Jeff. Davis' Inaugural Message

The fdllnwing is tho In&agttr&l Address of Jefferson Pavis, dolivered at Richmond onSaturduy, Feb. 22 : "Fei.low-Citizexs - On this, tire birthday oí tho man most ideritified with l i'i e establishment of American independente, and beneath the monu ment erected to cornmemornte his he i-oic virtiifS and those of bis compatriota, we have uspembled to usher into ëxistenoe the ponnanenc government of thu Confedérate States. ThrougD ihis instrumentality, under the favor of Divine Providence, we hopo to perpetunte the principies oi our Revolütiohary athers. The day, the meniory and tiie pnrpose Reem fitly SSéooiatod. " lt is with mingíod feelings of huniility and pride that I appear to take, in the presence of tho peop'.o nnd forehin-h Hoaven the oath precribed as ■i qnaütication for the exaUed station to whieh the unnnimous voicn of the people h:s called me. Deeply senmble el all that 8 rnplied by this manif'estatinn of the peoplo's eontklence, I am yet more profocndly impressed by the vast responsibility of the office, and huinbly feel my own unworthiness. " In return for their kindness I can c-;;n only offer assuranecs of the ffratl tudü wilh whicb it is received, and can but pledge a zealous devotion of every faculty to t.he service of thoso who havo chosen me as their Chief Magietrate. " When a lono; course of class legislation, directed not to the general welfpre, but to the agprandizement of the nor thern section oi the U mon, euiminated in a warfare on the di'nífstic instituí ons -'f the poutbern Stales - vvhen tho dogmas oi a sectional party, sub iUUed for he provisioiis of the con.-■titutional wmipact, threatenod to dö stroy the sovereign riüh's of the States, six # those Statos, withdrawing from the Inion, confederated to geiher to exercise the right and pe.rform thü duty of instituting a governnieut which would bettcr secure the libarties, for tha pi'oservation of which that Union was estublished. " W-hatever of hope sorne raay have entertained that a rutr.rning senté .of jnstioe would remove the danger with which our rights vvere threatoned, and render it poasible to preserve the Union of the c.onstitution, must have been dispelled by the maïignity and barbantv of the northern States in the prose ciition of the existing war. The confidence of the most hopeful among us must have been destroyed by tbo disresard theyha've reoently exhibited for all the timë-bonored "bulwarks of civil and reÜEjious liberty. Bnstiles filled with prisone'-s, arrcsted without civ.l procesa or indictrrent dulyfound; the writ of habeas corpus suspended by ExeciUive mandate; a State Legislatiire cnntrolled by the imprisonment of membérs whose avowed principies si;rjeited to the Federal Exeontive th;U there might bo nnother added to the Hst ot seceded States ; elections held under threate of a military power; civii officcrs, peaceful ciUpW W}4 irc.ü'iowomun incarcerated for ons sake, proclaimed the ncapauity, ot nuf late assoc'fces to admini.-ter a roverninent na frei liberal nnd humane as that esttibl'.Khed for our co;ímon use. i: For proof of llie sinjerify of our nniiiose to mf.intain our ancient totíohs, wc rhay point té tho consMU:tii.n rrf the Confederacy and lha linvs emioted under it, as wol! 8 to the faut that through nl! the lieieRMties of an iwii'ijiml ptnip-gle tlioro h:is been Wi ie!, Qn our yirii-t to impnir per.-onal liherty ir the ireoiioin Of speech, o! thought or Qi the uresa The conrts h.'ive been open, the judicial functions fuily exi'cutéd, and every rigJifc of the peactful citizen maintuined as secnrely as if a war of' iuvasioQ had not disturbed the land. " The peoplü of the States now confcdurated bucame coo.yjnced that the government of tho United Stntes had i'üllcn intJ the handn oí seclional j-iriiy. wlio would prevert tnat mon saorëd of all trusts to the destrüötióti of the rights wbich it as pïó'dgej to respect. They beííeved that to reinnin jonger o the KJnion :oukl sübje'ot thütn to a continuance oí dispr.rMgiug discrimination, subrnission to vbiJh -A'ould pe inconsistent with their welfare, and riifcleraTsIe to a riroud peoplo. Thoy therefore determined ia sovrv its bobas and establish a nnvf uöpféd ;i;ii'.y for therriselves. " Tlie experiment intituted by our Eevolutionary fatherá, of a voluntnry üüioa óf sovéreign States for purposes speoifisd in a Rolemn cotnpnet, had beep p'urpo.-ted by those who, feéliln power and fqrgeUiog nght, we.r.e1 deten to renpcat nó tnw h;it thêir own wilt - oínént had'cekíted fö atiswer r wfïich it was ordained and eetabliahed. To tóVè óré'íeií ft'oi.i h -fivolution whTcfi, in lts silent tuit rupin iroirre:, wss about to placo 138 under Lhedespotbm of ni'.rnbors, ;::■) tö pvj wt.il as in farm, a ü-nfnénfc ve believed to ba p9C;uVmry fitfed to otn eoöditrnn, and'fuil oí 'promiío for innnkind, wc -,;.-d U riía'ke a rièw af Rt States homnttdöüS m ast, ui policy and in feelitisj. " True to oui' iruditions of peace and our ov'e of j'istico, we cent conunissi'ónera ïp ih'è tTnUed Suites to pn.pose iiïcabla sottlement of nll on ; óf pubüo debt or propërty whii-ti inigt b'é in dispirta. Bol the governmetit at WasK"rtgt'on denying PMJf rigUt to solfgovei-nment, ref'used cvonto listen to'nny propoals for a peaceful separation. Nothing was then luft to us hut to prepare for war. "Thefirst yoar in our history lias been the most. evehtfnl in the nnnals of this continent A P'ew government hasbc;n established, and W rttaöhiffery put in operntinn over an arenexcefd'ntr i hupd.red thoimand square miles. T!;e ííi.-at principies lipón wbicb vo have been wi.ling to hazard evervthinn; Uiat is dear to 'inun have made conquests for us wnich could never fiaye been achieved by the swovd. Oar Conf9d,eracy has grnwn from eix tr ttiir.teen Suites; and Mf.r ready united lo us hy ha11owc] n oríes anü (ateri'al Interest1?, will, I believe, iu'ii able to sprak wi:b unstiiiod vniee, pohriect her dóHiny with thi South. Ouv people havo rallied with upëjtnrppled unaniinity to thé ffuppwl of tljegreát principies orrtnWutot3 govtrn'tnent, with tinn WsWeto petante by arms the rigbtg wbich i could not peacefully secure. A mil oí'men.itis ftiunatéu, are now Rtanrt'n in hostile, arrny and waging war along a (rontier oí thousands oi miles. - Büttles have been fouglit, Bienes I i been conduo'.ed, and, although the contostis not endod, and tho tide for thc moment is ngainst lis, tho final result in pur favor ík dot doubiful. "rl'!:o pcrioil is riear nt hand wli our í'oes miut sink un der tho i ni me load of dcbt which they havo iocui n ck-bt which, in their effort to 8U rate us, hns already nbtau ■ fearlul niinenions us wül bubjc-ftt to burthens wliich mi;st continuo Iq prasa tliem for getiératioM to como. " We, too, have liad our ti ia ■ difficultioH. That we are to I thom n future is not to be hoped. 't v.as to be expceted when vu nl upoi! this R-arthat it would exposo . u' peoplo to sacriíices and üst thcrn mutU, both ot money and blood. But uo kntiw the valué of lbo object for jghi we strugglcd, and tinderstood o nn ture of the war in wliich vvo wWe t-r. taged. Nothing couiil ha so bad a.s failure, nnd Boy aacrifice wou'd chcau as the price of suocess in sucL COlitist. "But tl. e picture lias its lghts ft wel! as its shadows. This grat síl has awakcncd in tho jeople tho higbrí euiolions and Cuali!ies ai the turnan soul. It is ultivating feelings of patriotism, virtue, and courage. ÏBStaaixi of self-sacriike íind of geoeroua di tion to the nublo ci.use for whivh wo are contending aro íi'e throughout thu land. Never bava a peoplu yvii inoro deterniinud spirit tluin il animating men, wotnen, and Èhi in every part of our country. L'pon the first cali tho men Hy to f.nns; and wives and motherssond thcir husnaflds and sons to battle vvithuut a muruiur of regret. "It wns, perhaps, in the orilinntion of Provideoce that we were to I taught the value of our liberties by ;;it-price vvhich we pay fr them. "The recnllections i)J tbia great ■ test, with all iti uoiiiirion tr glory, of sacriñce and of bfood, '■'. the bond of haimony and endiu aflectioa ampngaUhe ueople, proiu. unity q poiicj, fraternity ia eeuti'-iind joint efi'wrt in war. ' Nor have the material sacn!:.. tiio past year been mudo wiüioiitcorrespondida benefits. If the quiescence of loreign nations in a pr tendad blockacle has deprived us l our cuniiDurce among thetn, it is i'. making us a self-suppnrting and int!-. - peut people. The blockade-, fflfectual and permanent, couid ouly s-ervo t divert our indusiry frtHfl the productioü ot articles ior export, and enipjoy it in suppljing commodiues ior doujt USC'. " It ia a satisfaction that we havo maintaiued the war by our unaided I s ertion. ye have ncither asked received assistance irom any quarter. Yet ihe intorest involved is not wboljy our own. The worki at largo La concerned in opening our markets to ita oommerce. When tho independenoa oí tho Confedérale States is recogmzed by the nations of the earth, and íc aro free to í'ollow our iütereets and ioclinfttions by eultivuting foreign trade, tho SouthtTii States wil! offer to nmnufacturmg nations the moet favorable markets which ever inviten] their eommerce. C )tton, sugar, rice, tobáceo, povisions, timber und naval stores will furnish attraetive- exchanges. X' v, constaney f the be disturbad by vox. 0ir coníedefato st'eno-t!i will be too geept t ei;pt iggreson : ajd i pie w!;o--e [q , f"0'tnjtled Lhepñ so fúliy ip y yv -■■■■(■ poliéy as tljose of t!:e Coi títaíea, - Jy the character 1 iive'ij m'odijt?tina h'ey ure too tevesí'i f] in t. War of i vngo, be-;i!ise the ou-iituii-m of í!k:;Jnüfederacy ;;d:i:i's of no pqorced asóuiutión. Civil war there cannót ha ('(j'tweeñ States held tmgettier by tlteir ■olition only. This rule of voluntary ,sL-.oc:it:oii, wli'mli catinot íai! to be ifQnervativi by aecuring jast and luvpprtial governnient t home, does noj; diininiíh tiie sic!:n!y oí the o!;li:.".t;ona by whïch the Cóníéderatq Sta'. befound to foreign nations. ín ; of this it 8 to be remoinuíTi'il that, fit the tíi-st momeiit of asser ing Üieir right oí sccession. tlieso States proppptd a settlument on tiie basis i' a "m.u. liabilitv for the obligationti oí the eral governinoD!". " Follow eitiüens, after Lhe t-írn-u oí uws liad coiisccruted tjia ríght oí the Englishinan tn conslitutionVi ropresentatie government. o:ir colonial ancestors ivere forcod to vindícate thafc bnrthright by an aripeaj !o arma Success browñe'd their eiíbrts, and tlioy provided for thfiir posterity a peaceíu! rcmedy iga'mst future eggres.-üoi), "The lyranny of an imbridlea majority, th'e cnost odious and leiist respur.í'ible fonn of despotism, ha nied ÜS both the right and the i'uiü Thereíore we are in irms to renew e siierifices as our fath rs mude to ti h'oTy causa oí oonstltutibnal liberly.At tho darkest h-oui' of our Btrpggl tho prov9Íonul givos plíice to thü permanent gpverpm i series oí successes :i;.d vicííWie's. whioh covered our arhil with gtorV', we Lavo recently met with fi nstqrs, Bul ti tho of a jieople resolved to be freo these disflsferB tend but to stimulate to increaeed rej.i:tniK'.. "Tosboiv ouVsëlves worthy ófthe inheritance bëquektVied to us by the patriota of the Kovolution, we must emuíate that h.er'oio devotlon whieh nat1;; reverse to thc;n but the cruciblo in whioh tbei." pntriotism was reñned. ' W til c.níidoncs in the wisdom and virtuö of tnóse who will shnro vntn ivo thé resnonsiliility, and aid tno in tho eonduct of public áfiairs; securely relylng on the pütrio'ism and courfgo of the "peoplo, of whioh tho present war has furnishecl so m'aáv examples, I éeëpty fc'el the weight of the respon?!hiüties I now, with unaffected diffi(jence, am ubout tpassurrië; and fully realizing tho inadequr.cy of human power to guiiïe and sustain, rny hope ia reverently fised on Hun whose favor is over voni'hsuicil to khe cause which is iust. Wiih luitnble gratitnde aft ! adorati n, DteUowTedging the Pi denoe which hris so visibly pro! tho ('onffíh'racy dufing ÍW bnei evéntïii] careêr, to Theo, ü God, . trhst'ingly pottitnit myseit', and piay.i-fullv tnvóká 'l'hy blossinr an itry eoun'.iy and ita eaupe." ,v i- ii. jjsgf" During an exaniination, a medi; tent being asl.-oa, l fhen 3ófa ïüortiii'.MHon cdsüo ?"' ho ropliu !, "wiion y.i'i pep tho ijuestion, and aro answercd, 'uo.";' JP Whnt a cüipÜUiuüt to trjmonCavlylopaiil whiüi Ik s;id,, ' I ]5nta:j á iihalutud by 'hiicy :-iiiiul),s cl' i!y fools,'1 Carhi-, wq