The Oxford intelligencer., 1860-10-24


DorcLAs says it may rightfully be done, and
has pledged himself % aid Lincoln therein, in
the event of the election of the latter to the
Presidency, and the consequent secession offhe
South from the Union. The Belleverett orators \
and presses, throughout the country, almost
unanimously denounce the claim of the right of
a sovereign State to secede from the Union as a
political heresy, and declare that "the right of
revolution" is our only remedy for the unconsti- |
tutional aggressions contemplated by the Black
Republicans. In other words, they assert that
SUCCESSFUL treason is our last and sole resort If
we endeayor to assert our rights, and fail in the
attempt they tell us that the traitors doom will
justly be awarded to us, and that we ought to
pie by the hangman's hands.
These opinions are based upon the grossest
misconception of the true theory Of our govern
ment and are utterly inconsistent with the ac-
ton of the Convention which framed our Con-
stitution.
The radical defect of the articles of Confeder-
alton, under which the affairs of the thirteen
States we're conducted for few years after the
Revolution, was, that the Federal Congress pos
sessed no power to enforce any measures what
ever. Its authority was limited to the right OF
recommending to the States such action as it
might deem conducive to the general welfare;
and the States were left at full liberty to follow,
or not as they thought proper, the recommen-
dations Of the Congress. No sooner was the
pressure Of the war with the mother country re-
moved, than the inherent defects of the system
established by the Articles of Confederation be-
gan to manifest themselves in the most alarming
manner; and it speedily became apparent, that,
to avoid anarchy, thorough reorganization
was indispensable Therefore, Convention
was called, 'or the sole and cypress purpose, as
declared by Congress, ''of revising the articles
Of Confederation, and reporting to Congress
and the Legislatures, such alterations and
provisions Mersin as shall render the federal
Consultation adequate to the exgencies OF the
government and the preservation Of tho Union =
The plan suggested by the Convention, and
adopted by the States, to remedy the defects Of
the confedcratve system, consisted in the estab-
lishment of government, possessing the power
to act directly upon individuals thus enabling it
to execute its own laws, in lieu of the simply
advisory body in which all the authority of the
Confederation was previously vested. This was
the main feature of the change introduced by
the Convention into our governmental system.
All other changes were subsidiary to this, and
consisted chiefly Of matters Of detail, which be-
came essential or expedicnt only in consequence
of this. Before the adoption of the present
Constitution the thirteen States were so many
sovereign and independent nations, exercising,
through their separate State authorities, all the
functions appertaning to government and pos
sessing, in Congress, general council in which
consultations for the general good were carried
on by the delegates, or ministers, of the several
States These States, in adopting the federal
/ Constitution, acted in the same sovereign capac-
ity in which they acted in constructing their
several State Constitutions; and the effect OF
their adoption of that instrument was, to take
away from their respective State governments
certain enumerated powers which had previous
| ly belonged to them and to delegate those pow
ers, thus Withdrawn from the individual States,
to a new government as the agent Of all the
States, to be employed by it for the general adj
vantage and the citizens of the several States,
as individuals, became bound TO obey the gener-
al government thus created, because they were
commanded to obey it by the same high author
ity which had created their own State govern
mcnt, to wit: the sovereign authority of their
respective States In effect, each State, in be-
coming a party to the Constitution, said to its
citizens-"I have appointed an agent-the fed
eral government--in common with the other
States, for certain general purposes connected
with the interests of ALL and have delegated to it
certain specific powers which are enumerated in
the Constitution, and which, hitherto, / have
exercised through the direct fundamentally of
your State government; but now, to the extent
of those delegated powers, / command you to
render obedience to my agent, as my represent
ative, until shall revoke the authority have
committed to it." Thus, and thus only, origi-
mated the duty, on the part of the individual
citizen to obey the general government. He
was bound to obey that government for the same
reason that bound him to the duty of obedience
to his State government-because he was COM
mandcd to do so by the sovereign authority of
his own State. So long as this commandment
remains in force the individual citizen who at
tempts to resist the authority of the general
government by force is undeniably guilty of
treason, and may rightfully be punished as
traitor Being thus empowered to challenge the
obedience Of the citizens Of the several States
and clothed with authority to enforce its laws |
against them, the general government is render |
ed efficient for the purposes of its institution /;
and herein, chiefly, is it distinguished from the |
impotent machinery Of the old Confederation;
while, at the same time, each State possesses, in /
the right to command its citizens no longer to |
obey the general government, an ample and ef- /
fectual security against any attempt on the part |
of the general government to transcend the
limits of its delegated powers. Without the
faculty of compelling individuals to obey its
laws, the general government would have failed
through its own imbeclity, like the confedera-
ton which Il superseded; but, if it possessedthe
power Of coercing States into obedience, it would
be idle to talk of State sovereignty, and prepos-
c.