Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-10-02
JEFFER@ON DAVIS
HIS REASONS FOR BEGINNING RE
TURN TO THE SENATE.

q National A6ront TO. the State
| -Adherence to HIS S ate p ghts
Doctrines lie Dectiae> TO Muke
Himself a Martyr.
The following letter was wiittep
by Hon. Jefferson Davis in reply
to one addressed hi n by the edit or
OF the Brookhaven Ledger, asking
IF he would consent to allow his
name to 20 before the next Lepis-
lafure for the Office of United Stat
es Senator, stating that he believ-
ed 1t YVES the wish of a majority of
the people of Mississippi to return
him to the position be held at the
breaking out of the war between
the States:
BEAUvo1R P. o., MISS,
August 20, 1879.
r. II. HENRY, ESQ,
Editor BrookhaUee Ledqer:
My DEAR SIR:-To your inquiry
/ might succinctly reply that / am
not a candidate for tie Office cf
United States Senator of NIlssis-
sippi, and do not desire to be elec.
ted to that position. Your uniform
friendship and early advocacy of
me for that high station entitle YOU
to full statement of the reasons
which control me in this matter.
Assuming what, in view of recent
events, is by no meens probable,
that the requisite majority of Con-
gress would remove my political
disabilities and thus spare our.
State the affront of denying to her
the right to choose her own repre~.
sentative, l proceed TO consider;
tbe.c case alphabetically presented.
Holding that the personal wish
es or private advantage of an indi-
vidual should not enter into his Sc
lection for a public trust, [ do not
the less gratefully appreciate the
generous preference for me which
you give assurance is entertained
by a majority of the people. of Mis-
sisslppi. The best return 7 can
make for such kindness is to insist
that the only consideration shall
be rs to what will best promote the
welfare and prosperity of the
State.
The vital issue before the conn
try Is the contest between Safe
rights and consolidation. Or, III
other words. between the .consiitu-
tiou as was adopted and interpret
ed By the,fttherS, or the unrestric
ed will OF the majority. The first
IS liberty; the last is despotism.
The supremacy of law is indispen,
sable to the preservation of popu-I
lar freedom, and whether the ruler,
who is a law unto himself, be one
man or q multitude, the result is
alike q despostism.
The checks and balances, tie dis
tribution of powers aud the eau
tious reservation in the tenth arti-
Gle Of the amendments, which Were
as,conditions annexed to the com>
pact between the States, all dis
tinctly show the purpose to organ
ize general government which
should be responsible to the States
and their people. Surely, The blood
cf the revolution had not been shed
merely to effect a change of mas
ters 1t was for self govern nent
that the States declared their indie
pendence, and fought until they
were severaIIy acknowledged to be
free and independent nations.
Thoroughly convinced that the
restoration of the ideas and practi
ces of the founders ani early ad-
illustrators of the genera! govern
ment is the one thing essentialtte
secure the liberty, safety aud hap
piness OF the people Of the States
and .heir posterity, the point for
deIibe.ation before answering your
question was, whether | could, as ii
United States Senator, be useinl in
attaining that end. The other po
Iitical, questions which asitate the
country are. iu my estimation, so
subordinate that | think, after the
contemplated restoration, b o Y
could all be easily and happily adj
Iuste d.
Taking as far as one .maysin a
matter affecting himself, the atti-
tade of a distintereste9 party in
this discussion, | will first remark,
what iseqnally known to you, that
in the Northern mind there is IN
reasoning opposition TO the dec
trine of State rights; and that my
assertion of it, with whatever cou-
clusions were necessarily deducible
.therefrom, has made me the speei
al object of sectional hostility. 1t
has therefore followed that others
could say, without creating excite
ment, that, the like Of which, fiat.
tered by me, wonld be.swollen and
distorted for uses in partisan agita~
tion. The futnre of the country
needs that there should be calm re j..
Election, and, by the light of history
the relation of the States 10 the
Union bejustly and permanently
determined. Sooner or later the
princiules to which reference has