Year: 1861

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONGRESS


1t is my pleasing duty to announce to you that the
Constitution framed Tor the establishment ot perma-
nent government for the Confederate States has been
ratified by Conventions n each of those States to which
it was referred. TO naugurae the government In Its
full proportions and upon its own substantial basis OF
the popular WILL it only remains that elections should
be held for the designatcn of the officers to administer
it.


There is every reason to believe that at 10 distant
day. other States identified in political principles and
community of interests with those which you represent
will join this Con.ederacy giving to its typical con-
stelation increased spendOrto its government of ree
equal and sovereign States wider sphere of usefulness
and to the friends of constitutional liberty greater
security for its harmonious and perpetual existence.


1t not however, for the purpose OF making this
announcement that | have deemed it my duty to con-
woke you at an earlier day than that fixed by yourselves
for your meeting. The declaration of war made against
this Confederacy by Abraham Lincoln, the President
of the United States in bis proclamation issued on the


fifteenth day of the present month"; rendered it necessary
in my Judgment that you should convene at the earliest
practicable moment to devise the measures Necessary
for the defense of the country.


The occasion is indeed an extraordinary one. 1t JUS
ties me in brief review of the relations heretofore ex
sting between and the States which now unite IN
warfare against u.s. and in succinct statement of the
events which have resulted in this warfare to the end
that mankind may pass Intelligent and impartial Judg
ment on its motives and objects.


During the war waged against Great Britain by her
colonies on this continent a common danger lmPeeo
them to close alliance and to the formation OF Con-
federatOn by the terms OF which the colonies styling
themselves States, entered SeUeTdly into firm league
of friendship with each other for their common defense
the security of their liberties, and their mutual ard gen
eral welfare bndi2g themselves to assist each other a.
gainst all force offered to- attacks made upon them or
any of them account of religion, sovereignty trade
or any other pretense whatever"


In order guard against any misconstructon OF their
compact, the several States made explicit decaTatoln
in distinct article that each State retains ats SoVer
eighty freedom and independence and every power, Ju
risdictOn and right which is not by this Confederation
erp eSy delegated to the United States IN congress
assembled"


Under this contract of alliance the Of the rcvo-
luton was successfully Waged and resulted In the trta
ty of peace with Great Britain in 783 by the terms OF
which the several States were each by name, recognized
to be independent


The articles of confederation contained clause where
by all alterations prohibited, unless confirmed by
the Legislature OF every State, alter beng agreed to by
the Congress and n obedience to this provision under
the resolution OF Congress of the 2lst February, 1887,
the several States appointed delegates who attended
convention for the sole and erPrese purpose OF revising
the articles OF confederation and reporting to Congress
and the several Legislatures, such alterations and pro-
visions therein shall when agreed to IN Congress- and
confirmed By the SGeS render the Federal Constitution
adequate to the exgences OF government and the pre-
servatOn of the Union.


Il was by the delegates chosen by the several &Ges
under the resolution just quoted that the Constitution
of the United States was framed in 1884, and submitted
to the severQL States for ratification shewn by the th
article, which is in these words:


The ratification of the COnUe'tionS of nine States
shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitu
ton BETWEEN the States, so ratitying the same.


have taicised certain words IN the quotations just
made for the purpose OF attracting attention to the SIN
guar and marked caution with which the States endea
vored in every possible fom to exclude the idea that
of ate
was merged into one common government and nation 4;
and the earnest desire they evnced to impress on the
Constitution in its true chlracter-that of Campact
BETWEEN independent States.


The Constitution of 1887 having, however, omitted
the clause already rected from the articles of COnfeder
aion which provided in explicit TERMS that each State
retained its sovereignty and independence some alarm
was felt in the States when invited tc ratify the COns
tution lest this omission should he construed into
abandonment Of their cherished principle, and they
fused to be satisfied until amendments added to the
Constitution placing beyond any preence of doubt the
reservation by the States, of all their sovereign rights
and powers-nOt expressly delegated to the United
States by the Constitution.


Strange indeed must it appear to the impartial OBJ
server but it is the less true, that all these
fully wOrded clauses proved unavaling to prevent the
rise and growth in the Northern States OF political
school which has perssteny claimed that the govern
ment thus formed was not compact betWeen States,
but was in effect national government, set up aboUe
and OUeT the States AN organization, created Dy the
States to secure the blessings Of liberty and indepCn-
dencc against foreign aggression, has been gradually
perverted into machine tor their control in their do
n1eC affairs the creature has ICen exalted above its
creators the principals have been made subordinate to
the agent appointed by themselves.


The people of the Southern States, whose almost
elusive occupation agriculture, early perceived


tendency in the Northern States to render the
government subservent to their purposes. by i'm
posing burthens commerce a protection to their
manufacturing and shipping interests. Long and an
cry controversy grew out of these attempts often
Cessfu to benefit section of the country at the ex-
pense of the other and the danger of disruption arising


from this enhanced by the fact that the orth
ern population was increasing by immigration and other
causes in greater ratio than the population of the
South By degrees the Northern States gained pre-
ponderance in the National Congress- self interest taught


their people to yield ready assent to any plausible ad-
vocacy OF their right ma jOrty to govern the mi
nOrity without control they learned to listen with i'm
patience to the suggestion of any constitutional impedi-
ment to the exercise OF their will and utterly have
the principles of the Constitution been corrupted in the
Northern mind, that in the inaugural address delivered
by President Lincoln in March last he asserts as an
axiom which he plainly deems to be undenabe that the


theory of the Constitution requires that in all cases the
majority shall govern and in another memorable in
stance, the Chief Magistrate did not hesitate to
hken the relations between a State and the United
States to those which exist between county and the
State in which it is situated and by which it was crea
ted This is the lamentabe and fundamental error on
which rests the policy that has cunnated in his decar
alton OF against these Confederate States


In addition to the long continued and deep seated
sentiment felt by the Southern States at the persistent
abuse of the powers they had delegated to the Congress-


for the purpose of enriching the manufacturing and
shipping classes of the North at the expense of the
South, there has existed for nearly half century
other subject Of discord involving interests of such
transcendent magnitude at all times to create the
apprehension in the minds many devoted lovers of thu
Union, that its permanence was impossible


e @ Saes deaed certain
ing population consisted of African slaves imported in
to the colonies by the mother country In twelve, out
of thirteen States negro slavery existed and the right
of property in slaves protected by lay. This pro-
perty recognized in the Constitution, and provision