The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-08

The RIGHT TO SECEDE.-One Of the most RI
diculous humbugs put forth by the presses on
the side OF consolidation, is the humbug that a
sovereign State has not the right to secede--
that secession would be rebellion Rebellion !
indeed. As If one sovereign could not decline
any longer association with fellow-sovereigns,
but it would be rebellion forsooth. The great
mind which framed the Declaration of lndepend-
ence, knew as well any other man that ever
lived in the tide of time, what are the rights OF
men, individually as citizens or collectively as
States In his declaration he says that call men
are endowed with certain inalienable rights-that
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness-that whenever any farm OF govern
ment becomes destructive OF these ends, it is
the right--nav, 1T Is THE DUTY of such people
to THROW OFF SUCH government" Again, in the
resolutions of the Kentucky legislature, in
| 1898. drafted by him, he says that "the several
States composing the United States of America,
are not united on the principles Of unlimited
submission to their general government; but
that by compact, under the style and title of II
Constitution of the United States, and of amend
ments thereto, they constituted general gov
eminent for special purposes-delegated to that
government certain definite powers, reservng
each State to itself the residuary mass of right
to their own elfgoyernment and that when
soever the general government assumes undele-
gated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void,
and Of no force; what belongs to this compact,
each State acceded as State, and is an integral
party, its co-States forming to itself the other
party. That the government created by this
compact was not made the exclusive or final
Judge Of the extent of the power delegated to
itself since that would have made its discre-
ton, and not the Constitution the measures of
l..kx I..k H.. 20
compact among arties having no common Judge,
each party has an equal right to judge for itself,
as well Of infraciion, as of the mode and meas
ure Of redress"
And, further on, he says that to take from
the States all powers of self government, and
transfer them to a general and consolidated gov
eminent, without regard to the special obliga-
ton and reservation solemnly agreed to in that
compact, is not for the peace and happiness or
prosperity of the States Qor which object the
Union was formed y and that therefore this
commonwealth is determined, as it doubts not
its co-States are, not tamey to submitto undele-
gated and consequently unlimited power, in no
man or body of men on earth;
that it would be dangerous delusion, We're con-
fidence in the men Of our choice to silence our
fears for the safety of our rights that conf
dence is everywhere the parent of despotisp;
free government is founded in jealousy and not
in confidence, which prescribes limited constitu-
tons to bind down those we are obliged to trust
with power
In question of power, then, let no more be
heard Of confidence in man, but bind him
down from mischief by the chains of the Con-
stitution"
Modern secessionists claim no more nor less
than the rights here defined by Jefferson, and
hence they are no more traitors than he was, and
only as he was, DESTROYS of preserving State
rights in the Union if possible, but to preserve
that at all hazards, OUT or IN. In the language
of Jacksonville doctrine of State rights men
is, to contend for nothing but what is right, and
to submit to nothing that is wrong