Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-11-06

| ulslaIt Salllorlla, altnougn tnat was ac-
quired by the double title of conquest and
the payment of an ample pecuniary consid
Grafton.
If, indeed, the Union, under which we
have SO long and generally so happily lived,
be thus fragile and liable to crumble into
pieces, we must cease to boast of the wis
dom of our forefathers who formed it-tear
from our hearts the sentiments of gratitude
andveneration with which they had inspired
us, and no longer expect an enlightened
world TO bestow the unbounded praise which
it has hitherto lavished upon them. A doc
trine so extraordinary and indefensible,
fraught with the destruction of the Union,
and such other direful consequences, finds
no encouragement or support in the Consti-
tuition of the United States.
1t had none under the articles of confed-
Grafton which formed, in terms, perpetual
Uuion, however otherwise weak and inef-
flcient the government was which they es-
tablished. That inefficiency rose out of the
fact, that it operated not on the people di-
rectly, but upon the States; which might,
and often did, fail to comply with the requi-
sitions made on them by Congress. To cor
rect that defect, end to form more perfect
Union, the present Constitution was adopted.
1t has been alleged that the Union of the
States; under the articles of confederation,
was held together only by rope of sand;
but it was rope of adamant, compared
with the cord which now binds US, if the
right of secession is sanctioned.
The Constitution of the United States es-
tablished government, and like all govern
ments, it was to be perpetual, or to have un-
timitsd duration. 1t was not restricted to
the existing generation, but comprchended
posterity. The preamble declares, that
"we, the people of the United States, in or
der to form more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide
for the common defence, promote the gene
raj welfare, and secure the blessings of
liberty to ourselves and posterity, do ordain
and establish this Constitution for the Uni
ted States of America" 1t makes provis-
ion expressly for the admission of new
States into the Union; but from the begin
ming to the end of it, not a clause is to be
found which gives any authority or color tc
the right of secession of a State snce admit
, ted into the Union.
The partisans of this novel and strange
t attempt TO support it on two grounds: First
they contend that, by an express amendment
0 of the constitution, as all powers not granted
] to the Government of the United States arc
+ reserved to the States, or TO the people, the
. power or right Of secession is not granted
and that it is, therefore, retained by the
States and the people, and may be exercised
at their pleasure.
: This argument is refuted by either of TIVE
e sufficient answers. The contested power
cannot be retained if its reservation be in
+ compatible with the obligations Of the consti
o tutional compact. But the constitution wa
! intended to be perpetual, or, which is thu
=, same thing, to be Of unlimited existence
|, subject only, from time to time, to sucl
q amendments as might bh made in the mod
n which it specifies. 1t created more per
: feet union, which was to secure the blessing
d ofliberty to the generation which formed ii
" and their posteriiy. The obligation whic
e each State voluntarily assumed to the othe
% States, by being admitted into the Union
! was, that it would remain perpctually boun
d with the other States to preserve that Union
II for their own benefit, and to enure TO til
ot benefit of posterity. To assert in the fac
,e of that obligation that a State may retir
is from the Union whenever it pleases, is
v assert that a party, bound by solemn com
c: pact to other parties, may cancel or violat
ce the compact whenever it thinks proper
is without their consent. In order to secur
1t, respect and submission to the Union, I'll
a Constitution exdrcssly provides 'that tn
s. Constitution and the laws of the L. State
te which shall be made in pursuance thereo
", and all treaties made or which shall be mac
lat under the authority of the United State
IL shall be the supreme law of the land, al
it the Judges of every State shall be bour
is thereby, any thing in the Constitution
he laws of any State to the contrary nOtwit
in standing"
me- Thus each and every one ofthe States h
es- agreed, not only that the ordinary legislotic
ng but that its constitution, the higher Ia
ug made by the people themselves in conve
m ton, shall, in any cause of conflict, be su
his ordinate to the paramount authority of t
'li- constitution, laws made in pursuance thel