The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-10-29

tons AFFORD no eusnr OF euubtchahse 70
tae pFetenti0as u secession.
The doctrine 81 secession asEumes.
that any one az tie thirty-0ns States
composing the Union. wherever or how
ever situated. whether in the interior
or on the frontier, has right upon It's
own separate viii. and according to the
dictates Of its exclusive judgment, 10
withdraw from the Union whenever Il
pleases; that this act Of secession Is
peaceful, and not TO be controversial o.
DISTRACTED by the rest Of the States. ~
by he application Of any force, within
the limits Of the seeding State, to exc
cute the laws Of the United States and
that thereupon the State and Its citizens
are absolved from all obligations and
duties TO the United States. and be-
comes a Power as independent and
sovereign as any Of the nations Of the
earth.
The doctrine maintains that this
right Of secession nav be exercised
whenever the State deems il has sufii-
cient cause; at all times. in a state oil
profound peace and prosperity, or IN
the midst Of a furious war. raging IN all
our borders and that in the latter case.
transforming itself into distinct and
independent nation, il NAV escape the
caIamities Of war, make a separate
treaty Of peace with the common enc
nv, become neutral, or even ally itself
with that enemy and take up arms
against the United States. Ii asserts
this right, although il may lead. in the
process Of time, to the promiscuous
dotting over upon the surface Of the
territory of the United States Of petty
independent nations. establishing for
themselves any farm OF government,
free or despotic. known to mankind,
and interrupting the intercourse and
violating or menacing the execution Of
the laws Of the dismembered confedera-
CIV. 1t contends for this right, as well
! for Louisiana as for South Carolina, al
though the province Of Louisiana cost US
so much money, and was nigh involving
US in foreign war; for Texas, al
] though il accustomed US war with
Mexico, the payment of ten millions Of
dollars TO arrange its boundaries, and
TO acquire il many were willing To
risk a war with England; and for dis
tant California, although that wasacquir
ed BY the double title Of conquest and
the payment ofan ample pecuniary con-
sideration.
II, indeed, the Union, under which
we have 50 long and generally so hap
PLY lived, be thus fragile, and liable to
crumble into pieces, we must cease to
boast Of the wisdom of our foreiathers
who formed il, tear from our hearts the
sentiments Of gratitude and yeneration
with which they had inspired US, and
no longer expect an enlightened world
TO bestow the unboun,lcd praise which
IL has hitherto lavished on them. A
doctrine so extraordinary and indefcn-
siblc, fraught with the destruction Of
the Union, and such other direiul con-
sequences, finds no encouragement or
support in the constitution OF the Uni
ted States. 1t had none under the ar
ticles of confederation which formed,
in terms, a perpetual union, however
otherwise weak and inefficient the Gov.
ernmcnt was which thew established.
That ineiiiciency arose outofthe fact that
il operated not on the people directly,
but upon the States, which might, and
often did, fail to comply with the re-
questions made ON them by Congress.
To correct that defect, and to form a
more perfect Gniun, the present consti.
tuition was adopted. Ii had been al
legged that the Union Of the States, un-
der the articles Of confederation, was
held together only By 4 rope Of sand !;
but /; was a rope Of adamant compared
with the cord which.now binds Us, il
the right of secession is sanctioned aud
sustained.
The Constitution of the United States
established Government, and, like all
Governments, il was to be perpetual,
or to have unlimited duration. Ii was
not restricted to the existing generation,
bur cumprehended postcrity. The pre-
amble declares that " we, the people of
the United States, in order to form a
more perfect union, establish justice,
ensure domestic tranquility, provide
for the common defence, promote the
general welfare, and secure the blcs-
sings Of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States Of
America" Itmakes provision express
~ for the admission of new States into
the Union but from the beginning to
the end of it, not clause is to be found
which gives any authority or color to
the right Of secession of State once
admitted into the Union.
The partisans Of this novel and
strange doctrine attempt to support it
on two grounds: First, they contend
that, by an express amendment of the
constitution, as all powers not granted
to the Governmental the United States
are reserved to the States or to the
People, the power or right of secession
j. not granted, and that it is therefore