The Yazoo Democrat., 1851-08-13


convention, compact, or league. which
is violated by one of the contracting paV
ties, dissolved at the option of the party
injured! Such is at least the declared opir
ion OF the most respectable publicists.
Now a formal declaration of such violation
of the Constitution by one or more Of tn,
parties to it, followed by q withdrawa
from the Union, is what is meant by sece
sion. Is there any thing revolutionary il
this! Nothing. There is not singl
priuciple of the government overthrowr
Even its officers are not displaced. Pray
what is revolulionized by such process.
This sort af secession is entirely a Lawful
act, an act done by authority. There il
no obligation upon the government to at.
tempt to thwart it, since it is but the ex
ercise of right; not expressed in the Con
stitution il is true. but resulting from the
principles of construction which have been
declared by writers upon public law as
applicable to all articles Of treaty and con
federation between sovereign States. This,
sir is the secession of the State Rights
party. I trust the difference between il
and the rebeIlious and revolutionary sort
of secession which you appear to favor, is
apparent enough
But there is wider difference yet. Upon
The theory you advance, the ga-ernment Is
made the Judge of the limits 0: It's powers.
Bound by that law which, in politics as in
morals, is regarded as paramount to all 9TH
er laws-the law of f-protection-re>
garding secession as treason-and every
law of the Federal Government as consti-
tutional and obligatory, until declared 9TH
erwise by the Federal Courts; the govern
ment is at once the Judge of its own powers,
and the vndicator of its own supremacy.
For State to pronounce the most fragrant
usurpation of the government an ait OF
usurpation and therefore void, is to incur
for its citizens the guilt and penalties OF
treason. Nay, to attempt to withdraw the
State from the obligations of the Union,
even for acts of the government that may
afterwards be pronounced by that Court
VIII ch is one of its departments, unconsti-
tutional and void; is, according to the theo-
ry of your school, sir, to incur for all con-
cerned IN such movement, the doom and
the memory of traitors. For, upon your
principles, secession for any cause what
ever must be resisted as an overt act OF
treason. To be sure, the fate of the suffer
ers may; perhaps, awaken some sympathy
AS the fate ef O'Brien and Mea5her ex-
cites now the sympathies aud murmurs of
the civilized world-but no nation has a
right to demonstrate with England on ac-
count of her government of Ireland. Ire
land is her property, England will tell you;
and these men (she will say) were attempt.
ing 20 sever the Union of Ireland and Eng
land, and have thus merited and received
the doom of traitors. Even, sir, should
that panacea for all ills, the fugitive slave
law, (the great Abracadabra which is to
heal ali political distempers, and to safve
and sooth all political insults.) be repealed;
and the resistance which is threatened by
vour party, shonld follow such repeal; would
not the obligation of the government to
punish such resistance as reSellious and
reasonable be as weighty and as stringent
(according to your doctrine) as to punish
such resistance for any other cause! ls
not this fairly put, GeneraEs Can you IN
candor deny that it is consequence OF your
creed! Now does not this doctrine, fully
scarried out, make :he government absolute!
When the Congress and the Judiciary con-
cur in an act, what limit, what check can
YOU conceive to Its powers! or course |
mean always upon yo,tr principles. It Is
useless to press the argument further. Be-
hold then the difference between the exer-
else of secession as an Acknowledged polit-
ical right, and the exercise of 1t as an ac
of revolution. The one is check-the
only effective check--to powerful, ambi-
tious, and rapidly centralising government
A peaceable resort to our original status,
revolutionizing nofhing. destroying moth
ing, shedding no blood, con6scating no pro-
pertv. The other leads to Capitalization
to desnotism; to endless internecing strife
or to sta gnant, passive, and dead submis-
sion.
Now, here is far more important issue than
any heretofore made. The admission oI
California the whole South complaiRed of as
a wrong, but a majority of the Southern
States held that it was wrong that could be
compromised for. But you cannot cure de-
nial of the right of State secession by COM
promise. for it involves a radical change o.
he spirit and essence of the government
This issue is not only in the highest degree
important, but it is recent also. Voters have
not declared their opinions on it yet. II has
no connection whatever with the comprom'
ise measures, or any other issue which has
as vet been made. A man may detest the
adjustment measures. and yet deny the righ'
of a State 10 evade their effect by secessioni
or he may be willing to acquiesce in these
me aaures, and yet be prepared TO assert tc
the last extremity the right of a State to Sc.
cade from the Union. The question is des.
tined to produce complete fusion and refor-
nation of parties. Half the Wings of the
South affirm this right, whilst many Demo
cra.s Especially the Procldmdtio't Democrat.
as they are called) deny it. Let them de-
liberate well before they precipitately and
rashly take stand which may place them