The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-08-12

} Gus TO know how much blood nust sspilled, and
how long the war must last, TO make /, Legitimate
revolution The throne Of Louis Philippe in single
day sunk, crushed under the weight popular opin-
ion, and the afrighted monarch, with scarcely the
exchanged of shot, precptateIy fled the kingdom,
and 10! France was rerolutionised and free That's
history. Was there blood enough split to make il
a repoIs-tion Shortly thereafter, the Provisional
Government Of France oyerthrown, and Con
sttutional Government substituted in its stead
without drawing sabre or firing gun That a
history. Was it not resolution? In 1876, Gen
Paroles, without the click Of muslset, displaced
General Herrera, and overturned the Mexican
Government; and, crossing the Rio Grande,
brought on the American war! That's history.
| Was il not revolution !?
Revolutions may be brought about by civil war
undoubtedly, and most frequently are but il
faIsfes all experience, and is absurd to maintain
er vi ierminorum, that they impart governmental
changes wrought by civil war and none other.
The terms vuoiuiion and change, applied descrip-
lively TO substitutions of one form OF government
for another, are dealt with as synonimes, by
those publicsts Of Europe in the highest repute.
Should the people Of these thirty States ever be-
come madmen enough to abolish this Republic by
common consent, establish monarchy in its stead
and choose King, it would aslound the word!--
and il that would not be repoiution in the univer
sal sense of mankind, and the most memorable
which chris,endom has witnessed, challenge all
history for the registry Of one which would rival
il in wonder IN interest and in Importance; and yet
not blood stain would attest the patriot strvings
OF an heroic resistance! Why, sir, when your
precedecessor was chosen and inaugurated as Pre-
sident of the United States, what less or other
did the change from Democratic toa Wing Go
vernment import attest, than a thorough repol"-
| ton Of national policy and partiesi And when,
upon General Taylor's demise, you acceeded to
his functions, and substituted new Cabinet for
the old one, what less or other, did it import or
attest, than repoiution in the administrations Of The
Government, The one was a revolution Of the
Government and the other of the administration
ct 81 sic onnes, &c. Hence secession, come when
it may and be it in peace or in strife, and end
| it will, must effect reroiitiion of the Government,
and a ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the Union. That's the
result, and that's ALL Nothing more, nothing less,
nothing else.
The right OF secession then, is one Of the rights
of revolution; and when speak Of il as righ,
I mean what all the world means, in speaking of
a right, an authority in State to do something,
which no other Government, nor another State,
nor many States. nor the United States, can have
| counter right to prevent or obsruct, or oppose
by force, or through any constraint or interfer-
ance whatever. Irepeat what havesad before that
| the right is absolute, exclusive, and unques-
tonable, or it does not exist. Should the other
States through their folly or wickedness make
war upon them for exercising rights guaranteed to
| them as muniments Of sovereignty, resulting from
| the nature Of the compact which made them par
ties 10 the Union. So be il They will be blame
! less and irresponsible, happen what may. And
should the Union be shattered into fragments amid
the shock and crash of arms, those who may have
fHmented the contest and achieved the catastrophe,
will wish they had never been born, or being born
that they were cast with mills,ones around their
/ necks into the uttermost depths Of the sea The
controversy which severed the Colonies from the
Kingdom in the days of '76, resulting es it did
from intoerable wrongs and opprest5ns too
grevious to be borne with, would have been e.
fected chad justice and the right held sway
through peaceful secession and nothing besides.
The men Of the Revolution, in their memorable
Declaration of independence, recited their grew
| ance and announced their separation but they
proclaimed no war and they made none. It was
Great Britain who made the war, and converted
their attempt at peaceful revolution into bloody
one, by invading their borders, LAYING waste their
towns and villages, killing their people, desoIating
their country, and driving them to arms! Now,
demand to be shown in all the broad land sim
gle american, who stands ready to deny that
British expressions vested right Of secession even
in the colonies, and with it right to Judge for
themselves of the occasion meet for its exercise.
If there be such person., want to see that man
But there is no such man! All men, in this coun-
try at least admit that the colonies possessed the
| right of peaceful possession, and all who do, me-
cessary deny to Great Britain the conflicting
right to resist accomplishment by force or at ALL
or to have wased the cruel and bloody war of the
Revolution against them. And who and what
were these colones' Distant dependencies oS the
the British Crown: Scattered political units,
| and meagre atomies in the grand sum total OF the
population of that world wide empire. Not a
vestage of sovereignty had ever rested in these coll
ones, nor had any ever abided thilher; but such
emanations Of il as had been disputed by Majesty
to make subjects Of their people, monpolize their
commerce, appropriate their revenues, and rule
! over and govern them. What then. are there
Americans among US who will deny to sovereign
States plenary of all the powers of selfgovern-
ment, right Of secession. which they will con-
cede the colonies and while they CENTRALIZED
in subsection to the British Crown' Far boIder
and juster sentiments than these inspired the
| men Of the Revolution, when taking their high
resolves, to peril all that men have or value, in
defence Of "lile, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness, when they wisely and firmly resolved;
| That whenever any form of government be-
comes destructive ofth ends for which govern
ments formed, cit The sght Of the people 10 al
ter or abolish IT, and 10 institute urr