The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-08-20

nsfur1l fighl tiien thty can mean moth
Dag,'sn all these parties sole mnly swear
20 just nothing Al sll.
The natural righ, 10 choose or refuse
the Government OF The Union. or any
other government. fras theirs before tley
zane under these soiemn pledges. and
many among US seem 10 contend is iheir's >
still. Thus we hear Of The Union having
been .alrezdy dissolved We are
no longer bound to the Constitution, .
&C.. and not 10 be ready 10 contend, in
terms, Tor the rishl Of secession" l.. IN
some quarters. political hsresy and Stale
treason. This is surely sailing fast on
very doubtful course. Under The Consti-
tuition have 10 secede IRON the Conslit,-
ilon- 4 haze slrom 10 support that iehieh
claim a right NOT 10 support. Such
proposition contains. in terms. lie own
refuiaiion; and. without further explana-
lion. exhibits the gross immortality Of my
claim.
Are we Told. before we proceed further.
thai this may be the moral dilemma Of
those who have taken the oa,hs allnded
IN. but that the citizens of the country.
generally. are not involved IN il. We re-
PITY, that all people Of the United
States" are, morally, thus involved. We
all clam some OF our dearest rights and
most important privileges under the Con-
siiiusion; all consider ourselves as enli-
titled 10 the privileges and immunilies Of
eiiizens Of the several States; all elect our
Representatives in Congress. our senators
and Executive Of the whole Union, and
send them 10 Washington as such, 10 take
these very osihs. which only bind them.
in point Of fact. on our behalf. and as irus.
tees for our benefit. or all their acts and
deeds we take the benefit. and are clearly
bound equally with them, by those pub.
lie pledges, without which they could
consiiiulionalIy do nothing for rs.
We may now, then, look pro6lably q
little further into these pledges, or 10 whal
they bind us. The preamble Of tie consli,
tuition details " 10 provide for the common
defence, promote the general welfare. Sc
cure the blessing Of liberty 10 ourselves and
our posieri,y." Such is its own deini
,ion Of The practical purpori" Of ih,
Constitution 10 which we are all. virtual
ly. swom. May mol the hasfy seces
sionist be co,mseiling perjury, then.
ask Does he, . 10 be best of his abili
~. preserve. protect, and defend the Con
siiiuiion Of the United Slates!" Some
Thing will be gained for good morals, !
men will only admit, honestly, the dan
gers Of deserving the character OF hasiy
secessionisi. And this connects i.rel
with my remaining point.
HoU long have we though, that these
pledges were Of binding force on the
States who first entered into them! Did
they leave them free 10 secede a year
afierwarls--a month, or week! If the
natural right Of secession, as some con-
tend for il. were, after the adoption Of the
Constitution, still intact and untouched,
il was thus untouched and intact in Jan.
nary, 1890, as clearly as in January Of
this year. And il, with or without reason,
we are now free 10 act on such supposed
right. SO were they who then supposed
they were securing" the blessings Of
this compact for posteriiy." The sup
position Of our retaining unqualifedly
This natural right under any form Of civil
lized government, seems 10 mo alike
absurd and dangerous. To come under
government, We forego state Of na-
iurr; all our social rights become conven.
tional; our personal rights limited; and
under the best forms Of government, both
are best defined.
do not quesiiun the right Of resistance
to tyranny in any government; that tyran.
ny is itself clear invasion Of ascertained
rights. But do contend that II is a sheer
absurdity, or worse, 10 argue for a reserved
natural right to secede at any time zoe please
from an established government; because
you cannot construct such government
without expressly covenanting that you
will not secede from i,-or in other words,
that you will support" il. How many
are the voluntary compacis into which
men enter, Of the very essence Of which
il is. that they shall not recede from them
al pleasure
am well aware, Messrs. Editors, that
| have thus entered but partially and
somewhat desnlioriIy, into the grave ques-
tons which are now agiiating our State.
But the importance Of the consideration
here alleged, few will deny. DO not see
them elsewhere pressed as ] think they
deserve TO be. Our injuries under the
Constitution | do not deny; but until our
remedies under il are exhausted-which |
take the liberty Of doubting-our obliga.
lions to il are as sacred as oaths can
make them. The times remind me for
pibly Of the old contrast between him that
lonIy) sweareth" and " him that feareih"
that is reverences) "an OATH" and hay-
ing myself come under the obligations Of
he one in question. expressly, you will
pardon me, | trust, for having urged the
principle, thai nothing can be at all righ.
Dr. safe, politically. that is morally wrong.
Advise not what is most pleasant, but