The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-04-20
JEFF. DAVIS BOOK.
The Preface to His History by the Exon
federate President.

The Preface to His History by the Exon
federate President.
From advance sheets of the History of
the Rebellion" by Jefferson Davis, the fol-
lowing extract is taken, being the preface to
his work;
A duty to my countrymen. to the memory
of those who died in defense of cause con-
secrated by inheritance, as we'll as sustained
by conviction, and to those who perhaps less
fortunate, staked ali and lost ALL save life
and honor, in its behalf, has impelled me TO
attempt the vindication of their cause and
conduct. For this purpose l have decided
to present historical sketch of the events
which preceded and attended the struggle
of the Southern States to maintain their ex-
istence and their rights as sovereign commu-
nities-the creators, nOtthe creatures, of the
General Government.
The social problem of maintaining the just
relations between Constitution, Government
and people, has been found SO difficult that
human history is q record of unsuccessful
efforts to establish il. A Government, to
afford the needful protection and exercise
proper care for the welfare of people, must.
have homogeneity in its constituents. 1t is
this necessity which has divided the human
race into separate nations, and finally has
defeated the grandest efforts which conquer
Ors have made to give unlimited extent to
their domain. When our fathers dissolved
their connection with Great Britain by de-
claring themselves free and independent
States, they constituted thirteen seperate
communities and were careful to assert and
preserve each for itself its sovereignty and
jurisdiction.
At a time when the minds of men are
straying far from the lessons our fathers
taught it seems proper and well to recur to
the original principles on which the system
of Government they devised was founded.
The eternal truths which they announced.
therights which they declared "unalineable"
are the foundation stone on which rests the
vindication of the Confederate cause.
He must have been a careless reader of our
political history who has not observed that,
whether under the style of United Colo
Mes or UNITED States, which was adopted
after the Declaration of Independence,
whether under the articles of Confedera-
ton or the compact of Union, there every
where appears the distinct assertion of State
sovereignty, and nowhere the slightest sug-
gestion of any purpose on the part of the
States to consolidate them into one body.
Will any candid, well-informed man assert
that any time between 1776 and 1870 a
proposition to surrender the sovereignty of
the States and merge them into central
Government would have the least possible
chance of adoption? Can any historical fact
be more demonstrate than that the States
did, both in the Confederation and in the
Union, retain their sovereignty and indie
pendence as distinct communities, volunta-
rily consenting to federation, but never be-
coming the fractional parts of a Nation?
That such opinions should find adherents in
our day may be attributable TO the natural
law of aggregation; surely not to con-
scientious regard for the terms of the COM
pact for union by the States.
| In all free Governments the constitution
of organic law is supreme over the Govern
ment and in our Federal Union this was
most distinctly marked by limitations and
prohibitions against all which was beyond
the expressed grants of power to the General
| Government. In the foreground, therefore,
| take the position that those who resisted
violations of the compact were the true
friends and those who maintained the
usurpation of undelegated powers were the
( real enemies of the constitutional Union.
To the parents, the widows, and the or
phans of the Confederate dead L offer the
consolation that those for whom they mourn
died for the right-a willing sacrifice Oh the
altar of their country, where their mem
Dries, enshrined in the hearts of their peo-
pie, will go down in tradition to posterity,
| immortalized by valor in defense of home
and martyrdom for liberty.
October 90, 1880.
JEFFERSON DAVIS.