Is Davis a Traitor? Was Secession a Constitutional Right Previous to the War of 1861?

by Albert Taylor Bledsoe

From inside the book:
IT is not the design of this book to open the subject of secession. The subjugation of the Southern States, and their acceptance of the terms dictated by the North, may, if the reader please, be considered as having shifted the Federal Government from the basis of compact to that of conquest; and thereby extinguished every claim to the right of secession for the future. Not one word in the following will at least be found to clash with that supposition or opinion. The sole object of this work is to discuss the right of secession with reference to the past; in order to vindicate the character of the South for loyalty, and to wipe off the charges of treason and rebellion from the names and memories of Jefferson Davis, Stonewall Jackson, Albert Sydney Johnston, Robert E. Lee, and of all who have fought or suffered in the great war of coercion. Admitting, then, that the right of secession no longer exists; the present work aims to show, that, however those illustrious heroes may have been aspersed by the ignorance, the prejudices, and the passions of the hour, they were, nevertheless, perfectly loyal to truth, justice, and the Constitution of 1787 as it came from the hands of the fathers. The radicals themselves may, if they will only read the following s, find sufficient reason to doubt their own infallibility, and to relent in their bitter persecutions of the South. The calm and impartial reader will, it is believed, discover therein the grounds on which the South may be vindicated, and the final verdict of History determined in favor of a gallant, but down-trodden and oppressed, PEOPLE.

Contents:
CHAPTER I. Opinions respecting Secession determined by passion, not by reason
CHAPTER I. The Issue; or Point in Controversy
CHAPTER II. "The Great Expounder"
CHAPTER IV. The first Resolution passed by the Convention of 1787
CHAPTER V. The Constitution of 1787 a Compact
CHAPTER VI. The Constitution of 1'787 a Compact
CHAPTER VI. The Constitution of 1'787 a Compact
CHAPTER VII. The Constitution of 1787 a compact between the States.-The Facts of the Case
CHAPTER IX. The Constitution a Compact between the States.-The Language of the Constitution.
CHAPTER X. The Constitution of 1787 Compact between the States.-The Language of the Constitution
CHAPTER XI. The Constitution of 1787 a Compact between the States.-The views of Hamilton, Madison, Morris, and other Framers of the Constitution
CHAPTER XI. The Convention of 1787 describes the Constitution formed by them as a Compact between the States
CHAPTER XII. Mr. Webster Mr. Webster
CHAPTER XIV. The absurdities flowing from the Doctrine that the Constitution is not a Compact between the States, but was made by the People of America as one Nation
CHAPTER XV. The Hypothesis that the people of America form one Nation
CHAPTER XVI. Arguments in favor of the Right of Secession
CHAPTER XVI. Arguments against the Right of Secession
CHAPTER XVII. Was Secession Treason?
CHAPTER XIX. The Causes of Secession
CHAPTER XX. The Legislators of 1787 as Political Prophets

This pre-1923 publication has been reformatted for the Kindle and may contain an occasional defect from the original publication or from the reformatting process.

Genres: History, American, Nonfiction, American History

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1907

About the author

Albert Taylor Bledsoe (1809–1877) was an American Episcopal priest, attorney, professor of mathematics, and officer in the Confederate army and was best known as a staunch defender of slavery.

Reviews

[Paul/Suzette Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possible the most important book I’ve ever read.

[Bob Bingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing antidote to the usual accounts of Daniel Webster's speeches, Joseph Story's commentaries, and the writings of the founders of the Constitution. Although written well over 100 years ago, it goes a long way in helping to understand what has happened to the U.S. and why. Dispels a lot of repeated errors and misrepresentations of the meaning of various clauses in the Constitution, specifically the "three fifths" clause.

[Raul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book filled with inconvenient truths for the Yankee and their centralizing sympathizers. Secession was indeed a right before the War Between the States that started in 1861. Despite what you may have heard or read, the right remains so to this day. The arguments presented in this book have yet to be refuted. In fact, Davis was exonerated without ever having gone to trial. The opposition knew that they had no case against him especially following the publishing of this book. Put that in your corncob pipe and smoke it, yankee. ;)

[Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most important books I have ever read on this subject. Americans, ALL Americans need to face the facts that our government was founded by the States as sovereign nations in a loose confederation. The central government only had the powers granted to it by the sovereign States. Almost nothing that our behemoth federal government does today is constitutional or would have ever been agreed to by any of the founders, North as well as South of the Mason-Dixon. We desperately need to go back to the beginning and reevaluate and reexamine our beginnings, both good and bad.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is interesting to discover the number of other sources of information and thoughts that were neven taught or mentioned in 12 to 20 years of formal "education".

I cannot remember who said it but...an assertion [or a lie] put forth in one sentence can take volumes to refute. We must know all arguments and hope they are based on the facts before we can truly move forward.

[Gary Jarrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author presents historical data and analysis that is often missing in history books! Appears that the Republic's polics and politicians have not changed in our current environment!

[LadySnowAngel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating reading.