Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-11-16
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.


the People Of the South; the FIRST Of a series de-
aligned soccmbat the current doctrine Of secession
We accord space to this communication we
shall to those TO follow It, without thereby design
Ing to commit the Star to the correctness Of the
positions that the distinguished writer may az
sumo. IL there lives a man entitled to be heard
attentively and respectfully upon such a subject
by the Democratic party, that mani s surely Amss
Kendall, the righthand man Of Andsew ,Jackson
in times a. trying to the party and The country %
those now upon Us. In these times, next 70 Jack
sons, his mind was the con1olling one In the
government of the Confederacy; stamping the in-
press Of its patriotism and will more indelibly
upon the future Of the Unitd States than those Of
all the rest Of Jackson's constitutional advisers
Long since entirely disconnected with politics,
and nov at avery advanced age, II any man can
approach the discussion Of such a subject In such
times unbiased by any other than the purest con-
sideratons, that man is Amos Kendall. ,zszz-=sss-
...-- wAsHlssroN, Nov. IS, 1900.
To fhs Editor Of ths Ecesiss Sfay: -
The annexed article was prepared for the Con-
s'itstios, hut its editor, avowing himself a seces-
sonist, closes bis columns against the friends Of
the Union. The writers for his paper denounce
a. no true democrat all who deny this new doc
trine Of secession, thus setting up 4 new test Of
democracy. t- l-- -
From boyhood have considered myself DEM
crat, reared In the school Of Jefferson, In whose
words acts challenge any one to find the trace
Of thought giving color to this doctrine.
have some claim to be heard by southern peo-
pie. Like hundreds Of others In the border slave
States, have suffered by abolition thieves When
at the head 81 the Post Office Department, 1 In.
CURED violent denunciations by denying the light
Of the abotionists to distribute their incendary
papers and documents In the Southern States
through the United States mails and postmasters
by justifying the postmaster at New York for re-
fusing to mail them TO Charleston, sad the people
Of Charleston for seizing and burning them in the
street Moreover, am an old man, whose polIt-
ical race 10 run, who has no motive of ambition
or gain to influence him, nor any inducement to
take up his pen but such are common to all
who have property to lose or families to leave be-
hind them. AMOS KENDALL. .
- SECESSION No. 1.
THK Or GIN OF THE FKpERAL UNIoN-To BIZ Pr.
PEruAL BIZ COMPACT BsrwEBN THE SrArRs-
THE ARrIcLKs OF CONFEDERATION, TIE Acr
OF STATE LKGIsLAruRBs-Tnk CONSTITUTION
THE ACT OF THE PKOPLK-SovR RRlesrY NAY
LIMIT ITSELF.
To the People Of tts South.
propose 70 discuss the doctrine Of Secession In
| a few short numbers, and commence by showing
the origin Of the Federal Union constituting the
United States Of America
When, in 1776 the British Colonies constituting
the original members Of our Federal Union. be-
came independent States, each State was an in
dependent nation, possessing all the powers of un-
limited sovereignty They were then acting in
concert against British oppression; but II was not
W ffoyx rd.t hat
compact Of union was contaminated. That COM
pact was styled "Arfie!es Of Confederation and
PERPETUAL UNION betpssn the Statss," naming
them.
A part Of the l4th Article of this instrument
reads as follows-vfz:
"And the articles Of this Confederation shall be
invi9laoly observed by every State, and the nn,on
shall be perpefraI."
The form Of ratification Of those Articles was an
| follows-viz:
"And whereas II has pleased the Great Gov.
| ernor Of the world to incline the heart of the
Legislatures we respectively represent in Con.
gress, to approve Of and to horize us to ratfy
the said Articles Of Confederation and Perpetual
1 Union Know II, That we, the undersigned del
egates by virtue Of the power and authority to us
| given for that purpose do, by these presents in
the name and Ia behalf Of our respective constitu.
and every Of the said Articles Of Confederation
| and Perpetual Union, and all and singular the
| matters and things therein contained and we do
further soismnly plight and engage the faith Of
our respective constituents that they shall abide
oy the determinations Of the United States In Con-
gress assembled, on all questions which, by the
| SAID Confederation, are submitted to them and
| tnat Inc Articles thereof shall be inviolably OBJ.
served by the States we respectively represent ;
| and that the Union shall lie perpetual,
/ To this instrument South Carolina became a
party by the authorized signatures of her dele.
gates, Henry Lsurens, William Henry Drayton
John Mathews, Richard Hutson, and Thoma,
Hayward, jr.
The advocates Of secession base their argument
not on any rig ht reserved In any way alluded t.
In the Constitution, but on the inherent sover
| efgnty possessed by an independent State, which
az they say, enables her to set at naught, when
| ever she chooses any and all her compacts with
| other States Without commenting upon the
unsoundness and demoralizing tendency Of thi,
doctrine, we ask secessonists to say whether South
Carolina: after solemnlY plighting her faith thai
sne would soide by the Articles Of Confederation
and that "the UnioS should be perpetual" could
at will, rightfully secsde and break I'D tina,
Union! Surely, the wise men Of that day did
not understand that by means Of the sovereigntv
Of any discontented State she could rishtfully
leave the Union, her plighted faith notwithstand.
Ing, or they would not have trifed with each
other and the world by such a stipulation. Thew
evidently thought that a sovereign State had
power to limit II. own sovereignty by compact,
with other States, which should be Of perpetual
| o6ltgation.
There 10, however, a striking difference in the
authority by which the Articles of Confederation
and our present Constitution are sanctioned The
former rested on the authority Of the State Lepis
iatures, acting through their Delegates in Con.
gress the latter on the authority Of the people of
| each safe, acting through Delegates In Conven.
uon- The Constitution, therefore, rests on the
highest authority known to republican govern.
ment the people themselves, not the people Of tb.
United States IN mass, but the people of each and
every separate State, and In that sense em pbati.
caly 'he people Of the United States" a. asserted
In the preamble.
Now, IL the Lsgislatnyss Of the States could
bind them to perpetual Union,n their sover-
eighty Notwithstanding, (as they actually did un.
les we suppose that the men of that day wsre
totally Ignorant Of the legal effects Of their own
acS) surely the people Of the States the original
sovereigns, could do the same thing. That thew