Read the excerpt from jefferson davis’s inaugural address below. our present political position has been achieved in a manner unprecedented in the history of nations. it illustrates the american idea that governments rest on the consent of the governed, and that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish them at will whenever they become destructive of the ends for which they were established. in the excerpt, davis argues that citizens have a right to change or destroy governments. citizens should ask permission before starting a new government. governments should be ruled by a small number of people. governments should split when they face disagreement.