Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-12-07

| ton 40 auy one &C them may retire from rho
| Union in a similar manner by the vote O. such a
conyentiou.
| In order 10 justify secession as cou sitution.
a. i,m' dr. i must he on the principle that the
Federal Government is a mere voluntary ms, o
cation of States, to be dissolved at pleasure by
any Que ut the contracting parties If this be
SO, the Confederacy is a rope of sand. TO be
penetrated and dissolved by the first adverse
wave of public opinion ia any of the States
In this manner our thirty three States NAV re.
solve themselves into as many petty. isrrinr.
and hostile republics each one retiring from
the Union, without responsibility. Whenever
any sudden excitement might jmp,l Them Ia
such u course. b. this pros e.s a Union might
BE- entirely broken iuto fragmrnts in a f.w
weeks. which cost our lureiatle.s many \car-
of toll, privaton. and blood to establish
| Such principle is wholly incousi-t ut with
the history us well as the character ul the Fed
eral Constitution. After it was framed. wiz,
the greatest deliberation and care, it was sub
mitted to conventions of the people Of TIE
several States for ratification. Its provisions
were discussed at length in these bodies, cog,
p sed OF the inst men of the country. Its OBJ
ponents contended that it conferred power
upon the Federal Government dangerous to TIA,
nights OF the States, whilst its advocates main
| famed that under u fair construction of the
instrument there was no foundation for such
appIehensions. In that mighty struggle be
tween the first intellects Of this or any othtI
country, 1t never occurred to any individual
either among its opponents or advocates, to
assert, or even to intimate, that their efforts
were All VAIN lauor, because the moment that
any State felt herself aggriered she might
secede from the Union. What a crushing ar
gument would this have proved against thos
who dreaded that the rights OF the States
would be endangered by the Constitution. The
! .,nth t. that IL was not until many years after
| the origin OF The Federal Government that
s"eh piopositiuh was hrst advanced. IL was
'heii het ana fe'uted by the conclusive argu-
"eu.s vi "ehe' I'll Jackson, VINO IN his message
o' io'h January iooo, transmitting the nuili-
HlnS ordnance OF south Carolina to Congress,
employs Tue following language " The right
oi 'he people o. asingle State to absolyc them
seiNe' q. VIII ana without The consent Ct the
o'het o'l'ss, IRON 'heir most solemn obiiga,
.cu ii''Ai'u lue hotr'y ana happiness o'
w. ihi'iions composing thls Union, cannot be
acknowledged. Such authority Is believed 10
be utterly repugnant both to the principles
upon which the General Government is consti-
tuted ard to the objects which it was expressly
formed to attain
1t is not pretended that any clause in in the
the Constitution gives countenance to sucb n
theory 1t is altogether founded uuon infer.
enCe, not from auy languap. contained in the
instrument itself. but from the sovrreion char.
acter of the several St,tes bv which !, was
ratified But is il beyond the mower of a State
like an individual. to Weld n portion nf ;,s
sovereign light to secure the remainderp In
the language of Mr. Madison who has banp
called ,hef,ther of the Constitniinn At ,vas
formed by the Statss-that is Inv the naon,e in
each of the States acting in their bigh.st so,--
ertign capacity and formed conseouentlv hv
the came authority which forp,sJ H.. S,a;,
constitution.
Nor il the Government If the Ir,;,od
States, created by the CONSTITUTION Iess n c.
ernnent in the strict sense of tbe term With,
the spbere of its powers than the coyer,usnts
created by the constitutions of the Sts,as are
within their several snheres II is ill., ,bsr,
orgonizad into leg;sative exac,,;,a al =,
dietary d.nartments Jt onarates EI,a tba,,
dir.,tiv on rersons and THINGS and ILL tbor,
it has at command a n Lvs;reI force far .raon.
tinl, the mowers committed 10 II
IL WIS intended TO 10 porpe.uated. and not
to be annulled at the pleasure of any one of the
contracting parties. The old articles of con.
federation were entitled Articles of Conf.der-
alton and Perpetual Union between the States"
and by the 18th article 1t is expressly declared
that the articles of this Confederation shall
bs lnyiolably observed by every State, and the
Union shall be perpetual. The preamble to
the constitution OF the United States, having
express reference to the articles of Confedera-
uon, rectes that 1t was established .'in order
to iorm more perfect Union Aud yet it is
contended that this more perfect Union" does
NOT include the essential attribute of per-
petuity
but that the Union was designed to he per-
petuai appears cohciusiveiy from the nature and
extent OF the powers conferred by the Constitu-
''on oi, 'he reuerai Government. 1heae pow
eis embrace the very niShest attributes OF na-
tionai sovereignty. They place both the sword
and the purse under Its control. Congress has
power to make war, and to make peace; TO raise
and support armies and navi,s. and to conclude
treaties with foreign governments. II is in
vested with TIE power to coin money. and to
regulate the value thereof, and to regulate
with foreign nations and among the
several States 1t is not necessary TO enumer-
ate the other high powers which have been con-
ferred upon the Federal Government. In order
to carry the enumerated powers into effect Con
gress possesses the exclusive right TO Law and
collect duties on imports. and in common with
the States to lay and collect all other taxes.
Bnt the Constitution has not oDlv conferred
these high powers upon Congress. but il has
adopted effectual means TO restrain the States
from interfering with their exercise For that
purpose it has, in strong prohibitorv language.
expressly declared that mo State shall enter
into any treaty, alliance or confederation: grant
letters of marque and reprisal coin money
emit bill; of credit make ANYTHING Int gold
and silver coin a tender in payment of debts
nass apv hill of ,ttainfar ~ -, 81. L. -