The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1863, 1860-12-27
For the Lancaster Gazette.
"Has State the right to secede from the
VTniOnlsS p.

'erles oil articles, IN Wnich the wrlieI pro-
poses to maintain the affirmative Of the
lbove question.
Believing il to be the paramount duty
IF every Union-loving man 10 pray for
ha permanency of that Union, and, at all
lines, much more in crises Ike the pre-
counteIact, 80 far as in his power
les, the disastrous effects. resulting to the
country from the promulgaliou and vim
lication Of so dangerous political heresy
as that "a State has right to secede from
lhe Union," | therefore desire 10 offer
through your columns some suggestions
Do the other side of the question. Pre-
liminary to entering upon the discussion,
il is desired to state, as it is understood,
the argument of"T." in order that the
application Of the observations herein Of
fered may be clearly perceived.
If l comprehend the position Of "T,"
he bases the right of a Safe to seceds on
the hypothesis that each of the States is,
in itself, under the Constitution of the
United States complete sovereignty.
! take it, therefore, as admitted BY him,
that full, complete, absolute 8 vereignly
is essential to the possession and exercise
by State of the right Of Scct ssion from
III Union,
Hence to determine the question, it is
only necessary TO ascertain whether or not
each Of the States composing the Union,
under the Constitution Of The UnitedStates,
is in its individual capacity, an absolute
sovereignty. II the affirmative. State
has the right to secede. IL the negative.
a State has not the right TO secede. l al.
firm that each of the States forming the
Union is not, under the Constitution, alb
solutely sovereign and that since its
right to seccde from the Union. depends
on It's individual absolute sovereignty
therefore it does not possess the right lC
seeede from the Union Now, what il
sovereign,yH AS defined by Bouvier il
his Institutes on American law, land hi
defnation Of the term accords with ths
Of other law writer's } sovereignty is su
preme authority. or that public authority
which has no superior "It is the powel
to do any and every thing in State with
out being accountable to any one t
make laws, and to execute them. to impos.
and levy contributions to declare war. OF
to make peace to form treatits with for
eign nations. &C."
Now, docs each of the States Of the
Union possess all Of the powers enumcr.
ated 10 this de6nalion of sovereignty
as its essential attributes? II not, nc
State is sovereign.
The answer to this question determines
negatively the question of the right Of
a State to secede from the Union. But
At" will inquire: "To whom does sover.
eighty belong and in what manner it is
exercised ?" reply that it belongs to
the whole people of the United States,
and resides essentially in tie body Of the
nation. And government is the mode in
which the people of tho United States oxer'
else sovereignty. But the government ol
the U. States is Of two,fold or complex
character consisting Of a general govern
ment and separate State governments. Tn,
former,is general experimenting govern
ment over all the States and 10 which
the people of every State owe allegiance
Each Of the latter is. in certain sort, 81
imperium in imperio, or a governmen
within or under the supervision ofanothei
By both, considered together, absolute
veleiguty is exercised by neither alone
Now 10 form permanent Union OF th
States, and to establish over all Of them
general supervisory government, such a
were formed and established Ly the Con
s,itution Of the United States, it was ne
oessary for the people of the States com
posing that Union 10 ,elinquisn, equally
so much oftheir sovereignty. to such gov
ernmentas would be necessary to sustain !;
THIS was Gone by the people Of the
original States in their ratification Of III
Constitution. by their State Conventions
And the States which have been subse
quently admitted unto the Union, have Ell
tered il Oh precisely the same terms,
What portion Of their sovereignty III
people ot each State were required I
part with, upon coming into the Union
is defined by the Constitution. as l sha
elsewhere notice. These preliminary oh
servations being made, l shall, in order
the more clearly to illustrase and main
tain my position, as well as the better I
correct ITS" erroneous statements an,
Misrepresentation of history, now give
summary review Of the country's history
Commencing at his rs starting point
the period at which the first union of th
American Colonies was formed | shaI
nolics in It's proper order, each Of the sew
eral governments which have been sue
cess,vely established by tho American
people, marking at the same time thei
difference. and some OF the restriction
imposed by each upon the States unde
those governments. .....
After repeated unsuccessful appeals b
the people to the King Ct Great Bdtai
for redress Of their grievances, in l774
pursuant TO recommendation from Mas
sachusetts, a Continental Congress, com
posed Of delegates appointed by the peo
pie Of oil the Colonies was established
On the 4th day Of September Of tho.sam
year, this Congress assembled, and, hsv
ing chosen the necessary officers, adoptr'
certain fundamental rules Tor the rsgula
ton Of their proceedings,
Thus was organized by tho people of tn
Colonies, the first general or national gov
srnment, then called the Revolutionar
Government BY virtue Of the origins
powers derived from the people, this Con
gress exercised in many things, sovoreig
authority, 1t declared var: regulate
oommrrre authorized the raising Of Con
tinental troops, provided for the mainter