The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-26

RIGHT OF EEcEssIon.-There il q wide DIFF
ference between holding that State has the
right 10 secede and advocating the exercise OF
that right Just as there il between admitting
that there is a right Of revolution and urging to
that result The right Of secession was, as we
understood it, distinctly held by the Union men
ia the time of notification. Said the nullifier,
"who will declare the offensive act of no effect
and will not obey it, The position of the
Union man WIS that SO long as State remained
in the confederacy, she was bound to Obedience
to all laws Of Congress. If she was determined
to repudiate the Authority OF the general govern
ment then the only consistent course to be
adopted was for her TO go out Of the Union.
The editor Of the Washington Gazette remarked
not long since, that there is an aversion in e
public mind towards giving an honest answer to
the question "Has State the right TO sece de
from the Union p He further intimates that
leading men Of his own party have not dared to
deny the right. But we apprehend that il is
question which they will have TO meet. From
all present indications, South Carolina must
either be permitted peaceably to go out of the
Union or she must be coerced by armias and
nayics Either n State has a right of secession
or she has not. If the right is admitted, then
South Carolina must be permitted peaceably to
secede, and her people alone must Judge Of the
necessity requiring the step to be taken. If the
right of secession is denied, then in no possible
case is secession allowable. The denial must
apply TO every contingency. The greatest or
the least oppression, the deepest or the slightest
wrong, would alike fail to justify the step. For
Congress may openly, papaby, grossly violate
the Constitution and trample upon and dsre-
gard any or all of its provisions, and what is the
remedy! Is it in notification! Certainly not.
Is it then in revolution! But what right has a
State to set on foot revolution for the redress
of wrongs! Ii secession is revolution, then u
denial of the right of State to the one pre-
cudes resort to the other. Unless, indeed,
the denial is intended only to apply to peacea-
Bile revolution but not to preclude riolent and
bloody one. The establishment Of such posi-
ton would be death blow to State sovereignty
and State rights, for the people Of South Caro-
lima would have then precisely the same right as
the serfs of Russia, whilst the STATE of South
Carolina would have no right of the kind what
ever. Certainly, if State is bound to submit
to the will of majority in Congress, however
arbitrary md unjust that will may be, then ours
is purely, thoroughly and completely n CONSOLE
dated government For it is but mockery to tell
the aggreved and wronged State that she may
appeal to the justice Of the majority that has
perpetrated the wrong. That majority need only
reply" Our will is your law, and TO that will
yon must submit, or we will compel submission
at the point of the bayonet." 1t is but adding
insult to injury, to say to the State that her peo-
ple have the right of revolution--that, like op-
pressed Poland, they may right themselves if
| they are strong enough. ut there is one i'm
portant point that we should like to be settled
| by The presses that deny and denounce the right
Of State to secede. How is 1t that they adopt
ed and still hold to the position of the late con-
ven,ion, which resolved that Georgia would re-
sist the appeal of the Fugitive slave law to the
disruption Of every tie which binds her to the
| Union! If this means any thing, it means that
in the event of such repeal, Georgia will separ-
ate herself from the Union.--What right has
she to do this! II she has the right to do it.
certainly she is entitled to the peaceable enjoy
nent and exercise Of that right. If she has not
then the armed opposition of the general gov
eminent or other States cannot confer the tight
In any event, Georgia would make herself the
Judge of the necessity for disruption. She
should concede to South Carolina the same priv
! lege-at least of sdsruption"