Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-08-25

at her own pleasure. with or without cause
The difference between the two doctrines
il Of the greatest practical importance.-
If South Caroline, for example, were to
secedc for causes now existing, which Mr.
Bocock does not himself consider suffi.
Gent. he would not regard the insufficiency
Of the causes As impairing the sanctity 81
her right to secede and If the President
should continue to execute the Federal
laws in South Carolina, Mr.. Bocock
would justify her resistance to the Fede.
raj officers, and would give her all the aid
and comfort be cou. Mr.. Boiling, on the
other hand, believing, like Mr.. Bocock
that South Carolina has no just ground
for secession. would consider the Presi.
dent bound to execute the laws according
to his oath Of Office. In one word, Mr.. Bo.
cock places the preservation Of this Union
at the discretion of each several State; Mr..
Boiling rests it upon the intrinsic justice
and constitutional legality of the measures
OF the government.
The important distinction between these
opposite doctrines is well illustrated by
the somewhat famous article published in
the Warrington Globe, in the autumn OF
1888, to explain away, as far as possible,
the Federalism Of General Jackson's Pro-
clamation, and, by the exception taken to
that article by the Augusta Constitute nal
list and Republic, warm advocate Of the
theory of peaceable secession.
The Globe of 2lst September. 1888,
contained a studied exposition Of the Pro-
clamation, which from the authority said
to have been given by Gen. Jackson, had
been called. by his Southern admirers. his
"Counter-P reclamation" The editor, hav-
ing dweltupon the view that the Proclaim
ton dealt merely in generalties. which did
not justify the differences drawn from them,
closed his article thus:
"But we are authorized to be more ex-
Plicit, and to say positively. that mo part
OF the Proclamation was meant to coun-
tenance the consolidating principles which
have been ascribed to it. On the contrary.
its doctrines, If construed in the sense they
were intended, and carried out, inculcate
that the constitution of the United States
is founded in compact-that this compact
derives its obligation from the agreement
entered into by the people of the other
States-that the Constitution, which is the
offspring Of this compact, has its sanction
in the ratification of the people Of the seve-
raj States, acting in the capacity ofseparate
communicative the majority Of the peo-
pie Of the United States, in the aggregate,
have no power to alter the Constitution of
the General Government. but that change
or amendment can only be proposed in the
mode pointed out in the constitution, and
can never become obligatory unless rati-
fed by the people of three fourths of the
States, through their respective Legisla-
lures or State Conventions that inasmuch
as the sovereign power of the people in
each State has impaired to tie Constitution
Of the United States, and tie lars made
in pursuance thereof, paramount obligation
ocer State legislation or any Constitution
or form IF State Government, uhich may
be instituted by Me people Of such State,
and inasmuch as the people of each State
have bound themselves By compact pith tie
rest to abide by this paramount authority,
until changed according to tie provisions of
the Constitution, so declared to be para
r1ount,no constitution, lar, or Ordinaaceof
any one State is raid to defeat tie Con-
stitation and lars ofMe States, or to screr
The mutual obligations which bind tie
States together-that in the case of vio-
lation of the Constitution ofthe U. States,
and the usurpation of powers not granted
by it on the part of the functionaries of the
General Government, the State Govern
ments have the right to interpose to arrest
the evil, upon the principles which are set
forth in the Virginia Resolutions of 1898,
against Alien and Sedition Laws-and f.
naHy, that IN extreme cases Of oppression,
(epery mode o. eoastitutionalredress Aaring
been sought an rain, Tie right resides riM
the people Of The screal States to organ
tse resistance against such oppression, con
fding in a good cause, the taror of Hca-
rem, and Tie spirit Of. freemen to rindicate
The right"
Now for the Constitutionalist's common
tary. which is made upon the last two
clauses Of this extract, after quoting them
as smacking somewhat of Estates Rights
principles"
"This position of the Counter P rociama-
ton falls short, however, of that formerly
maintained by the State Rights party Of
Georgia. and now,by the Southern Rights
party. That position is: flat The people Of
a sorereign State, by rirtxc ofther sorer-
eighty and Tie voluntary nature Of tile com
pact Of Union, hare tie right to resume
tier attitude as a separate sovereign an
dependent people and government, nAen-
ecer they comceire it necessary to promote
their safety and happiness-Mat no ,goc-
ermment, people or poarer has any right to
prerenf or interfere soiM Tie exercise O that
right,or TO make scar upon and conquer such
State for so doing-amd that any attempt
to do so ronld be a gross outrage upon the
eternal principles Of justice and liberty"
Here then, betwcenthe doctrines Of Gen.
jackson, announced after the general con-
demnation which his Proclamation receiv-
ed from strict constructionists, and the doc
tirne Of a secessionistj journal of the present
day, rests the real issue now pending before
the Southern people. We give our cor
dial assent to all the propositions of the ex-
tract we have cited from the Counter Pro-
clamation, for we believe them to be con-
sonant with true States rights principles
That they differ materially from those of
the Proclamation, it is not ourpresent bust
ness to Determine. though we presume
few candid minds can entertain doubt
If We understand Mr.. Boiling and Mr.. Bo-
cock. the former holds, with the Counter
Proclamation" that State has only the
right to secede in case Of clear violation
OF the Constitution and the failure Of every
constitutional redress. and then she must
rest upon the justice Of her cause and the
favour of God; whilst the latter believes
with the Augusta paper. that State may
seccde whenever it suits her convenience,
Il II