The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-14

FRIDAY, MARCH IA, 1851.
The right Of revolution ia admitted, even by the
1ede t&oted dsvotees Of Federal absolutism
WA99 TIE right Of revolution II the right ia
obtaan Independence by force. Does force givs
rights Every body knows better. Nov the
aaa4ansatel principle of our system, ofevery free
9Xstena, Of every reasonable system, Of every
Christian system is, that whatever The rights Of
people are, they are entitled to them without
toscs-whatsver people have right TO obtain,
os 70 asssrt by force, they have right to obtain,
.aessrt, and enjoy without force. We invite the
etaestion Of Msssra. Clay, Webster, Fillmore, 4
20. 70 this proportion. Ii il fundamentAl-it 10
eelfsvidsnt-itis universal. - Washingtow SostAsrn
Ersn.
Now We should like to know, whether, in Mr..
Fishers opinion, one or two counties of South
Carolina, If they should deem themselves intol-
esably oppressed by the general laws of the
State, would have right to secede and estab-
lish . government for themselves, or live with
out government There can be no question
that the said counties, deeming themselves in
tolesably 0ppressed, would have the right Of
revolution, the right TO assert or maintain their
Independence by force, and we should like to
would, in such a case, apply his doctrine that
assert by force, they have right to obtain, as
seEt, and enjoy without force"
We have very different view of the right of
revelation. The people Of particular section
Of country. living, in common. with people of
o.hes sections, under government, may hon.
estly think themselves int0lerably oppressed,
and the government, sustained by the people of
the other sections, may honestly think other
wise. In such a case, ii all efforts at arbitra-
ton, agreement, and compromise fail, the Sec
ton that thinks itself insufferably oppressed,
has unquestionably right, in defence of its
own opinions, to assert and maintain its indie
pendence by force if it can, and the govern
ment, in defence of its own opinions, has an
unquesti0nable right to quell the rebelious
section by force, If it can.- Louisville Journal
II the doctrine of the Louisville Journal is
admitted, it follows that it may be right to re-
sist right-which is not only contradiction in
meaning, but in terms. 1t follows also that
both parties, in controversy, may be right
which il another contradiction Of sense and of
words. 1t follows, also, that force is the high
eat arbiter of dispute principle below the
moral attainment of tribe of savages. 1t fol-
lows, also, that one people may hold another in
slavery, without any pretence Of their moral in
feriority, but only because they are numerically
inferior-quite conclusion for one who con-
dennis the slavery Of the black race by the
white. The right of revolution is nothing but
m unmeaning phrase, or so]ecism.
The Journal thinks zone or two counties"
Of State have right if they think themselves
insufferably oppressed, to independence, if they
can obtain it by force-but not without. Then
force either gives right, or is right!
As for the mere difficulty of inconvenience
suggested by the Journal as resulting from the
separation of counties from States, it is like that
which has been often presented in the case of
Louisiana, which controls the mouth of the river.
According to the principle commended fer by
those who present this difficulty, it is assumed
that right liberty, or independence depend on the
area,number or position of territories and people.
The mistake is obvious. All that can be said
il that the rights of one people must be exer-
cised so as not invade those of Others The
right of Louisiana to independence does not in
volye the right to control the trade Of other
States, and the only reason that could be offered
against the independence of one or two counties
vould be its interference with the rights of the
rest But our principle involves even no such
We asserted the right of self
government for "a people," What is people
In constitutional or political sense. 1t isl state
nothing more-nothing less. Itsclearly dis
tinguishabe, and separable, from all others, and
h organized. And if there is any thing fedora
tive in our system, at ALL it is the distinct recog-
milton it makes, of the existence and the rights
Of the people of each State as people.