The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-29
The Right Of Secession.

Mr.. RHErT, the Southern Press tells us,
proposes no such thing as treason; she insists
only on the right of sovereign States to secede
that has not yet arisen" Then Mr.. r. insists
on right which does not exist, and which he
well knows the people of the United States do
not, and will not, recognise. On this point, and
as peculiarly appropriate in the present con
Juncture Of our national affairs, we beg leave to
quote portion of the celebrated proclamation
issued by General JACKSON in 1882, when the
right to secede from the Union was claimed
and threatened to be exercised, by South Caro-
lima. One or two passages we have taken the
liberty Of italcising.
1.-THE right to secede," says that paper, ais de-
duccd from the nature of the Constitution, which
they 1.-THE members Of the convention Of South Caro-
lima which passed the famous 'ordnance'l say ia a
compact between sovereign States who have pre-
served their whole sovereignty, and therefore are
subject to superior; that because they made the
compact they can break it, when in their opinion
it has been departed from by the other statcs Fal
lacious as this course Of reasoning is, it enlists
State PRIDE and finds advocates in the honest pre-
Government sufficiently to see the radical error
on which it rests.
"The people Of the United States formed the Con-
stituton, acting through State Legislatures in max
ing the compact to meet and discuss its provisions;
but the terms used in its construction show Il 10 be
a government in which the people Of all the States
collectively are represented. We are oSE PEOPLE
in the choice Of the President and Vice President.
Here the States have other agency than TO direct
the mode in which the votes shall be given The
candidates having majority Of all the votes arc
chosen. The electors of a majority Of the States
may have given their votes for one candidate, and
yet another may be chosen The people, then, and
not the States, represented in the executive
branch. In the House Of Representatives there il
this difference that the people Of one State do not
in the case Of President and Vice President, all
vote for the same officers. The people Of all the
States do not vote for all the members each State
selecting only lie own representatives.. But this
creates no material distinction. When chosen they
all representatives Of the United States not rep.
resentativos Of the particular State from which they
come. They are paid BY the United states-not by
the Statenor they accountable 10 il for my act
done in the performance Of their legislative func-
tions; and however they may, in practice, as It is
their duty to do, consult and prefer the interests Of
their particular constituents, when they come in
conflict with any other partial local interest yet
it IL their fret and highest duty, representatives
Of the United States, 90 promote the general good.
The Constitution Of the United States, then, forms
a government, not league; aud whether il be
formed by compact between the States, or in any
other manner, its character is the same II Is
government in which all the people are repre-.
scented, which operates directly the people indi.
vidualy, not upon the States-they retained all the
power they did not grant But each State having
expressly parted with so many powers, az TO
constitute, jointly with the other States a single
nation cannot, from that period, possess any right
10 secede, because such secession does not break
a league, but destroys the unity of a nation and
any injury to- that unity Is not only breach which
would result rom the contravcntion Of compact
but II Is an oGnce against the uhole Union. To say
that any State may at pleasure scccdo from the
Union, is TO ssg the United States not a nation,
because It would he solccsm 10 contend that any
part Of a natior might dissolve its connexion with
the other part, TO their injury or ruin. without
committing an, offence. Secession, like any other
revolutionary act, may be morally justified by the
extremity Of OPPRESSION; but TO call IL consttu.
tonal right canonly be done through gross error,
or to deceive tlose who are willing TO assert
right, but wouldpause before they made a rcvolu-
ton, or incur tie penalties consequent on a fail
urc
ESQ obvious ar the reasons which forbid this &C.
cession that il is necessary only TO alludc to them.
Tho Union was brmed for the benefit Of all. II
was produced bymutual sacrifices and opinions
Can those sacrifoo be recalled Can the States who
magnanimously surrendered their title TO the
Territories Of .thewest, recall the grant will