Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-10-01
Flom the w ashingtou Union
THE RIGHT OF SECESSION.


which suggests as consequence that, without the in
OF this authority State could be coerced
to remain Ill the Union and then the statement is put
forward, that such attitude OF dependence would
be implied by is coercion, is utterly at with the
genius OF institutions and for this was ex-
pressy repudlated by the trainers of the Constitution
ThosA who put forward this view seem to forget Alto
gether that the mode which the constitutional pow
OF me federal government act, precludes the fact
which they assnme-tha is, that the federal govern
ment can coeTce Stale. Ii is not State which is
amenabe tor violation OF the laws oil the United States
i'll is the individual individuals thus offending 1t
not State sovereignty which is sued but the party
violating the laws o. the United States, and falsely al
Ieging, his Justification the authority of the State
when the State has expr ssy delegated to the consti
tuition the power to and enforce those laws Ii
be alleged that the State has right here to step in and
resume her sovereignty, on the ground that she never
sanctioned the law under which of her citizens is
arrested this is only another form of stating the old
doc rne OF notification or secession and If successfully
maintained, would certainly be a revolution as was
separation from the authority OF The British in I76
for it would inevitably SUBJECT to the usve dispose
ton OF State that supremacy which she, by a preyi-
act ofsovercgnty had recognised to be in the con-
stution and laws made In pursuance OF IT, Ii the State
only declares may, her opinion that this par
tcuar law under which OF her citizens is arrested Is
unconstitutional but proceeds to enforce her opinion
aud actually EMO ces il in defiance ofthe tribunals
authorised by the constitution to Judge in the last
port upon il, that State has establishes govern
ment and accomplished revolution complete as
that which Texas accomplished when she repealed
all the laws proceeding from the Mexican constitution.
1t would be easy to show, by references to the de-
bates in the convention which framed the constitution,
that this feature OF that sacred instrument which ena
bed The authority OF the federal government to reach
persons directly, and not be obliged to reach Them n
directly tn ough the States the State authorities was
deemed the most vital The success OF our republican
system 1t was the very one which the most ultra
advocates OF state rights united, almost without excep
ton, with Alexander Hamilton, In ehatacterizup as
preventing all pretext for The idea thai State may be
coerced to obey the orders OF the President and Con-
gress of the United States This feature was considered
the death OF the OLD coniederacy and the life OF that
more perfect and stable Union formed by the present
constitution. 1t was intended to transfer TO the mild
jurisdiction OF the niagisracy power enough to pre-
vent violent and angry appeals TO the sword, which
would have been unavoidable it State so ereigny nd
been the party implicated in all questions of doub, res
pecng the constutonahty OF a law. 1t did not pro-
coed from belief that i'll possible contingency there
might not arise popular movements springing from
some OF general discomfort violent par
oxysm involving The people OF whole State or States
No form of government can provide for such contin-
gences because they are too great for human foresight
When they occur, they amount revolutions and dis
memberments OF all existing governments. They con-
sute, in tact, the condition in which the southern
people will be ii northern States of the Union adopt the
higher a"Ism OF Mr. Seward and his allies, and render
impossible the execution of that provision Of the con
sution which authorizes The STAKEHOLDER to recover
peaceaby his fugitive property.
But, short OF such movements, the trainers of the
constitution created magIs trdcy with authority to
punish those distractions OF the laws which spring
from the inroads of ordinary faction and centous.
ness, d'iu 'ney ooiJlleu upon te general govern
out bringing into question the sovereignty of the
State, or giving an occasion for any one to raise the
oiy 'ila' u Vi 'a' hiasisiecy IS tie coer-
But to the more immediate point of the authority
which the Nashville Convention secesslonsts alege
~ Nc e iene I'll zoo anu MhuChy iesolu-
oia u i'o9 anu i 80 80 II Eo etii nae the ihlho o.
the attempt to break up the Union account of the
WGp p $500 t ~ y,;t5 uie ae ieaoutohS
W. M Is ,h aenea " osnto5 d w. G %
Voc va. 1ascanne , ON ;n3, ~ ~ os? "iio
81 af 10 Idu,sq No snoh 5;tr 80 W. 10
'nned W., TGrson and NdIo h as 81 saiic
IN those rssoinlions tbat the riabt Of a So NO. ay
ast resnrt to indoe If the ,noda .nd ,oaasura az ~
dress and to internose for The nrotacton Of ber 81;
zens authorizes he STATE acuailv IN milf, tbs law
ar y,thdraw the cifzen obstrnc9o the law ron Nv
nrsdiction Of The naoistracv Announced Nv, mo ot;
ntlon A II moral agents hayya III r;rht' - -
and IF internosino advIce onininn and a,,en 1880
but no moral agent can claim that eueh rioht s en-
preme over the similar rights of others and can he
legally emploved to pulllfy a law except as a conse-
oIpnce of the princple which reneals susnends ar
nodifies after due consideration accordinp TO The
forms pointed out in the constitution to which this
moral agent is amenabe. The successful exercise of
this right III any other sense is revolution, and was
considered by Jefferson and Madison, and by all
the leading members OF the Virginia Legislature who
took part in the debates of 1893 Mr.. Barbour, and
numerous others, on that occasion declared that they
them supposed that the resolutions now quoted as an
authority for secession from the jurisdiction of all the
laws, could be tortured INTO an excuse for even an
lniracton OF the single law complained OF.
nat lheSe views afelh accordance with those oil Mr.
Madison VIII iuily appear 10 those who will read the
extract from his letter TO Mr. Everett ~ 1880, which
we copy oelo~. IL would De easy to show from the
me ssages and puble writings OF Mr. Jefferson that his
opinions also concurred Exactly with those Of Mr..
Madison Weput these exracls along with the obssi-
vauons when we ma 10 the Richmond Enquirer OF
liie @Sd satt' IN Whci lhe lgnt OF secession Is ca
ca constu.lona flsnt ana INSISTED on as something
necessary ana pensaoe TO the safety OF the South
In our humble 1t is mqch safer to adhere to
!he views OF sucn statesmen as JEFFERSON ana adlson
IMAM TO emoark upon new sea OF dangers such pa
trlots PROVIDED Tor mat safety Tor the South which
springs ron me agl OF constitution founded on the
spirit OF uslce, fraternity and compromise rather than
rom lhat OF constitution Whch ADMITS IT'S lneapaclty to
preserve those qualltlesor snch would be the neces-
safy OF the rght OF constitutional seees
SION a cohsillu.loh aVoweaiy admitting the, right
n rlaaEt n