The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-01-08
sMisrfAanp.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.

JEFFERSON DAVIS.
His Tribute to the Constitution OF
the United States.
J. B. Danforth. of Rock Island, hav-
ing addressed jefferson Davis to the
effect that something should be done
at at once by Southern leaders OF public
opinion to counteract tho efforts OF Re
publicans who are endeavoring to make
a solid North on the idea that State
rights mean secession; that the people
of the South are still for secession; that
there is no freedom of speech or of the
press in the s ,uth. and that the South
has been made solid by means OF the
shot gun," the reply comes, and is pub
lished in full as follows: s.
BEAuvoIR, HARRISON Co., Miss.
November %, 1879.
J. B. Danforth, Esq:
MY DEAR SIR:-I was gratiied by the
receipt of your letter as token of your
rememberance of me when in former
and happier days we were officially con-
nected with each other.
was also gratified by the receipt 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 pecu
liariy belonged to the South. I, who
have known. aud happy to remember.
men of every section true to theory OF
a Union voluntarily formed by sovereign
States, endeavoring to explain that it
was not Southern idea, but histori>
cal fact; that it belonged to no section
bat sprang from the brains of men who
declared the Independence OF the colo
MES and formed a compact for more
perfect union of the States. To prove
my position read your article headed,
"What is Meant by State rights?' and
was pleased to see the effect it produced
when he knew it came from the State OF
Illinois, aud high up on the Mississippi
river.
If there is ANYTHING which more
clearly than another, the trainers of the
constitution did not intend to do, it was
to submit the people of the States to the
unbridIed will of majority OF the peo-
pie of all the States. Sectional majors
ties have changed; they nay and prob>
ably will. change again; and the bni-
warks which alone can protect MINORS
ties from the usurping tendency OF a
general government, is u strict con'
struction of delegated powers and
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 declared to be, to secure
the blessings of liberty to themselves
and their post erity.
The confederation, which had been
declared perpetual. was terminated to
form a more perfect union OF thoseStat 's
whichshould agree to enter into it. Being
without any precedent in history, but
taught by the examples OF all ancient
republics of the rocks and shoals on
which they had been wrecked compact
of union was formal which must ever
stan.l molel of wisdom on the part OF
those who framed it.
The reservation of rights, Ms you have
forcibly presented it. only marks the
limit between tho powers of the general
government and those which the States
and the people thereof would continue
to exercise. This was to secure liberty
to their posterity not to elevate a new
master to the throne from which George
III had deposed.
Ir the many years that have passed
since the formation of that constitution.
with the many Chief Magistrates the
Sonth has given to the Union, 1T seems
strange that, in this day, belief in the
doctrine on which the Union was found
ed. and which was uniformly avowed by
the men who illustrated its early.history,
should now be regarded as hostility to
its existence. and that the creed of State
rights should be held as the synonym
of desire to destroy the constitution.
Truth is said to be eternal. 1t Is well
that it should be so, for error as far
outstr,des It's stately steps that other
wise5we might fear whether truth would
finally overtake it.
P Those who have carefully noted the
usurpation aud oppression to which the
south was subjected after she had laid
down her arms and faithfully agreed to
abide bv the laws of the United States,
would have no need to go further in Or
der to find reason why the South was
so,idified in defense of her person and
nroperty. Would the North, under like
circumstances, have been less so?
Would they have shoy yn equal patience
under wrong?
1t is surely little less than fraud to
state that the assertion by the South OF
her rights to protectionsunder the cousti
tuition is equivalent to a declaration on
her part of desire to secede from the
Union. Any logical mind would draw
from these facts the reverse conclusion.
It NAV serve the purpose of artful poli>
ticians TO fomens sectional discord, anc
thus make a solid North, which, being
the majority section. can then WELD the
power and appropriate as we'll the poilt
ical as the financial benefits OF the gen
eral government. But the men wht
desire fraternal union and genera
prosperity must see that is not the road
bv which either can be reached. .-s
In 1860 the secessionists, per see, K
use the'phrase of the day, were few ant
far between. They are fewer now ant
fat ther between. .@. Z .ss.s,-sfs
It is therefore utterly untrue tha
States rights, as asserted here, mean se'
cession. And equally untrue is it tina
there is no freedom of opinion OF q
speech, or the press among us. Per
sonal difficulties and family feuds hayt
been misrepresented as political com
binetions to suppress the freedom o1
elections, while in point OF fact oul
elections have been as peacable and or
derlv as elsewhere. Indeed there has
been a studied effort not to permit any
1iotous proceedings which could be MS
ed nv emissar:es as the means OF iDjur'
ing our reputation or inyalidatlng oul
Impoverished by devastating war, w
desire emigration to cultivate our waste
Hands and restore prosperity to our com
munities. We have q soil and cllmats
inviting to- the agriculturist and th'
manufacturer, land would gladly vel
come both to a home among us:
I have no present or prospective con
nection with the politics Of the day. N.
Conservation and reflections are those 0
4 man who has served the country long
|, and would be glad before he goes hence