The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-02-16
Points from the Forthcoming Work by JEFF
ferson Davis on the Late War.

IT, STATE PRIDE
Points from the Forthcoming Work by JEFF
ferson Davis on the Late War.
CHICAL0 Feb. i4.-The Times makes public the
topics discussed by Jefferson Davis in his History
OF the Rise and Fail of the Confederate Govern
ment soon to be issued. Mr.. Davis introdncuon
Is snort one covering not quite two pages He
dedlcates the work 10 the widows and orphans of
the confederate dead. He conceives il to be his
duty to his conntrymen to prepare this history OF
the rise and failure OF their cause. He finds in the
structure thirteen independent States and their
relation 10 each other, primary PRINCIPLES and
vested rights on which he rests his vindicatiop of
the C9niederacy He eyIaces the doctrine of State
soy,e1r l an Compact by which States volun
tarlly gave their consent to federation with no de-
tional parts Of the Nation, and he believes that
those VINO resisted the violation OF this orig
inal compact were in fact the true friends
of the Constitutional Union. The au.
e thor IN IN ,a discussing the principles and
gives his attention to African servitude and The
long aud bitter sectional strife to which ID gave
rise. lie then takes up the question of States
arguments on which Ne rests the principle of
state sovereignty and quoting copiOusly from all
AUTHORITIES on the subject. These questions and
full statement of the immediate causes of the
war occupy one-half of the first volume The re-
mainder OF the work is given to narrative of the
/ struggle, including the fullest statement vet
written from Southern standpoint of the nerce
discussions in the Confederate councils of his de-
Tense of the prolongation Of the war for many
months after many of the abiest men in the South
We're fully convinced that their struggle was a
hopeless one In opening the work he treats of the
early legislation on the subject Of slavery
He acquits the Sonth Of all responsibility for the
existence in its midst of the peculiar Institution
and calls attention to the fact that Virginia was
the first state to prohibit the importation into
its territory OF blacks brought to this country and
reduced to slavery; and that Georgia was the
first state to Incorporate in its Constitution the
pr Inhibition of the African slave trade. All
4 no haf fla
cause of war, but only an incident of the seces-
sion movement The paramount question, he
declares was equality in Territories, and to the
inability OF the south TO maintain its euual
rights in the Territories and new made states of
the Union. He traces the conflict which was in
tensi6ed until it burst INTO open war While
upon this subject, he speaks in cOndemnatorv
terms of the Missouri Compromise which he re-
CARDS As the surrender Of the rights which be
maintained: but after it was adopted he believed
IL should have been adhered to. an he
arraigns the North and the Federal Government
practically repealed by the bills Organizing the
Territories of Kansas and Nebraska i'm 1889. IL
will be observed that Mr. Davis takes occasion to
devotion to the constitutional Union He in
stances speeches which he made in 1851 during
his candidacy for Governor of Mississippi in OBJ
position To Henry ;. Foote. These speeches con-
tanned repeated declarations of his adherence and
devotion To the Union. and he affirms that his
public deeds were AT all times actuated 10y this
spirit before the General Government began its
violent encrOachments onthe rights of the States
II was during the Pearce Administration that the
struggle in=kansas between the Free Soil and Pro-
slavery parties cnminatcd in bitterness. This
struggle Mr.. Davis finds to be the beginning of the
immaculate eases OF the war.
He deyoteS considerable space 10 a
description OF what he calls the usurpations
of the Federal authorities. Congress, il will be
remembered, refused to recognize the delegate
chosen from Kansas on the ground that his cleo
ton by the Proslayery party had been procured by
fraud. He regards the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise As reOpening the question of slavery in
the Territories. and as precipttatlng conflict
between the opposing parties. which was encour-
aged By the AbolitiOnists OF the North and which
finally compelled the South, in self-defense, to
take a decided stand. He holds the violent Adolf
tonists largely responsible for the final breach of
peace. Bringing his history down to the cleo ion
the hands OF party, under which the Southern
States could not live. Lincoln was elected upon
the platform of resistance TO slavery extension.
party antagonistic TO the South, and believing in
eminent controlled the Executive Having
devoted about half of the first volume 10 an expo
stion OF the causes which led the South to desire
separation from the Federal Government. Mr.
Davis proceeds, in several chapters To defend the
right of secession In justification of this right he
quotes largely from Webster, Calhoun, Douglass
Greeley, Seward, Benton and Clay. In maintain
ing that the compact between the States was i'm
the nature of confederation, he draws largely
for the basis OF his argument from the debates i'm
the Constitutional Convention of 1859. and forti-
flies himself with extracts from Storey the Con-
ry. He refers 10 the memorable debate on the
purchase of Louisiana. when Josiah Quincy. of
Massachusetts, asserted in the House OF Repre-
sentatives that that act virtually dissolved the
Union, so that the States were freed
from their obligations. and should prepare
for peaceable or fOrcible separation He gives
history OF the adoption of the Tenth Amendment
to the Constitution. by which ~ provided
that Powers not granted 10 the United
States by the Constitution. nor prohibited
States respectively or to the people" He vindi-
Gates the right OF secession perfectly compatible
with the Constitution and claims besides, that the
General Government has no rightful power 10
prevent g. The question, he maintains, rests with
The people from whom all power is derived. Ar
irving In the latter part OF the first volume at the
period when the hostilities commenced, the mar
rative mQkes rapid progress. The author refers to
the Mort Fern protests against coercion, in which
connection the name of Greeley figures prOmi.
nent lie maintains that the South did eyery
thing in its power To go out of the Union
peacefully and quietly. The conservative
temper of the Southern people, he says. was shown
in the early acts OF its Congress, aud in the adop
ton of It's Constitution. 1t was the desire and
endeavor of the Confederacy to bind and unite
the two countries together I'm friendly ties. lie
takes friendlier view of Lincoln at the begin
ming of his Administration than of his confetcrs
I'm the Federal Government. He speaks of Lin
coins inaugural address, ana says that Lincoln
did not far violate the traditions of his country
as 10 defend coercion while arguing against
the right of the south to secede and stating that
he would use force enough to protect the United
States property. lie did not even intimate that
the invasion OF Southern soil would be under
taken. These extracts from Mr. Lincoln's inau-
gurl led the South TO hope that separation
would be brought about in a peaceful manner
Among arguments with which he sup
ports this theory he cites contemporaneous
debates on this subject Ia the Senate
of the United States, aud quotes Senator Doug
las resolution ordering the Withdrawal Of the
garrisons occupying the Southern Forts. lie ac
cuses Seward and others OF bad faith, in represent
ing that no hostile intention was involved In the
which sent TO the garrisons in the forts
whereas the real design was 10 enable the troops
10 hold out against the demands Of the South for
the restoratiOn OF its property. lie cbsracterizes
the act of Lincoln's Administration, Ia sending
ammunition 20 Fort Sumpter. "a an act Of fraud
aud preyarication defending them and still justi-
tying the right OF the South To Withdraw from the
Onion and form Government OF It's own. lie
las the responsibility for all the blood shed upon
the North. lie speaks al length of the journey OF
the Peace Commissioners, who were sent by the
Confederate Government from Montgomery, then
its Capital, 10 Washington, To negotiate for
the peaceful adjustment OF the questions ut
issue. lie severely crticises the condnct OF
Secretary seward aud his colleagues during these