Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-04-26
and ambiguous guise of 1.-THE execution
Of the laws" and protection of the pub


forms Of government that have become
oppressive or injurious, and If he cotton
States shall decide that they can do bet
ter out of the Union than in 1t, we in.
s1st on letting them go in peace. Tht
right to secede may be a revolutionary
right, bNt 1t eTasts, nevertheless, and WI
do not see how one party can have q
right to do tOh1t another party has q righ
topreve,at. We must ever resist the as
serted right of any state to remain In
thereof. To tOithdrds0 from the Onion
a considerable section of our Union shall
deliberately resolve to go out eoe shall re
sist all c0e1cive measures designed tC
keep her in. We hope never to live in a
republic sOhereof one section is pinned to
the residue By bdyonets."
THE EVENTS OF JANUARY AND FEBRU-
AIRY, 1881.
After the Legislature of M ississippi had
enacted q law for conven ton, which,
representing the sovereignty of the
State, should consider the propriety ol
passing an ordinance to resume the
grants made to the general government
and withdraw from the Union, I, as q
United States Senator from Mississippi,
retained my position In the Senate and
sought by every practicable mode to OBJ
tain such measures as would allay the
excitement and afford to the South such
security as would prevent the final step,
the ordinance of secession from the
Union.
When the last hope of preserving the
Union of the constitution was extin-
guished, and the ordinance of secession
was enacted by the convention of Mis-
sissippi, which has the highest authority y
known under our form of government,
the question of the expediency of adopt.
ing that remedy was no longer open to
inquiry by one who acknowledged his
allegiance as due to the State of which
he was citizen. To evade the RESPONSE
bilities resulting from the decree of his
sovereign, the people, would be craven
to resist it would be treason. The in
stincts and affections of the citizens of
Mississippi led them with great unani-
nifty to the duty yofmaintaining of and de-
Tending their State, without pausing to
ask what would be the consequence OF
refusing obedience to its mandate. A
like feeling pervaded all the seeding
States, and it was not only for the mill
tary service but for every service which
would strengthen and sustain the Con.
federacy that an enthusiasm pervadinp
all classes, sexes and ages was manifest
ed.
The Congress of Delegates from the
seeding States convened at Montgom.
cry, Ala, according to appointment, on
February 4, 1861. Their first work was
to prepare q provisional constitution fol
the new confederacy to be formed of the
States which had. withdrawn from the
Union, for which the style "Confeder-
ate States of America" was adopted
The powers conferred upon them
were adequate for the performance OF
this duty, the immediate necessity for
which was obvious and urgent. The
constitution was adopted on February
8, to continue in force for one year, un-
less superseded at an earlier date by q
permanent organization.
THE CONFEDERATE CABINET.
I had intended to offer the Treasury
Department to Mr.. Toombs, of Georgia,
whose knowledge on subjects of finance
had particularly attracted my notice
when we served together in the United
States Senate. Mr.. Barnwell having
declined the State Department, and q
colleague of his, said to be peculiarly
qualified for the Treasury Department,
having been recommended for it, Mr..
Toombs was offered the State Depart
ment, for which others believed him to
be well qualified.
Mr.. Mallory, Of Florida, had been
chairman of the committee on naval af.
fairs in the United States Senate, was
extensively acquainted with the officers
of the navy, and for landsman had
much knowledge of nautical affairs !;
therefore he was selected for Secretary
of the Navy.
Mr.. Benjamin, of Louisiana, had a
very high reputation as lawyer, and
my acquaintance with him in the Sem
ate had impressed me with the lucidity
of his intellect, his systematic habits and
capacity for labor. He was therefore
invited to the post of Attorney General.
Mr.. Reagan, of Texas. had known
for sturdy, honest Representative in
the United States Congress, and his ac-
quaintance with the territory included
in the Confederate States was both ex-
tensive and accurate. These, together
with his industry and ability to labor,
indicated him as peculiarly fit for the
Z
Mr.. Memminger, of South Carolina,
had high reputation for knowledge Of
finance. He bore an unimpeachable
character for integrity and close atten-v
tion to duties, and on the recommends
ton of the delegation from South Caro-
lima he was appointed Secretary of the
Treasury, and proved himself entirely
worthy of the trust.
f. of 1cL
member of the bar of North
Alabama, and was eminent among the
political leaders of the State.
SEEKING WAR MATERIAL-cAPT. sEM2'
MESS VISIT TO THE NORTH.
On the third day after my Inaugural
tion at Montgomery, an officer of extern
sive Information and high capacity was
sent to the North, to make purchases of
arms, ammunition and machinery and
soon afterward another officer was sent
to Europe to buy in the market as far
as possible, and, furthermore, to make
for arms and ammunitions to
be manufactured. Captain afterwards
AdmiraD Semmes, the officer who was
sent to the North, would have been quite
successful but for the Intervention of the
preventing the delivery
of the various articles contracted for
The officer who was sent to Europe,
Major Huse. found few serviceable arms
upon the market; he. however, succeed
ed in making contracts for the manufac
ture of large quantities., being in ad.
vance of the agents sent from the North
ern government for the same purpose.
For further and more detailed informa-
tion, reference is made to the monograph
of the chief of ordinance.
Capt Semmes had also been directed
to seek for vessels which would serve
for naval purposes, and after his return
reported that he could not find any yes
sells which in his judgment were or could
be made available for our uses. The
Southern officers of the navy who were
In command of United States vessels
under an idea more creditable to
their sentiment than their knowledge
of the nature of our constitutional
Onion, brought the vessels they com
manded into the ports of the North, and
having delivered them to the authorities
of the United States government, gen.
orally rendered their resignations, and
repaired to the States from which they
had been commissioned in the navy, to
serve where they held their allegiance
to be due. The theory that they owed
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