Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-12-21
.prACEABLE SECESSION"

which jus. now is preached up 50 iooo'y !"
ann. ouarters. j. absurd and regarded as
on. to be practised on, is one OF the most
,o;scb;evous ones extant. 1t appears in Two
fo,ns. one q little more specious than the
other but practically. the two forms contain
the same essence. In South Carolina, for
instance, the doctrine is that the State Gov
crpment, in relation to the United States
Government, is paramount-that, in TACT, II
the citizens of the State shall refuge to be IN
subiection to the United States Government,
expressing this refusal through the State
Legislature or State Convention or in some
ether mode more agreeable to them, they are
to be at liberty to do so,-that ii they please
TO set up and carry on government OF the'r
OVID. to be independent Of all Others, just as
the Enslish Government is independent OF
the French Government. it is their concern,
and nobody's else; and the United States
Government has no more right to NEEDLE in
tie matter than France OK Great Britain has.
We take it that the South Carolina poll
ticians, impudent as they are. do not lay
down that doctrine, as one which that State
alone il privileged to adopt and practise on.
Tit il sound doctrine for South Carolina, it
is sound doctrine for any other State; and
the United States Government is no govern
ment at all, and the United Stats Cons,itu-
ton is of no more importance than piece OF
blank paper, or the programme of operations
for visiting party, which the guests will
follow as long as they like; and when they
dislike it, they will break UP and 60 home.
The Convention who framed the United
States Constitution, and the people of the
United States who adopted it. had no
thought of being engaged in such childish
operation as that The United States Gov
erument was meant TO be as stable and
powerful Government as any in the world
The means for it's amendment and improve
ment, as time and experience should show to
be best for the good OF all, were provided for,
but no provision was made :or its being pick
Cd to pieces by any Of it's constituent parts.
Tho other form Of the doctrine
is propounded, substantially, as follows
Our government is not one Of force but OF
tho populo, will. It would be very
unbeooming act for one State to cut itself locse
from the United States Government and set
up an independent government for itself, end
no doubt, il one were TO make the attempt,
il would be allowable for the United States
Government to express it. dissatisfaction IN
very decided terms-perhaps it would DO
even for it to make the - Seceders > feel
very uncomfortable-in short, to do almost
any thing short of shooting them, to bring
them to abandon their scheme. If, however.
three Or four States, Comprising in all great
many very obstinate people who, from their
numbers, can make great deal Of trouble to
the United States Government if they set out
to, and very likely, if an attempt were ma de
to coerce them into a state of obedience to tie
United States laws, would show fight, result
Ing in the death of good many persons, and
cause O great deal of ill-will, which,
however the matter should end. it would take
@ long time to get rid Of threaten to set up an
Independent Government Of their own, why
then, it is best by all means for the United
States Government to let there cont rary and
obstinate fellows 60, without let or him
drance. The Z. s. G9verument would still
cover..a good deal Of territory, and could So.
along we'll enough wlthoa. them '-PerhaP7
better than with them.
This is the shaps in which the doctrine
disappeared in the NewYork Tir5une.f for in
stanoe We don't suppose 1t rs meant to
encourage the secession SITS to spread
themselves out and get as many a. possible
to Join them before they d, anything more
than talk, 60 that their success. may be made
more sure. mot because their ph yscal power,
if it comes to trial OF force, will be greater
and their chances for ovcr-ma.tering the
forces of the United States Government in
creased, bat because it will make plausible
reason for not meddling with their operation
9; al, and yet it seems to us that such mus.
be the practical effect of the doctrines, If it
has any. Granting this g secession
doctrine in this shape to be sound doctrine
the road to the adoption of the South Caro-
lima shape Of it is very short one. But it
contains fallacy to begin with. As touch
ing the real question, the US. Government
rests just as much on force as any govern
ment does. True the popular will decides
who eha!l legis!ats, and go far as the erseu.;re
Is concerned, who shall odnun,ster the laws q
the land; and vast deal is done by education
Of the people and by the right and practice of
free discussion in private and public, to pro
mote obedience to the laws without any great
display of force. Nevertheless it is lust as
true. hero as any where eise-that where the
laws are resisted by force, by force they must
be sustained. No government ever stood on
any other ground, since the world began.
and none can stand on any other Without
1t the violent, the selfish, the tyrannical,
would always crush down the peaceable, the
benevolent and the INDUSTRIOUS to be them
selves in time crushed down by the more
powerful of their own sort. OF con rse undcr
our liberal institutions, threatening 70 set mn
an independent government in the cotton
growing states, in defiance or in spite OF the
80 Government, though it is harmful. is
not punishable. South Carolinisns a,one
Oh Win hall dozen other Statee NAV declare
themselves independent, and nothing will
be likely to be done to them till .ber . ...n,r
to make themselves SO by resisting the r. :
laws and Selling the property of the na,;,o
but when the people who reside there 90
about that sort OF business, not in word. but
in deed, they will do well to take into the oc-
count their chances of being shot or hung, as
rebels and traitors.
AAo washington corrcspop1cp, or Al