Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-09-15
POLITICAL.



The Right Of Secession, as state rem
cdy, under, or consistent with, the consti-
tuition, must not be coniounded with the
right to seccde, as a evolutionary measure
to protect people from niolerable OPP
preston A people, or any portion of them.
have natural right 10 resist intolernblc op.
preston: they have right TO throw off
dcspoic government: this is Revolution;
and revolution may seize Modification or se-
cessIon as weapons, MS it may seize any
Otter weapons. Bot the doctrine which
we combat is, that the state stands in such
relation to the other states, and is only so
far committed or affected by the federal
thinks herself aggricved by the action Of
the government, quit the Union as mat
rey ot political right; as a l5ght peculiar to
the states or 10 the compact The doc
trine is founded OF the Resolutions Of Vr-
ginia in 1898, and the Report Of l790 il
vindicaiion OF them Mr. Madison was
the author Of both. The language Of the
Report relied on is as follows: The states
being parties TO the constitutional compact,
and in their capacity as such, il follows Of
necessity, that there can be no tribunal a
bcvc their authority 10 decide in the last
rcsc rt, whether the ccfipacl made by them
be violated; and consequently, as the par.
ties 10 it, they must themselves decide, in
the last resort, such questions as may be
Of sufficient magnitude 10 require their in
terposilon,p1
Now hear Gen. Jackson. "Bccanso The
Union was founded by compact, it is said
The parties 10 that compact may, when they
feel themselves aggrieyed, depart from ii;
but it is precisely because it is a compact.
that they cannot. A compact is an agree
mcnt or binding obligation. II may, BY
lis terms, have a sanction or penalty for It's
breach, or it may not If ii contains no
sanction, it may be broken with no other
consequence ihaia moral geilii il it have a
sanction then tho breach incurs the dcsig-
mated or implied penalty"
Here we see the ground taking it for
granted, for the moment, that the Virgina
doctrine sustains the scccssionists) that the
state may interpose for violation of the
compact and that she is 10 be the Judge Of
such violation: and that the reason is, be-
cause she Is a party, and there is no higher
authority. But where there is no convcu-
tional law, it docs not follow there Is no
other law: Even il suprcmely sovereign,
and contracting with another supreme SOW
crcign, state must govern herself, Ike in-
dependent nations, by the laws ofjusrce
She must keep her compact; and # She can
Judge Of whether the other has kept It's
compact, that other is equally competent
TO Judge whether she has kept hers. II the
compact'has not been broken, she has no
right TO scccdc, and she breaks her compact
If she does scccde: Then it would result in
this, that she would have a right 10 seccdc,
and the other party would have a right 70
prevent hcrl That she would havca right
TO decide whether the compact had been
broken, and the other party had right 70
decide too the same question! 1t Is no an
swcr 10 say that, admitting hcr ris bit to de.
eide for herself, carries the corrclaiivc OBJ
igalioD, on the part 81 fhc otlicr 10 permit
her to scccde: for il i not the right 10 SC
cede that 10 conceded; it's only the right to
scccdc for q rtoiatton of'kfe compact: and
this admission is coupled with the equally
PLAIN right in the other side 10 enforce the
compact, which, IN part is, she shall nat ses
ccde unless the compact is broken; aud
there being no superior, the other party
must decide that for herself. Has the com
pact been broken! She says it has: the
other states say so: there IS ne ynpcrior---
each decides for Itself cachis equally SOW
crega:-how. then, is the thing 20 he set
tledl BY allowing the dissatisfied state to
determine ii! That would be 10 change
the contract from ono binding on each par
ty TIL broken by the other, to contract
dissolnble at pleasure. Bot If the state Sc
ceded, the other sovereign party might
then say, "you have broken the compact;
--ace viii judge a1,r;--anJ as we had
right TO have you say, we will bring you
back;--and thus the stafc going out, on
the same principle on which she left, would
have to return. 1t seems TO us that this
sauuted right, thus checkrnated BY roun-
tervaii,ng opposing right, i ltile better
than solemn absurdny. Practically il
results IN nothing: it has not the sanction Of
a right, which Is a utle 10 being respected;
and it lacks the simplicity and clcnrness,
while il has 10 rtsst pn ihr resources and de-
fences, Of rceuiution.--wlii liich is the ,'hysi-
cal power 10 Uphold IT,
Auoiher answer ~, thar 1t ID not VERY ma
tcrial whether OF not The constitution Is or
is not acoHipa't, ot BY Whatsoever rohtfi