Arkansas Ordinance of Secession

by People of Arkansas, in Convention assembled

AN ORDINANCE

To dissolve the union now existing between the State of Arkansas and the other states united with her under the compact entitled "The constitution of the United States of America".

Whereas, In addition to the well founded causes of complaint set forth by this convention, in resolutions adopted on the 11th March, A. D. 1861, against the sectional party now in power at Washington City, headed by Abraham Lincoln, he has, in the face of resolutions passed by this convention, pledging the State of Arkansas to resist to the last extremity any attempt on the part of such power to coerce any state that had seceded from the old Union, proclaimed to the world that war should be waged against such states, until they should be compelled to submit to their rule, and large forces to accomplish this, have by this same power been called out, and are now being marshalled to carry out this inhuman design, and to longer submit to such rule or remain in the old Union of the United States, would be disgraceful and ruinous to the State of Arkansas.

Therefore, we the people of the State of Arkansas, in convention assembled, do hereby declare and ordain, and it is hereby declared and ordained, that the "ordinance and acceptance of compact," passed and approved by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas, on the 18th day of October, A. D., 1836, whereby it was by said General Assembly ordained that, by virtue of the authority vested in said General Assembly, by the provisions of the ordinance adopted by the convention of delegates assembled at Little Rock, for the purpose of forming a constitution and system of government for said state, the propositions set forth in "an act supplementary to an act entitled an act for the admission of the State of Arkansas into the Union, and to provide for the due execution of the laws of the United States within the same, and for other purposes, were freely accepted, ratified and irrevocably confirmed articles of compact and union between the State of Arkansas and the United States," and all other laws and every other law and ordinance, whereby the State of Arkansas became a member of the Federal Union, be, and the same are hereby in all respects and for every purpose herewith consistent, repealed, abrogated and fully set aside; and the union now subsisting between the State of Arkansas and the other states, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby forever dissolved.

And we do further hereby declare and ordain, that the State of Arkansas hereby resumes to herself all rights and powers heretofore delegated to the government of the United Stales of America—that her citizens are absolved from all allegiance to said government of the United States, and that she is in full possession and exercise of all the rights and sovereignty which appertain to a free and independent state.

We do further ordain and declare, that all rights acquired and vested under the constitution of the United States of America, or of any act or acts of Congress, or treaty, or under any law of this state, and not incompatible with this ordinance, shall remain in full force and effect, in no wise altered or impaired, and have the same effect as if this ordinance had not been passed.

David Walker, President of the convention and delegate from the county of Washington.
James L. Totten, Arkansas county.
Marcus L. Hawkins, Ashley county.
A. W. Dinsmore, Benton county.
J. Gould, Bradley county.
Phil. H. Echols, Calhoun county.
W. W. Watkins, Carroll county.
Burr H. Hobbs, Carroll county.
I. H. Hilliard, Chicot county.
H. Flanagin, Clark county.
J. C. Wallace, Columbia county.
George P. Smoote, Columbia county.
S. J. Stallings, Conway county.
Jesse Turner, Crawford county.
H. F. Thomason, Crawford county.
Thos. H. Bradley, Crittenden county.
Robert T. Fuller, Dallas county.
J. P. Johnson, Desha county.
J. A. Rhodes, Drew county.
W. F. Slemons, Drew county.
W. W. Mansfield, Franklin county.
S. W. Cochran, Fulton county.
James W. Bush, Greene county.
R. K. Garland, Hempstead county.
A. H. Carrigan, Hempstead county.
Joseph Jester, Hot Spring county.
F. W. Desha, Independence county.
Urban E. Fort, Independence county.
M. Shelby Kennard, Independence county.
Alex. Adams, Izard county.
J. H. Patterson, Jackson county.
Jas. Yell, Jefferson county.
W. P. Grace, Jefferson county.
Wm. W. Floyd, Johnson county.
Felix I. Batson, Johnson county.
Wiley P. Cryer, Lafayette county.
Samuel Robtnson, Lawrence county.
Milton D. Baker, Lawrence county.
H. H. Bolinger, Madison county.
Thos. F. Austin, Marion county.
Felix R. Lanier, Mississippi county.
Wm. M. Mayo, Monroe county.
Alexander M. Clingman, Montgomery county.
Isaiah Dodson, Newton county.
A. W. Hobson, Ouachita county.
L. D. Hill, Perry county.
Thomas B. Hanly, Phillips county.
Chas. W. Adams, Phillips county.
Samuel Kelley, Pike county.
Archibald Ray, Polk county.
William Stout, Pope county.
Benjamin C. Totten, Prairie county.
J. Stillvell, Pulaski county.
A. H. Garland, Pulaski county.
James W. Crenshaw, Randolph county.
J. M. Smith, Saline county.
E. T. Walker, Scott county.
Saml. L. Griffith, Sebastian county.
W. M. Fishback, Sebastian county.
Benj. F. Hawkins, Sevier county.
Jas. S. Dollarhide, Sevier county.
J. N. Shelton, St. Francis county.
G. W. Laughinghouse, St. Francis county.
H. Bussey, Union county.
Wm. V. Tatum; Union county.
J. Henry Patterson, Van Buren county.
John P. A. Parks, Washington county.
T. M. Gunter, Washington county.
James H. Stirman, Washington county.
Jesse N. Cypert, White county.
W. H. Spivey, Yell county.

Adopted and passed in open convention, on the sixth day of May, Anno Domini, 1861.

Attest:

Elias C. Boudinot, Secretary

of the Arkansas State Convention.