The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1860-12-12


tion, we are unable to eomprshend phy 4 rs
that the SAND argument does not just as eff.
fcetaafy disproye the existence. Of tl,e right
ofrevolution also. Revolution destroys TIE
Union, and, therefore, defeats the intention
of those who founded the Union, ia precisely
the same manner that secession does; and it
can be, consequently, no more admissible,
In the character Of light, than secession
itself
We infer, from the general tenor of the
message, that it is the purpose of the Presi-
dent to enforce the revenue laws, ana, TO re-
tain the possession of the forts and other
property of the United States, i'm. South
Carolina, whilst he remains in Office, without
regard to the secession Of that State. Look
ing, as we do. upon the withdrawal from the
Union of the Palmetto State as "a fixed fact"
already accomplished save IN the matter Of a
few forms which will be gene through with
before the close of the present year, we con
slider the attitude Of the President toward
South Carolina as hostile. BY her ordinance
of secession, the State will declare that she
resumes all the authority heretofore delegated
by her to the United States, and places her
self, for all purposes, in the position of a
sovereign and Independent State. In other
words, she will go entirely out of the Union,
by her own act. If the President afterwards
attempts to enforce the revenue laws of the
United States in the ports of South Carolina,
such attempt will be nothing less than an eff
fort to compel the State to come back into
tho Union. If he employs coercive measures,
he will do what, in his message, he has de-
libcrately admitted that he has no power to
do. AS to the forts, arsenals, ETC., now be-
longing to and held by the United States in
South Carolina, it would seem that there
ought, upon principle, to be no great difficult
ty. 1t is idle to expect that any nation will
permit another and unfriendly power to re-
tain possession of forts and arsenals, uponi its
own soil, to command its harbors and over
awe its people. As a necessary measure of
precaution, and strictly in selfdefence, South
Carolina must hare possession Of that proper
ty, which, moreover, belongs to her. When
she ceded jurisdiction over 1t to the United
States, she did so as member of the Union,
and in order that the Federal government
might with more facility discharge its duties
towards herself. When she goes out of the
Union, the Federal government will no longer
have any local duties to discharge towards
her; and, therefore, the property aud juris-
dicton will naturally revert to her, as the
original proprietor and sovereign, upon
familiar principles of law.
The President declares his belief that an.
amendment of the Constitution, in reference
to the question of slavery, "would forever
terminate the existing discussions, and re-
store peace and harmony among the States"
We think the President is mistaken on this
point. Even though the slavery question
constituted the only ground of discussion
OSNWSSu lhO WV SAa'PSioeSu oOSei'h'S ehS
South has too little confidence in the good
faith Of the North to be willing to rely upon
any more paper guarantees, which might
hereafter be contemptuously set aside, as ex-
listing provisions of the Constitution have
habitually been, by perfdious majority;
but when we remember that the settlement
of the slavery question, supposing that it
could be settled to the entire satisfaction of
the Southern people, would still leave the
North in undisputed possession of all the
powers of the general government, in all its
departments, so that the South would have
no constitutional means, short of secession
or revolution, whereby it could protect its
rights and interests, it is clear that some
more efficient measure of pacifcation must be
devised than that suggested by the President
in his message. s,lss