Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-06-10
Is SECESSION A CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHT

Is SECESSION A CONSTITUTIONAL
RIGHT?
There has been much valuable breath wasted
and much innocent ink split recently, in en-
deavoring to elucidate the question Of whether
secession is a constitutional or revolutionary
right;-a question, the profundity of which
forciby reminds US of a passage in Cooper s
"Home as Found" where sea captain, meta
morphosed for the nonce, into travelled sarant
being asked whether the name of Byron ltal-
ian mistress, Guiccioli, was pronounced Guic.
ciolee or Guiccioly, answered that it depended
entirely on the way Of the wind
So, the solution of the above inquiry seems
20 depend now in some degree, upon the way
the popular breeze is declared to blow. Where
the wind sets towards secession, the measure
is clearly constitutional, but under other circum.
stances, it is only revolutionary. TO US the
question appears most rdculously idle, triling
aud shaow-quite as much SO as discussion
about
-the difference there may be
'Twiy't tw eedle dun and tweede-dee.
It might be answered by asking whether the
riebt ofselfdefence be a constitutional OR a rev.
olutonary right. The right in both cases is
right, inherent i'll every
free people-a right that lies at the very foun-
dation Of all free governments, and is recog-
nized in our "Declaration of Independence
on the principles of which the Constitution it.
self was based
The principle here contended for. in the right
of secession, is one of the very axioms of po.
litical or governmental science, and to deny it
would be rs absurd as for mathematician to
deny the fundamental and self evident truths
upon which he builds all his reasoning and de-
monstrations.
But the Constitution says nothing about Sc.
cession, and it designed the Union to be perpet.
uaI. Iadeed! So the Constitution says moth
ing about the usurpations of Congressman it
designed the administration of the government
to be honestly, strictly and perpetualiy conduct
ed in accordance with its principles. The
Constitution designs the Union to be perpetual
lust so long as the Union is maintained on
Constitutional principles, and no l,nger.
We understand that Mr.. Hliard. the other
day in the Court House, de- right Of
State secession, except as a 1,onnry nnea.
sure. Well, who the duce - whether it be
a revolutionary measure, or any other sort Of
a measure, so it is right that we may justly
erercisei And what, in the sense in whichhe
uses it, is revolutionary measure, but a mea-
sure of self.,ietencc! And who pretends that
Southern States wishes to resort to secession
exce,t rs a measure of selfdefe,tces
Really, some of our aspiring statesmen q
had better 20 back to their school boooks once
more and refresh their minds with the rudiments
Of political freedom and the rig hts o man.
Government, we humbly opine, is not estab'
lished as an end, but merely as a means OF So
cial happiness and itsrules-at least it is so in
this country-are not sought Ill the musty re.
cords of European despotisms, but in the forum
of reason, justice and common sense. What
republican ever reads no1 Burke's famous es-
say on the French Revolution, for the sound
ness of its principles or the wisdom oil Its PHI
heeds its tory notions about the
mower of one generation to bind "forever all
succeeding generations =, :.
Who but Mr. billiard, and others like him,
who take their ideas of government and law,
ready made from the antiquated pages of mon
archial writers, would contend that the laws OF
Mexico, in those territories conquered by, and
ceded to, this country, now override the Con-
slitution of the United States ?-or that inde-
pendent sovereign States do not possess the
right to secede from the Union, into which they
voluntarily entered on certain terms. when
those terms have been wontonly and outrage.
ously violated There is nothing to be found
in the whole philosophy of government, or in
any of the relations of man, as social being,
that, BY the rules of reason. justice or common
sense can be made for one moment to initiate
against the most perfect right of any Southern
State to secede from this Union, whenever she
NAV deem it necessary to her safety or haPpl-
ness. Law and government arc made for man,
and not man for the government.
If then it would conduce to the greater pros.
perity and happiness Of the Southern States to
separate themselves from the present Union,
why should they do it t!-why have they not
a right to do it? To deny it, is to deny every
principle of American liberty, aud to make this
government consolidated, central despotism,
and conceding to it the power to become as
absolute and oppressive tyranny as Russia
herself:-Aflas and Secession Banner, Mont
gomery, Ala.
FROM TEXAS.
We insert below an extract from letter re-.
ceived from friend in Texas. 1t will amply