The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1879-12-18
Ie,rer from jefferson paws.

land Illinois, addressed prominent
Southern Statesmen, inviting an ex-
preston of political opinion. The
following is Mr.. Davis response:
Besuvior. Harrison county, Miss,
November 23d, ls7a--J. b. Dan
forth. Esq.-My Dear Sir: | was |
gratilled by the receipt of your let
ter as token os your remembrance
Of me when in former and in hap |
pier days We we're officially connect
ed with each other.
was also gratifed by the receipt |
of copy of your paper, the Rock
Islander.
1t so happened that, at the time,
locaReandidate Asa eeiioa 20 ~iyt
me, 4 4 the con,versation turned up.
on Ne tim6 honored doctrine OF
State lights. Like many others In
our section, he supposed this to be a
creed which peculiarly belonged to
the South. ], who have known and
am happy to remember men OF every
section true to the theory of a I'm
ion voluntarily formed by sovereign
States, endeavored to explain that 1t
was not a Southern idea, but his
totical fact; that it belonged to nc
section, but spraug from the brain
Of the men who declared OF the in
dependence of the Colonies and form
ed the compact for a more perfect
Union of the States. To prove my
position / read to him your article
headed "What is Meant by State
Rights?' 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 Missis-
sippi river.
Ii there is anything which, more
clearly than another. the trainers OF
the Consultation did not intend to
do, it was to submit the people oil
the States to the unbndled will OF
majority ofthe people ofnllthe States
Sectional majorities have changed;
they may, and probably will, change
again; and the bulwark whicn alone
can protect minorities from the
usurping tendency Of a General Gov
ernment, is strict construction of
delegated powers, and fair obser
vance Of the reserved rights Of the
States, and of the people.
When the States delegated GER
tain functions 10 general Govern
ment, the purpose was declared TO
be to Secnre thetllesslflgs liberty. y
to the),selves anA their po4er1fy !,
The Confederation, which had
been declared perpetual, was termi-
mated to form a more perfect Union
OF those States which should agree
to enter into it, Being without any
precedent in history, but taught by
the examples of all ancient Reph0-
| lies of the rocks and shoals on which
they had been wrecked, a compact
of Union was formed which must
ever stand model of wisdom on
the part of those who framed it.
The reservation of rights, as you
have forcibly presented. 1t, only
marks the limit between the powers
of the General Government and
those which the States and the peo-
ple thereof would continue to exer'
else. This was to secure liberty to
their posterity, not to elevate new
master to the throne from whica
George the Third had been depos
ed.
In the many years that have pass
. ed since the formation of that Con
stitution, with the mauy chief Mag
f. istrates the South has given to th'
, Union, it seems strange that, in taii
dav, belief in the doctrine on whicl
the Union was founded, and whicl
9 was uniformly avowed by the mer
who illustrated its early history
should now be regarded as hostilit,
q to it's existence. and that the cree
: of States Rights should be held a
the synonym OF eesir
TO destroy the Union G
the Constitution. truth is said I
, be eternal. It is well that it shoul
= be for error SO far outstrips its stat
y " steps that otherwise we Nigh
fear whether truth would finally o'
ertake it.
Those who have carefully note
the usurpatlon and oppression
which the South was subjected aft'
she had laid down her arms an
" faithfully agreed to abide by th
4 laws of the United Stat s, woul
! have no need to go further in ord'
N to fnd a reason why the South ":
IS solidifed il defence of her rights I
l. person and property. Would q
North. under like circumstance
- have been less 50? Would the
have shown equal patience undl
equal wrongl
lis surely little less than a frau
to state that the assertion by q
South Of her right to protection u
e. der the Constitution is equivalent
a declaration on her part Of desi
e. to secede from the Union. Al
logical mind would draw from the
ne facts the reverse conclusion.
%, nay serve the purpose OF artful po
d. iticians TO foment sectional discOT