Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-06-21
LETTER FROM JEFFERSON DAVIS.

Ae writes TO Congressman single
ton and nentes that He Incitod
the People of Mississippi 60 Pre-.
eipttate Secession.
The jackson (Aiss. J Clarion printl
some correspondence supplied by Con
gresham Singleton, Of that State, In
clndIpg the following letter from Jefrer'
son Davis: p.
BRAUvofR, HARRISON Co., MISS,
Hon. 0. R. Singleton:
My DEAR SIR-I have just received
yours OF the 18th instant, with the ia.
closed copy of the Congressional Record
containing your speech in which refer
ence was made to the conference held By
Governor Pettus with the Congressional
delegation of Mississippi. l had read
the speech previously, and mast apollo.
gize to you for not having returned my
thanks for your manly viudication Of my
self from the charge so often reiterated
Of having melted the people OF Missis.
sippi to precipitate secession. My mem.
DRY accords with your own as to my po-
sltion 10 that conference, i. e., that Sc.
oession should only be adopted as the
last resort, and that a single State could
not exercise the right to withdraw from
the Union without the most ssrioss in
jury to herself, ever it permitted peacea.
bly, to do 90. And that Mississippi and
South Carolina, not being GEOGRAPHICALLY
connected, could afford little, il any, SUP.
port to each other if they alone adopted
the remedy Of secession. The subject
bad In different form been previously
presented to me, aud had been maturely
considered. When, in 1851, the question
OF separate State action or cooperation
with other Southern States was under
discussion In South Carolina, the late
Hon. A. P. Butler wrote to me for my
opinion upon the point involved, and /
replied to him that so far from consider
ing South Carlina bound by any previous
declaration to proceed to the extremity
of separate secession. hat | thought she
was rather under obligation TO confer
with and conform to the wishes Of her
Southern sisters 10 like situation to her
own. So that when, in 1860, | had to
express an opinion on the same point in
regard to Mississippi, | am quite sure
that it was in favor OF waiting for the CO.
operation of as many Southern States as
would give dignity to the measure and
the physical power to maintain il. For
at that time was one of the few who
believed that secession would inevitably
be followed by war, albeit no one more
positively held than myself that the co.
ercion of a State by the federal govern.
ment was the most palpabls violation OF
the compact OF our union-the power to
do SO not having been given in the con-
stitution, but expressly denied BY the
convention which framed that instru.
ment.
My recollection Of the event of our
meeting with the governor was for the
purpose OF consultation in regard to the
message he would send to the legislature
about TO convene In special session TO
decide whether or not a convention
should be called for the purpose Of de.
termiRing whether the State of Missis-
5ippi should withdraw from the Unien,
and | can have no doubt of the correct.
ness of your statement Of my declara.
ton then, viz to abide by the decision
of Mississippi and share her fortunes
whatever they might be. Before the ad.
tournament Of the meeting | received a
telegram from two Of Mr.. B~uchanan's
cabinet, urging me to come Immediately
to Washington, and you will probably
remember that upon my handing it 10
the governor and members of the dele-
gaiion present, that a reason for the re.
quest was supposed to exist which made
my compliance desirable, and that /
left promptly for Washington. NV
hope, as well as that of yourselves, was
that | might do something to avoid this
excitement, which would be intensified
by unfortunate expressions in the forth
coming message Of the President.
After the meeting Of congress the
manifestations were such as to leave no
ground for expectation that the party
about to come into power would fail
TO use it for purposes destructive alike
Of the rights aud interests Of the South.
There is, therefore, no discrepancy
between your statement of what
occurred in jackson and the advice
contained 10 a letter of a subsequent
date. Neither do the opinions EXPRESSED
IN that letter evince q desire under other
circumstances for a dissolution of the
Union. Had it been 80, l could not
have served in the following January On
o committee raised for the purpose of
p%acifcation, and by the removal Of cause
OF discomfort, to avert the threatened
secession Of the Southern States, nor
could You, sir, have remained in the
house of representatives discussing and
voting about the welfare of the United
States If you had not wished, though You
might not hope to preserve the Union OF
the constitution with the rights and bless
ings it was intended to secure. When
the people Of Mississippi in convention
passed the ordinance of secession, and
we were officially notified OF the fact. |
remember With pride aud pleasure that
each and all OF her delegates vacated
their seats, aud true to their allegiance
to the State, returned to serve her as
best they might.
Be assured, my dear friend, that | did
not IN anyWlse mistake the spirit in
which you spoke, and if it should sub
jsct you to any inconvenience, shall re.
greet the task | imposed upon you when
my confidence and regard induced me TO
write to VOC in the interests Of the vet.
Grams Of the war with Mexico.
Yours faithfully, rlb
.tli JEFFERSON DAVIS.
A H0"nR Lady Drowned.
Louisville Courier Journal n9
A very sad accident occurred at the
aountrv aaat ne NJ paoroo os,