimony to the wis
dom of our fathers, and the best illustration
of the correctness Of those principles.
gF .G n'lH =
The address proceeds to show that the
separation from the North was effected with
as little change as possible in laws, institu-
tions or past usages. The utmost tconserya-
tism marked every step, and no attempt was
made to build on speculative principles.
Says the address: = -s
We have had our Governors, General As
semblies and courts, the same electors, the
same corporations, ''the same rules for prop
erty, the same subordinations, the same or
der in the law and in the magistracy."
When the Sovereign States met In council,
they, in truth and substance, and in con-
stitutional light, did not make, but prevent
ed revolution.
I'M, .ss-, ,,,.,,,,.t,,., .,,o. A., ,.oh.is d,d
Ing auuiess il.iiiaV'e Vn"o 'io ioDoio ui.'
not generally expect war to follow their
acts of separation. But in this they allege
,tbev ware d;sanno;nted.
my ! s'S'p
"rA inA I, lAAoI IN s,,.,,'.s. ' 'oS = az.
,,,,or tha Ins In,tad % ststes Thew are scconnt. @ %
obIe aTu for I he Hood and havoc and rnin h has
aUle iSr @tS IT, s,,c e'u 10 a,sr nt :,
sS Tha n 90 n ,eso,,rc
hatu,oar S o,,r an nemies and onrseives. the
a,,se pesm'n adyantages nossessed IN the orr or.
aan;sed yachinerv "a an established Cow
asrnn,ent. st ! nowerf,,l navy: the nucelus of
sn sn a,,,,y, credit abroad and illimitable "a
al a;i;t;as II mecbsnical and mannfacturing
,,nwsr n n,aced them on sfhe VANTAGE
pvwy,d pround y Il, our nfancv we were without
: Seaman or q soldier without revenue.
without cold and silver without recop,
nizad Mace in the family Of nations:
without external Commerce. without for,
,eign credit, with the prejudice Of the world
Ssct,,r;n@ fac;hties IN smnnIv onr wants.
o,,r 1"vs nnrts were biocladed. we had To gran,
U ,,ia WIN WITH q creat adversarv defend a060
miles nil Of Of sea Coast. and an inland frontier of
equal extent. If we had succeeded in pre-
venting any successes on the part Of our
eVe WSa y hovo wou,u apH ped With non