Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-02-14
JEFFERSON DAVIS BOOK
Dedicated TO the widows and
Orphans Of the COnfeder'
ate Dead.

NHlCAHO, teDfuary ll.--lno OnlCuBO
Times makes public the topics discussed
by Jefferson Davis in his history of the
"Rise and Fall OF the Confederate Gov
ernmcnt, soon to be issued. Mr. Davis
introduction is a short one, covering not
quite two pages. He dcdicatos the work
to the widows and orphans of the Confed-
crate dead. He ccnceives IL 10 be his duty
to his countrymen to prepare this history
of the rise and failure Of their cause. He
finds in the structure of the thirteen inde-
pendent states and their relation to each
other the primary principles and vested
rights on which he rests his vindication Of
the Confedcracy. he evidences the doc
trine Of state sovereignty and the com
pact by which the states voluntarily gave
their consent to a federation, with no de-
sign expressed or implied ever to becolue
fractional parts Of nation, and he be-
lieves that those who resisted the viola
ton ofthis original compact we're in fact
the true friends of the constitutional
union,
The author in discussing the principles
and events in their natural and logical or
der, first gives his attention to African
servitude, and the long and bitter section-
al strife to wk:ch ii gave rise. He then
takes up the subject OF states rights,giving
constitutional and historical arguments on
which be rests the principle of state SOW
ereignty, and quoting copiouly from all
authorities on the subject. These ques.
tions and full statement of the immedi-
ate causes Of the war, occupy one-half OF
the first volume, and the :emalnder of the
work is given to the narrative ofthe strug-
gle, including the fullest statement yet
written from southern standpoint of the
fierce uissentions in Confederate councils
and Of his defense Of the prolongation Of
the war for many months after many Of
the ablest men Of the south were fully
convinced that their struggle was hope
less one.
In the opening work he treats OF early
legislation on the subject of slavery. liz
acquits the south OF all the responsibility
Cor the existence in its midst ofthe peculiar
institution, and calls attention to the fac
that Virginia was the first state TO pro
hibit importation INTO its territory 6
blacks brought to this country, and re
duced to slavery, snd that Georgia wa
the first state to incorporate in its consti
tuition prohibition Of African slave trade
All through the work he treats Of SLAYER!
not as n cause of the war, but only as al
r incident of the secession movepent. Th
paramount question, he dcclares,w was equal
itv in territories, and to the inability Of tn
south to maintain its equal rights in terrific
ries and new made states in the union
He traces the conflict which was intonsi
fed until it burst into open war. Will
upon this subject hespeaks in eondemna
tion of the terms Of the Missouri com
9 promise which he regards as a surrende
. of rights which belonged to the south
, and which it should have maintained, bu
, after it was adopted he believes
it should have been adhered +
and he arraigns the north and the fedora
government for the failure Of compromise
which was practically repealed by tn
Q bills organizing the territories of Kansa
!. and Nebraska in 1859. 1t will be observes
Q that Mr.. Davis takes occasion to declar
in many places throughout his work hi
devotion to the constitutional union, an
E instances speeches which he made in 1876
during his candidacy for governor Q
Mississippi in opposition to Henry 5
Foote. These speeches contained repeate
6 declarations of his adherence and devotion
a to the union, and be afirms that his pub
= lie deeds were at all times actuated by thi
+ spjrit. before the general government
y beqan its violent encroachments on tn
rights of the states. 1t was during tn
0 Pierce administration that the struggle i
: Kansas between tho free slave and pre-
slavery parties culminatsd IN bitter
ness. In this struggle, Mr.. Davis ind
the beginning of the immediate caus
. Of the war. He devotes considerabl
t space to a description of what he calls th
" usurpations of federal authorities. Cor
It grsss, it will be remembered, refused
recognize the delegate chosen from kaI
is sas, on the ground tha. his election by II
If pro-slavery party had been procured b
A fraud. He regards the repeal Of the Nj
u souri compromise as reopening the que
i. ton of slavery in the territories, and
precipitating conflict between opposir
- parties which was encouraged by abol
N tioulsts of the north, and which hnall
II compelled the south, in self-defense,
q take stand. He holds that the violel
s abolltiopists are largely responsible for Il
a anal breaeb Of peace Bringing his hi
: tory down 10 the election oi Lincoln,
i fnds The federal government IN the can
" of o party under which the southel
70 states could not live. Lincoln was elect
D. upon the platform Of resistance to 'lsvet
d. extension. 4 perty antagonistic to q
I'd south, 'and believing IN centrahsatl'
he power in tho federal goyammeEt co
ic | trolled The executive department.
to Having devoted half Of the first vc
- ume to the exposisIcR Of the causes Will
le led the south 70 desire ior scparati'
70 from tbe federal government, Mr. Daf
az proceeds, in several chapters, to defer
Dg the right Of secession. IN justification
ms this right he quotes lurgely from We
to stsr. Calhoun, Douglas, Gresley, seBsi
sti Bsston and Clay in maintaining tha'
DO s-es- ug'I5i1sa
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