Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-10-10
From the Liborator.
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE UNION.

From the Liborator.
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE UNION.
Mr.. GARRISON Having published my letter to
Mr.. Rowland, will you let me, through The LIB
ORATOR, address a few essays to your readers on
questions preliminary TO a dissolution Of the
Union, should either the free or slave States resort
to that remedy?
By the liberator it appears that some of your
correspondents admit that if the free States should
secede from the Union, it would be a revolutionary
movement. This, in MY humble opinion, is an err
ror, which, under the discussion Of this vital ques-
ton, necessarily renders it moro unpopular than it
otherwise would be. This question rests upon the
nature of ou7 peculiar system Of government. If
the old Federal theory, (revived and rendered
popular in General Jackson's Proclamation pro-
%mulgated by the States which took exception TO the
Virginia and Kentucky resolutions of 1898, be
true, then, for one State, or any number of States,
to secede from the Union, would, in common
parlance. be a revolution if successful, and q re-
bellion if unsuccessful If, as seems to me to be
uncontroyertible the theory laid down by Messrs.
Jefferson and Madison in these Resolutions be true,
then secession would be neither revolution nor
rebellion, let the result be what it might. These
Resolutions unquestionably asserts, what the Proc.
lamation denies, the absolute sovereignty Of each
State in the Confederation and Massachusetts en-
dorse' this assertion by asserting her sovereignty
and requiring an oath of allegiance to the sover-
eign power Of the State.
If secession would DO revolution Or rebellion,
then it must be conceded that the rebels would
be traitors The fear of being called rebels and
traitors is the best possible check to free inquiry.
Hence this false fear should lie shown to he a mere
,, delusion.
Now treason is ex pressly defined in the FEEDER.
al Constitution to consist only in !evjing war
t against the United States, or in adhering to their
y enemies, giving thom aid and comfort" There is
C then, no such crime as constructive treason.
Treason Webster defined to be o violation of nj
n legiance.' Treason then, can only be perpetrat
. ed against the United States as sovereign States
: to whom the allegiance Of their respective citiz en-.
h is due but treason can be perpetrated agains
# any and every State, as the Federal Constitution
q asserts, (Art. w., sec. . because treason is
violation of the allegiance due to the State
o Rebellion moi defined in the Federal Constitution
n Webster defines to be an open remuneration of al
legiance, and opposition to the government
n Now, if the free States, planting themselves OF
their sovereignty, and commanding the allegiance
&c of their respective citizens, should secede from tn
" Union peaceably, it could not possibly be treason,
according to the constitutional definition of tina
d term or according to Mr.. Mebster's definition
d neither would it be rebellion, because it would nc
N be an open remuneration OF allegiance to any au
thority, but an absolute renurciGtiun of ~ailegiane
N by the citizens of each secedingStatc in the sovel
I sign power of their respective States. to whor
only their allegiance can be due.
q General Jackson's Proclamation assumes tbs
ID the allegiance Of the citizens Of each State is du
le to the Federal Government, because they 'owe all
W glance to laws enacted by Congress. This
sheer sophistry, the resort Of those who have n
reasons to advance. 1t is true, however, that til
y citizens of each State owe obedience to all law
a. enacted by Congress, passed IN pursuance Of u
rs Federal Constitution not, as the Prpclamatio
n falsely asserts, because their allegiance was tran
ly ferred, in the first instance, 10 the government
n Tho Hp;tn1 Gtotao , Int ,np ,aro .l.;r ,o~xo.k,,
&C. States, to whom their allegiance is due, comman,
I'd through the sovereign power Of the State, tn
I'd obedience to laws passed by the Federal brancl
of their State government,
Treason says tho Proclamation, SIS an offend
against sovereignty, and sovereignty must resid
ID with the power to punish IT," This assertion, Il
ken in connection with the previous denial Of ii
sovereignty of the States, and the assertion TIL
T. the allegiance Of their citizens was transferred
IL in the first instance, to the government of Il
ri United States is an unequivocal, though indirec
% assertion that sovereignty resides in the FEEDER
p Government while it also unwittingly conced
that each State is SOccIe gu, because each has Il
right to punish treGSoH,' as acknowledged in tt
er Federal Constitution, Art. w., sec. ii,
" This prevaricating theory makes tWO sovereig
ties to whom the allegiance Of the same either
must be due. Such AN a~bsurdity needs no col
rs ment.
n Now, if there is such a thing as political so
n III ~ ADibb NcAAt VIII llt ittIC SCI III
the people, the source of ali mower, but it must r
= side with the people themselves, with whom so
~ereignty is inherent. With what people? Tn
is the important question. Let the State Coust
tutions, az the Federal Constitution is silent O
! this question. answer. They all claim that tn
- people of each State form a sovereign cOmmunity
. to which the allegiance Of the citizen is due. Tn
! opponents of this theory have no settled princ
pies. Sometimes sovereignty is diyided-some
n time it resides in one place, then in another-some
times allegiance is due to government, then it i
due to sovereignty. Let the Proclamation be con
suited in proof Of this diversity Of opinion, 0
rather no opinion ut all.
yo Let me here urge your readers to examine car,
st- fully the annexed description of our system
an government by Mr.. Jefferson, written near til
"a close Of his useful life (S25);-
rat The States in North America which confede
'er dted to establish their independence, of whiC
Id Virginia was oLe. because, on that acquisitio
of free and independent States, and, as such, autho
'as ised to establish governments, each for itself,
al, such form as ihey'thOught best. They entered
ITO to o compact, which is called the Constitution
me- Tho United States by which they agreed to uni
ole in a single government, as to their relations wi
of each other and with foreign nations, and as
en- certain other articles particularly specified. TIL
retained, at the same time, each to itself, the 9th
Ion rights of independent government, comprehendir
his mainly, their domestic interests.
M For the administration of uleir Federal bran,
they agreed 10 appoint. in conjunction, a distir
to set of funotionaries, legislative, executive and
be dieial, in the manner settled ia that com paC
elf while to each seTerally, aud of course, remain
its original right Of appointing, each for itself
in separate get OF funciionaries, Legislative, exocut
cir and Judicial, also, fur administering The domes
LTdRch OF Their respective governments. Th'
en- Two sets Of oliccrss each independent Of the 0