The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-27

treighS Win
pool in favor Of shippers, especially of grain
The Great Question or the Day-Is Seccs-
sion Revolution or Mott
We published yesterday two remarkable
documents of revolutionary character-one,
"the Declaration of Independence of South
Carolina, done in Convention, December "a,
1902 and the other, "the address of the peo-
pie of South Carolina, assembled In Conven-
ton, to the people of the slaveholding States Of
the United States" They are both eloquently
written electioneering papers, well calculated
to precipitate the revolutionary mo ement now
going forward at the South. They describe, in
vivid colors, the antislavery sentiment existing
at the North, and the acts Of hostility against
the South perpetrated by various Northern
States. But while we willingly give them this
praise, we must impugn their historical accu-
racy in some very important points, and dissent
from the conclusions arrived at as illogical and
unsound.
1t is not true that the United States constitute
mere temporary league, which can be
lawfully and constitutionally broken up
may feel aggrieved from the action Of
the other States or the legislation Of
the representatives of the whole in Congress
assembled. The United States are govern
ment, and the first principle of oil govern
men,s-as it is the first law of nature in indi-
viduals-is self-preservation. No government
can be peacefully broken up-none without
revolution. The first form of federation for
the whole States, adopted in l781--while
the result of the Revolutionary war
was still pending-is described by the
instrument itself as "Articles of Con-
federation and Perpetual Union,' and the
style of the confederacy was "The United
States Of America" The preamble to the con-
stitution, the form Of government under which
we now live, was, 1--WE, the people Of the
United States in order to form a more perfect
Union," &C., "do ordain and establish this con-
stitution for the United States Of America"
There is no article or section which provides
for the dissolution Of this Union, none that
looks to such an event as possible, nothing in
the constitution that warrants the secession Of
State under any circumstances. For existing
evils arising out Of any unequal working Of
the constitution, the instrument itself provides
the remedy either by appealing against
State or federal injustice to the Supreme
Court, or by giving the people the
opportunity Of amending the constitution; and
this was done expressly to prevent physical
force revolution and bloodshed-no other
kind Of revolution being recognized under the
constitution than revolution through the opera
ton Of the ballot box. The people of the
thirteen States ratified this constitution, and
for South Carolina, which was one of them,
there is no saving clause by which she can re-
sumo the complete independent sovereignty
with which she parted, nor has she any more
right to set at defiance the laws Of the Union
than an individual has to disobey the laws of q
State to which he has surrendered q share of
his natural liberty In order TO preserve the
rest. The great difficulty under the old con-
federation was that the laws Of Congress did
States, and there was no mode Of cccrcing
States provided for. BY the constitution the
general government operates not upon States,
as such, but upon individuals-upon every
individual in every State. Hence Congress
cannot declare war against q State, for that
would be the United States declaring war
against themselves, but Congress and the Pre-
sident can enforce the federal laws against any
number Of individuals in any State, or any
number Of States, and their declaring them
selves outside OF the federal government does
not make them 20. The bond Of Union cannot
be legally cancelled by one OF tie parties
thereto. The act of cancelling ais an act Of
therefore, that in the step she has taken she has
acted according TO law and the nature Of the
compact, for veal or wo, into which she delibe-
rately entered, is contrary 70 the well known
facts Of American history. II she based her
act on the right Of revolution. then we could
understand the logic of her argument, though
not the prudence Of her course. For the right
of revolution Is the right Of the strongest and
Is only sanctihcd by success. The lessons Of
history, from the beginning Of the world, preach
the uniform doctrine Of T9 riciis-" woe to
the vanquished." South Carolina cannot, there
fore, escape from the responsibility of her
act under the shield Of law. II will be solely
. question Of policy with the federal govern
ment whether II wal enforce ih laws Ia that
and other seeding States. II will have the
undoubted right, II II thinks ri to exercise It.
There b not and cannot be any right Of ssces-
sion, except ~ right Of revolution.
The argument Of South Carolina Is equally
weak In the reason shc assigns for secession.
Her act d founded not 20 much upon what the
Northern States, or the United States In Con-
sress, have done, o. upon her apprehension Of
what they may do hereafter. That certainly
cannot be . justification for her attempt TO
break mp The government When abolition
Of slavery In the Southern States h decreed BY
Congre@ and the President, and sanctioned BY
ths Supreme Court Of NE United States, Il viii