The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1851-04-15
Th, Right to Sersd,

I; One ot rhs most ridiculous hunbugs
| put forth by The presses on the side Of
consolidation. is the humbug that a
sovereign State has not the rightto ses
cede-ihat secession would be rebeh
lion Rebellion indeed As if one
sovereign could not decline any longer
association with fellow s0vereigns, but
il would be rebellion, forsooth. The
great mind which framed the Decla-
ration of Independence, knew rs well
as any other man that ever lived in the
tide of time, what are the rights of
men, indvi lually M citizens or collec-
lively as States. Ia his declaration.
he SAYS that "all men are endowed
with certain inaIienable rights--ihat
among these are Lille, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness--that whenever
any form Of government becomes do.
structive Of these ends. II ~ the right
nay, it is the duty of such people TO
throw of such government. Again,
in the resolutions OF the Kentucky"
Legislature, in 1903, drafted by him, u
he says that The several States compo>
sing the United States of America,
are not united on the principles of un,
limited submission TO their general goy,
ernment; bat that by compact, under
the style and title of constitution Of
the United States and Of amendments,
thereto they constituted u general gov-
ernment for special purposes - delega>
ted to that government certain definite
powers, reserving each State 10 itself
the resduary mass Of right TO their
~ell>government; and that whensoever
The general government assumes un-
delegated powers, its acts are unauthor.
ilatle, void aud Of no force what TO
his compact, each State acceded as
State, and is nm integral party, its co.
States forming as TO itself the other
party. That the government created
by this compact was not made the e1~
elusive or final judge of the extent of
he power delegated TO itself; since
that would have made its discretion
and not the constitution, the measures
of ifs powers, but that. rs in all other
cases of compact among parties hav. 7i
ing no common judge, each party has
an equal right to judge tof iIsef, as
well OF inlracion, rs OF the mode and
measure OF redress. ,..
And, further on, he says that to take
from the States all powers Of self gov
ernment and transfer them 10 a gener>
al and consolidated government, with,
out regard to the special obligation and
reservation solemnly agreed TO in that
compact. is not for the peace. and hap>
piness or prosperity of the States
(for which objects the Union was form. %
ed y and thai therefore,, this common.
wealth is determined, as IL doubts not 1.
its co.States are, not tamely TO submit
to undelegated and consequently un.
limited powers in no man or body Of
men on earth: #F...
that 1t would be dangerous delusion,
were confidence in the men Of our
choice, to silence our fears for the saie>
ty Of our rights; thar confidence Is ev-
| eryWheTe The pareni oi depotIsm treG
government Is founded in jealousy and
not in confidence, which perscrihes
limited constitutions to bind down
those we are Obliged to trust with pow.
er. -. In question of power,
then. let no more be heard of conf
dence in man, but bind him down from
mischief by the chains OF the Consti.
tuition.
Modern secessionists claim no moro
nor less, than til, rights here defined
by Jefferson and her ce they arc no
more Traitors than he was and only
as he was, deSirous Of preserving State
Rights in the Union ii possible but to
preserve at all hazards out or in. In
he language Of Jackson the dOc,rina
of State Rights men is, to contend for
nothing but what is right and to sub
init TO nothing that is wrong. .......
THE FuotTlvE SLAVE Law N MAssA,
onusETTs. Boston, Sunday, March O.
A very large Anri>Fugitiye Slave Law
meeting OF the citizens of Lynn. Mass.
! ,vithnuf Poanoct nf nar,,, ,,,.e l. III =,