New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-12-19
Neh OrIeans 1ailg Crestent.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, DEoENBER 10, 1860
oo-oPERAr1ov UNCONSTITUTIONAL.


Those who advocate cooperation, and insist that
the Southern States shall meet in Convention and
agree to go out Of tie Union all together, have
probably not reflected that such proceeding Is
directly yioatve Of the letter of the Constitution
In the first clause of the 10th section of the first
article Of the Constitution, is tho following Ian
guage:
"No State shall enter into any Treaty, 4ntance
or Confederation that is, Of course, while such
State is a member Of the Federal Union.
The third clause Of the same section is equally
plain. 1t is as follows:
emo State SHALL without the consent Of Con-
gress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops or
ships Of war in time of peace, or enter into any
agreement or compact 2ett another State, or with
foreign power" etc, etc.
If, therefore, the Southern States, while still
members of the Union, meet together and "agreen
to withdraw, they would be doing an unconsttu-
tional act. But on the other hand, the Constitu-
ton nowhere prohibits an individual State from re-
suming all the sovereignty which she had before
going into the Union, and recalling her delegated
powers; this right being one which, not being
geded is specially reserved to the States respect
lively.
1t may be asked why the c6operationists object
to separate State action nasmuch as they know
that cooperation can be had just as well after tie
States withdraw, as before. They cannot answer
the question except by some general defamation
about united South, "let us all go together y
and all that sort Of evasion. But we would like
to know what is to prevent US from all going TO-
getber-what is to prevent us from having a united
South? Can we not come together and have
united South, as as our hands are united, and
we no longer owe allegiance to the Federal Gov
ernment? Assuredly we ean-and we cannot do
it at any other time. We cannot go out Of the
| Union in body We cannot " enter into any
agreement or compact" to go out of the Union, or
to do anything else, without flying right in the
teeth Of the Consttution-and, if it be treason to
do an unconstitutional act, we will be traitors to
carry out any such purpose.
| The original thirteen independent States, as we
| showed yesterday, went into the Union one by
one. They did not go in all together, like flock
| Of sheep. Each State acted upon her own respon-
sibility and upon her own g hook" Having gone
into the Union in this way, they must come out in
| the same way They must come out at the same
hole that they went in at. Any other idea SUP.
| poses that the States, nor, have not the same
sovereignty, the same dignity, and the same indie
!! pendence and State pride that they had in 1888,
when they were weak and feeble, in population
and resources, compared with their present con
| diton.
But is useless to disguise the fact that this pro-
| iect of cooperation" is but another name for
| compromise-for submission That is what it
means, and it is not worth while to call it by any
othername. Those who favor c6operation,'--n
all of them perhaps-haye hopes that it will result
in demand for guarantees which will be granted
| They think that what is called the conservative
sentiment Of the border States will bear down the
other Southern States that are determined to have
/ their plain political rights and liberties. They
believe if the Gulf States can be entrapped into
a conference, they will feel themselves bound in
honor to abide the result, and that result will be
| submission. 1t is a scheme to dragoon the Gulf
States into a convertible where they will be over.
slanghed by the numerical power of the others,
and forced to aequesee in their decision. That is
/ whatit means, and nothing else.
| We do not believe that even this enterprise will
succeed. We believe that even the border States
will be equally as prompt as ourselves, when the
issue is made, to accept it, and range themselves
| by our side The c6operationists are doomed to
defeat, if their favorite policy be carried out
But this makes no difference. The plan is obiec.
tionable for grave Constitutional reasons-it is
| Objectionable on the score of po1icy-it will be a
lowering of the dignity, and virtual surrender of
the sovereignty, of every Southern State.
| There is only one issue now before the people of
the South. That is, whether to stay in the Union
or to go out Of it, All side issues must be discard
ed, and that plain alternative must be looked
straight in the face. Every other issue that may
be trumped up only serves to embarrass the matter
besides being evidence either of tmidity or evasion
| If we are going out let us go out as we came in
by separate State action If we are going to stay
in lot us say SO at once, bend the knee, bare the
back, and receive whatever blows the North has
to give for our futile attempts at resistance.