The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-12-24
JEFFERSON DAVIS, TIE PATRIOT.
HIS BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE TO THE CON
sTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES.

J.B. Danforti, of Rock Island, baV-
ing addressed jeff. Davis to the effect
that "Something should be done at
once by Southern leaders OF public
opinion to cuunteract the efforts OF
Republicans WHO are endeavefing to
make a solid North on the idea that
State rights mean secession; that the
people of the South are still for seces-
sion that there is no freedom OF speech
or of the press in the South, and that
the South has been made solid by
means of the shotgun" the reply
comes, and is published in full, as fol-
lows -
BEAUvIoa, HARRISON County, MISS.
November %, 1879. )
j. B. Danforth, Esq.:
Ny DEAR SIR-I was gratified by
the receipt of your letter as token of
your remembrance of me when in for
mer and in happier days we were off,
cially connected with each other. l
was also gratifed by the receipt Of q
copy of your paper, the Rock Islander.
1t so happened that, at the time, a
local candidate had called to visit ME,
and the conversation turned upon the
time honored doctrine of State rights.
Like many others In our section, he
supposed this to be creed which Pc
culiarly belonged to the South. /,
who have known, and am happy to re-
member, men of every section true to
the theory of a union voluntarily form
ed by sovereign States, endeayored to
explain that it was not Southern
idea, but historical fact; that it be-
longed to no section, but sprang from
the brain of the men who declared the
independence of the colonies, and
formed tile compact for more perfect
union of the States. To prove my po-
sition read to him your article head
ed "What is Meant by State Rights 2"
and was pleased to see the effect
which it produced when he knew that
it came from the State of Illinois, and
high up on the Mississippi river. If
there is anything which, more clearly
than another, the trainers of the Con-
stitution did not intend to do, it was
to submit the people of the States to
the unbridled will of a majority of the
people of oil the States. Sectional
majorities have changed they may,
ard probably will, change again; and
the bulwark which alone can protect
minorities from the usurping tendency
of general government, is . strict
construction of delegated powers, and
q fair observance of the reserved
rights Of the States and of the people.
When the States delegated certain
functions to a general government, the
purpose was declated to be to secure
the blessings Of liberty to themselves
aud their posterity.
The confederation, which had been
declared perpetual, was terminated to
form more perfect union Of those
States which should agree to enter into
it. Being without any precedent in
history, hut taught by the examples of
NIL ancient republics of the rocks and
shoals on which they had been wreck
ed, q compact Of uaios was formed
arhich must ever stand, q model of auis
dom on the part Of those sOho framed it.
The reservation Of rights, as you
have forcibly presented it, only marks
the limit between the powers of the
general government and those which
the States and tho people thereof
would continue toexercise. This was,
to secure liberty to their p0sterity, moi
to elevate new master to the throne
from which George HI had been de-
posed.
In the many years that have passed
since the formation of that Constitu-
ton, with the many chief magistrates
the South has given to the Union, il
seems strange that, in this day, beliej
IN the doctrine on which the Uaion sva,
founded, and which was uniformity
ayowed by the men who illustrated its
early history, should moao DO regarded
as hostility to its erss tence, and that the
creed of State rights should be held as
the synonym of o desire to destroy the
union of the Constitution. Truth is
said to be eternal. 1t is well that il
should be, for error SO far outstrips its
stately steps that otherwise we might
fear whether truth would finally over
take it.
Those who have carefully noted the
usurpation and oppression to which
the South was subjected after she had
laid down her arms and faithfully
agreed to abide by the laws of the Uni.
ted States, would have no need to &c
further in order to find q reason why
the South was solicited in defense o.
her rights of person and property
Would the North, under like circum.
stances, have been less so? Would
they have shown equal patience under
wrongi
III ia surely littIa lnao fbon , Fr,,l !,